NBA 2K22 Review
You hear this mentioned about annualized sports games every year, but this season it has much more reality to it than normal: NBA 2K22 MT is more of the same. That's great in some ways: none of all those minor alterations have done anything to spoil the exceptional on-court experience, which accurately emulates the play and style of NBA basketball. The accession of shot-stick aiming and a MyCareer reskin are nice improvements, but it is becoming more difficult to ignore the lack of updates to crucial game modes while the concentrate on monetization only intensifies.
Between the baskets, NBA 2K22 features a handful of small updates but is otherwise exceptionally familiar if you have played any of those recent-year iterations. My favorite improvement is the new shot-stick aiming, allowing for the struggle of actually aiming shots rather than simply timing them. The best part is it's really difficult to master and resets the learning curve for experienced players in a beneficial way, and hitting a green shot -- which requires nailing the goal from the meter which appears when you hold down the right stick -- is tremendously satisfying.
This system also supplies a few much-needed nuance to crime in the paint. Hitting floaters or crafty layups depends on being able to successfully aim your shot, (that's much easier to do with a star like LeBron James than it's with a player away from the bench) and it generates potential elsewhere on the courtroom. I've even found that it helps lighten the blow off of latency issues, which continue to plague online play, due to fewer issues with timing. Maybe it's because it is one of those few things that feels completely fresh about NBA 2K22, but it stands out as this season's best addition.
Shot-stick planning is one of those few things that feels completely new about NBA 2K22. As a side advantage, the right rod now includes a full range of movement for dribbling, such as pressing forward for touch size-ups like Jamal Crawford's exaggerated crossover and behind-the-back moves. Being able to concentrate on making space for myself with the right rod without worrying about accidentally flinging up a shot is a significant improvement. Generally, dribbling feels more responsive and rarely contributes to the awkward, uncontrollable animations which have plagued the franchise for years. Chaining moves together, like a step backwards with James Harden to a Eurostep, is much more natural than it was before. The changes aren't always visually clear, but it helps enhance the already solid gameplay.
One of the reasons the lack of updates is really frustrating is that a handful of heritage issues stay stubbornly present. One of the most aggravating, particularly when playing against another individual online or offline, is how awkward post-play is. On the flip side, it's far too easy to get the ball to the paint. Outside awkward plays in which the ball only strikes the back of a guardian, moves almost always reach the inside without a lot of interference. Even more frustrating is that when the ball gets to the article, the startup animations is much too slow and lacks urgency. As opposed to simply going directly to the hoop for an easy dunk or layup, gamers will sluggishly move toward the basket or hurl a shot from only a few feet off. Whenever there's open space between the player and the basket, the participant must always go right to the basket. In Buy 2K22 MT, that is rarely true.