Your own team’s AI has also improved, meaning that they won’t pass to you unless they feel you have a good chance to shoot or break through the defence. They wait for a chance to drive to the basket without rushing, yet they aren’t too advanced that it makes you feel like you’re playing against the Monstars from Space Jam. The AI has vastly improved since last year and your opponent seems to play a lot smarter. You can have hundreds of options and modes to fiddle with, but if the game doesn’t control well, you may as well not bother thankfully NBA 2K16 plays beautifully in every way. Also, between quarters, you’ll have bite-sized interviews with some of the actual basketball stars themselves and cheerleader performances, adding to the overall atmosphere of the game. Shaquille O’ Neal, Ernie Johnson and Kenny “The Jet” Smith provide detailed information on player stats and opinions on the impending match-up, meaning every game is treated differently and each approach by the trio is often dissimilar from the last. The pre-match analysis is so realistic that it’s as if you’re watching ESPN on the TV. When not on court, NBA 2K16 excels in different ways. When the players moved on the court, the faces didn’t move in unison, which provided a rather jarring experience at times. I was playing as the Chicago Bulls from the mid-nineties and certain faces look like they’d been stuck on with some kind of digital glue. The only time that I found the look of the players a little off-putting was on the teams from NBA’s history. The meticulous nature of Visual Concept’s programmers makes the game a real joy to look at, providing an almost lifelike rendition of the entire NBA experience players, stadiums and all. Visually, NBA 2K16 is gorgeous: the light reflecting off the court, the player animations after a dunk or a 3-point swish, the way the crowd lights up after an important basket and the sweat falling from your point guard’s forehead completely sets it apart from everything that has come before. The vast amount of options, game modes and creative tools at your disposal cements NBA 2K16 at the top of its division, making sure you are never left with nothing to do. From the very first moment on the court, you are overwhelmed by its ostentatious visuals and realistic gameplay, constantly blown away by the attention to detail. There is no doubt in my mind that NBA 2K16 is the best basketball game ever.

Best shot on 2k16