The slow trickle of information getting out about NBA 2K22 ahead of the game's release Friday only serves to generate more excitement.
That's almost hard to do too. The latest installment from developer Visual Concepts is already hyped almost as much as cover star Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks because it's only the second appearance from the series on next-generation consoles and could boast plenty of upgrades.
As always, would-be players have plenty of options when it comes to pre-order time. Doncic's standard edition boasts some currency bonuses and MyTeam promo packs, plus MyCareer boosts. There's also a cross-gen digital bundle for those who anticipate making the leap to next-generation consoles.
Perhaps most interesting is the 75th-anniversary edition, which boasts Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kevin Durant and Dirk Nowitzki on the cover. The ode to the league's history boasts droves of currency and point bonuses, MyTeam cards of the cover stars, amplified skill boosts and extra customization items, to name a few.
Capping it all off is a next-gen exclusive WNBA 25th-anniversary edition with some similar bonuses, plus the inimitable Candace Parker on the cover.
One of the biggest selling points of this year's game is again MyTeam, as the latest trailer for the game itself highlights:
That mode benefits from the overall implementation of a new Seasons feature, which means new season-specific and lifetime goals to chase for major rewards.
Specific to that mode, new solo-player challenges such as daily pick-up games offer big rewards. And for those who love to take things online and get competitive, the ever-popular Triple Threat mode gets a new wrinkle in the form of The 100.
Jonathan Smith, a producer at Visual Concepts, explained:
"At the start of each run in Triple Threat Online: The 100 you will receive 100 points. After every game, win or lose, the amount of points your opponent scores against you will be subtracted from your 100. Once you hit 0, run over, and you are reset back to the bottom tier of prizes. This means at a minimum, every player should now get into the second tier of prizes for this mode’s Ball Drops, even if they lose every game."
Add in creator levels, team customization, shoe crafting and even a card-grading service, and MyTeam has the look of a game mode that could stand alone as its own individual release.
Of course, MyTeam is only as fun as the gameplay itself. The strong foundation seems like it's only going to receive more upgrades this time out:
When it comes to on-court upgrades this year, what sticks out most is the presence of new signature moves and combos, plus a promise that alley-oops and precision shooting will be even more skill-based than in the past.
Not that defense gets left hanging, though. A brand-new shot-contest system should give players more say in the how and why of contesting a shot, which should help to dramatically balance out things, especially online.
Coinciding with that upgrade is a new-look shot meter that will be affected by the nature of the shot contest. The idea is to reward teams that move the ball around and find open looks as opposed to the let-it-fly nature of games in the past, again, especially online in competitive environments. The goal remains to find the right balance between fun and a real-life simulation.
From Mike Wang, NBA 2K gameplay director2K Sports:
"This also paved the way to reward basketball IQ much more in our shooting systems. The shot contest rewrite removed the “ghost contests” that many complained about, and this year being out of position or not getting a hand in the shooter’s face will lead to some easy buckets for the offense. On the other hand, properly crowding shooters with good contests will result in plenty of bricks and airballs, as they should."
As with other entries, 2K22 offers a barrage of modes to fit what pretty much any player could want.
Besides the collect-a-thon in MyTeam, there are comprehensive individual modes like MyCareer and the deep, WNBA-centric The W mode. The new Seasons feature reshapes the feel of those too before even taking online play into consideration.
A robust all-around package, NBA 2K22 looks set to keep the momentum going as it carves out a reputation on next-generation consoles with this upcoming release.
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