Over the past few years, developer Visual Concepts’ focus on updating its online features and adding more microtransactions has reduced the core of its annual basketball series to a forgotten merry-go-round of rehashed patties and uninspired modes. But after spending a dozen or so hours with NBA 2K25 so far, the game already feels like a aging veteran of the league and the definition of a multi-year starter — there are still holes in the game, but the solid foundation and willingness to adapt make it a reliable part of any rotation. Or, in this case, it now feels like a up-to-date and creative entry that has the potential to win up-to-date fans and bring back old-timers.
Make no mistake, you still can’t teach the long-running basketball simulator up-to-date tricks. But that doesn’t mean you can’t polish it until it’s as glossy as Steph Curry’s buttery jump shot. That’s where the return of ProPLAY technology shines. While it was originally introduced as part of 2K24, this year’s iteration is much better. It creates more realistic animations and player movements, so Paul George’s fluid throw and Jayson Tatum’s upper-body lift look real.
Visual Concepts’ introduction of Go-To Moves further underscores NBA 2K25’s emphasis on realistic player movement. With these, you can recreate your favorite player’s iconic move, whether it’s Nikola Jokic’s one-footed lateral jump or Donovan Mitchell’s jump-and-sink. I especially enjoy using (and abusing) these moves when my play is interrupted or time is running out. After all, most of them, like KD’s crossover hesi pull-up, guarantee space and an open shot every time.
The only issue I have is the lack of variety. Yes, spamming the same nearly unstoppable shot is chilly, but I wish each superstar had more than one signature ability to fall back on. I was particularly disappointed to see that there were no moves to execute after the play; a one-dribble pull-up shot is no substitute for Joel Embiid’s true arsenal of dream shakes and shimmy fakes.
Rhythm and Blues
Another fascinating up-to-date addition is Rhythm Shooting, a completely different and more sophisticated way to score points with middies and threes. But I’ll be candid: As someone who’s spent years tapping and releasing, I initially found it pointless. I just didn’t feel like there was any incentive to learn the Pro Stick’s more challenging down-up move. But after trying both that and the classic shooting method with different jump shot animations multiple times, I’ve come to prefer Rhythm Shooting more, not only because it’s more forgiving of imperfect releases, but also because you can transition into dribbling moves smoothly after faking a shot.
Of course, along with the revamped animations comes a up-to-date shot indicator, which I admit was a bit of a letdown when I first played a full match with it. Can you blame me for getting mad after messing up three open shots in a row? Of course, that was the shot indicator’s fault, not my skill. But while I came dangerously close to throwing both hurtful insults at the TV and my controller, chilly heads prevailed and I eventually learned about the up-to-date Shot Timing Profiles feature.
By default, the shot timing profile in NBA 2K25 is set to difficulty, meaning that the current difficulty level has a gigantic impact on the timing of your jump shots. So if you’re playing at an All-Pro level like I am, your release has to be nearly perfect for your shots to land. Or, if you’re in the Hall of Fame for some reason, you might as well not try at all. Luckily, that’s not your only choice, and there are four other profiles you can try: Real Player %, Low Risk-Reward, Normal Risk-Reward, and High Risk-Reward.
After switching to Normal Risk-Reward, the “most similar” setting to the previous 2K timing, getting used to the up-to-date shot meter was much easier, as an imperfect release had less of an impact on the shot (and thus my TV was saved). However, Shot Timing Profiles can only do so much to mask the fact that this year’s shot meter, with its alternate rings and knobs, is still challenging to time, and I wish there was an option that would let me utilize last year’s easier-to-master classic bar design instead.
After experimenting in the up-to-date Learn2K tutorial hub, I couldn’t wait to see what the rest of NBA 2K25 had to offer. So I went into MyNBA Eras to check out the up-to-date Steph era, which, confusingly enough, begins in 2016, two years after the Warriors’ first championship and the real beginning of Curry’s reign of terror. Or, should I say, three-mistakes? Get it? While the Steph era makes the 2010s feel uncomfortably crowded (the LeBron era takes place in the first half of the decade), it’s an addition I fully support, honoring the nearly unstoppable Steph and company dynasty in the way it deserves.
RPGeez, seriously?
Since this was the only up-to-date feature in Eras, I immediately noticed the return of MyGM, which to my surprise has almost transformed into an RPG. I emphasize the word almost because the RPG elements feel fragmented and incomplete. After selecting a pre-made character, you have a choice of six different stories that grant different attributes and perks based on your preferences. I like that this allowed me to imagine a unique rags-to-riches story for my budding CEO (for the record, I chose Ex-Scout because I wanted an Erik Spoelstra-style story), but the problems with this up-to-date RPG direction began once I finished creating my character and got sucked into strange conversations with some of my team’s staff members.
Every line of dialogue with these NPCs feels unnatural and forced, thrown together just to serve as a way to distribute tasks throughout the season. In my first conversation with the party governor, he immediately asked me to trade our oldest (and best) player because of a dream he had. Irritated, I almost handed in my resignation letter. But Mom didn’t raise any quitters. So after finishing my odd chat at the water cooler with the governor, I moved on, touring the rest of the up-to-date MyGM building.
Unfortunately, as in the previous conversation, the MyGM building feels equally empty, sparsely filled with steep equipment that you can’t touch, as if it were a modest museum. Rather than reflecting the bustling business center of a multimillion-dollar NBA team, the oddly designed, single-story space feels more like an steep penthouse you’re sharing with four strangers.
In it, NPC interactions are confusingly kept to a minimum; you can only talk to the governor, scout, head coach, or your team’s best player if they have an exclamation point above their head. Otherwise, they’ll give you the cool shoulder. Outside of these infrequent conversations, the rest of your management duties take place in the Nav menu, making the MyGM building and the people in it feel even more secondary.
Let’s not call it a comeback
Since the up-to-date features in MyNBA Eras were a bit of a letdown, I braced myself for disappointment before diving into the revamped MyCareer mode. Oh, how wrong I was. When I first booted it up, I was instantly transported to every basketball player’s childhood fantasy: It’s overtime in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, my team is leading, and I (after selecting my preferred position, team, and appearance) get to play the rest of the match for a chance to make history.
While this is just a brief snippet of potential storyline for my player to start the game with, the immediate plunge into a high-stakes scenario is the sudden, invigorating jolt that MyCareer needed after last year’s disappointment. That said, after the match ended (spoiler alert: we won), I’ll admit that I spent most of my time in the mode trying out different Pro-Tuned Builds and NBA Template Builds because I couldn’t decide on any of them. That was fun in its own right, but I still need to dive back in and make this introduction a reality before my final review.
So, with just a few days under my belt with NBA 2K25, I still have a lot of play to do before I pass judgment. I’ve only had a narrow amount of time to check out its shiny up-to-date online features, for example, but I’m at least cautiously positive about what I saw overall after putting aside 2K24’s glaring shortcomings and its disastrous lack of a single-player story. Hopefully, my optimism won’t be dampened by the inevitable barrage of microtransaction ads for MyTeam. Either way, I’ll be back with an assessment next week.
