"2K" made the right decision in reintroducing the features of the career alongside the story. While the story isn't necessarily anything special, it's a big step up from the awful one that Spike Lee produced last year. MORE: 'NBA 2K17' recreates the 2016 National Team and 1992 Dream Team photos The chemistry between the two is built through practices and other events, and on the court when things are going well a special ability can even be unlocked in which the user gets to switch between controlling both of the players on the court, which is a neat new twist for the mode. That's where the "duo" concept comes into play. Jordan, in the role of a teammate and fellow rookie who forms a bond with the main character. This year's story is written/directed by "Creed" scribe Aaron Covington, who's reunited with the film's star, Michael B.
The most popular mode in recent years of the "NBA 2K" series is M圜areer, which has evolved into a narrative-driven story mode with traditional career elements mixed in. Some of that has proven fruitful, but there are also some areas of the game practically unchanged and even some regression to be found.
Understandably, then, there isn't a whole lot that's new for "2K17." Instead, work has been done to further enhance the content already existing in the game. It's worth reiterating that there were a remarkable number of additions to "NBA 2K16" in terms of modes and features. "2KU" has to be one of the worst tutorials ever created for a sports game. "Coach K" comes through a couple of times to (poorly) read a brief script off-screen, going over basic basketball concepts. It's probably less effective than just reading them elsewhere because the frequent interruptions generally don't even fit within the context of what's happening on the court. Essentially all that's been done is to throw up an explanation of the most basic controls on screen while a scrimmage is being played. Tips pop up on pretty much every possession that completely halt the action - often at very inopportune moments. One new addition made with the hope of making a very complicated and difficult game easier on newcomers is "2KU." Unfortunately, it's so poorly designed that it's hard to imagine anyone wanting to play it or getting anything of significance out of doing so. There's also a problem that'll need to be patched: where subs made during timeouts don't take effect until the following dead-ball situation. Something that should be simple and easy to understand, such as making substitutions, is no longer that. Over-complication due to new in-game menus has made things a bit more difficult to both those returning and anyone new to the series. Instead of releasing ideally at the center point of the meter, now the goal is to do so when the meter is completely filled. Shot percentages also appear to be higher across the board - either as a way of making the series feel a little more accessible or to better reflect the skills of today's NBA. A new shot meter is one of the few changes veterans of the series will have to adjust to on the court. MORE: 'NBA 2K17' has college versions of some NBA greats That helps in differentiating the skills of shooters in a way that wasn't possible in the past. Now, though, there are attributes that differentiate being "Open" and being "Contested" to go along with one for taking "Off-Dribble" shots. In past "2K" titles there have been ratings categories for "Moving" and "Standing" shots. With "2K17" there are new ratings and the implementation of a "dynamic duo" concept that comes from considering him and teammate Klay Thompson, as well as other effective pairings found across the league. Last year, developers cited an inability to properly replicate the abilities Curry demonstrated in winning back-to-back MVP awards. The influence of Stephen Curry and the record-setting Golden State Warriors is undeniable. So how does "NBA 2K17" improve upon a game that arguably altered the perception of what is possible in a yearly development cycle? They respond to the changing dynamic of the real league and its players.
Because of that, consumers instead focus on the magnitude of any changes and how well they may be executed. With the rare exception of transitions to new hardware generations, developers are building on top of what's already proven successful and finding ways to further enhance the positives and eliminate the negatives. In the world of sports gaming it's a safe assumption that every edition in a series is going to show improvement over the last. That's the situation "NBA 2K17" faces coming off what was deemed to be the "most impressive sports game ever assembled" with "NBA 2K16."
It's incredibly hard to repeat as a champion.