There is possibly a case to be made that, of all the sports, basketball is the code that has benefited most from the leap to the new generation of
NBA 2K15
For: PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC
From: 2K Sports
Four and a half stars (out of five)
Football, American football, baseball, golf, tennis and ice hockey games all look great but the leap from then to now is not as pronounced as it is with basketball.
Hoops fans love their sport because it is so intimate. You sit up close and see the players bang into each other and hear the coaches yell. It is INTENSE.
Now, finally, we have the game engines to really do justice to that intensity - and NBA 2K15 does it ridiculously well.
This is my first taste of basketball on the new generation (PlayStation 4) and it is mind-blowing. I always hate to start a game review with some gushing about the visuals, but this is the exception.
Add in a television-style broadcast package with cheerleaders and coaches and fans, and you have the closest thing yet to experiencing a basketball game in virtual reality.
After the buzz of the graphic magnificence wears off - that does not happen for some time - your attention turns to the gameplay. It's very similar to recent games, which is to say it's closer than anyone else has got to the extreme athleticism of the sport.
From jump shooting to dunking, from no-look passing to polishing the offensive glass, the animations are realistic and smooth.
A new shot meter has been included but, if I have one grumble, it is that shooting is still on the difficult side. It's a minor grumble.
In terms of modes, there is something for everyone.
My Career, where you create a rookie and take him on a journey to the NBA, has been beefed up with all sorts of social interactions, and is a remarkably immersive experience.
My GM and My League allow you to control everything it takes to run a franchise, and My Team is a card-collecting challenge game like EA's Ultimate Team.
Online players (on PC or new consoles) can dip into My Park, where you can take your character online and interact with loads of other players in street basketball settings.
Plenty of gamers have reported online issues, but many titles have those. This is a spectacular sports game that has taken the genre to a new level.
