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NBA 2K7 XBOX 360 REVIEW |
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The NBA 2K
series continues to reign as the number one
basketball title of our generation with the
release of NBA 2K7. This latest offering from 2K
Sports delivers high definition media, complete
with amazing ESPN-style replays and incredible
half-time show that highlights Kenny Smith’s
stamp of approval. The first thing players will
notice is the game’s pumped up graphics! Thanks
to the processing power of the Xbox 360, the
mapping and rendition on 2K7’s character models
impel a sharper flow of realism. As a result,
you’ll see a more defined muscle tone and facial
expression for athletes in NBA 2K7. Some of the
game’s superstars like Steve Nash, Kevin
Garnett, Kobe Bryant, and Allen Iverson have
uncanny resemblance to their real-life
counterpart, not just they way they look but the
way they move.
When up close, you’ll see players drizzle with
sweat dripping down off their heads as they take
a move closer to the basket. During a fastbreak,
their faces show serious determination as they
try to battle through the tight defense, looking
for a crack in the lane for a back door lay-up.
The fouls here are cheap and come by frequently.
The good news is that if you're on offense, you
have a sizeable potential for a three-point
play. On defense, however, you get fouled out a
lot. Fortunately, you can alleviate some of
these pressures and annoyances by adjusting the
game slider from the main menu to fit your
playing style. The lighting effects used in the
game are amazing. You’ll see reflection of
players on the court shimmer off the shiny
hardwood floor. You’ll also see soft shadows
casting off amongst a crowd of spectators,
photographers, and cheerleaders. Even the hazy
flashes from the stadium’s jumbotron are
prominent throughout the bleachers! .
In the animation department, things are looking
very smooth. You’ll notice that the jersey of an
athlete shifts according to body motion, a nice
feature that is often left out by developers.
Another visual feat is the emotional setting at
the bench. Coach frantically paces on the side
line when the score at the final quarter is too
close for comfort. Fellow teammates jump up in
ecstasy and root in their support after a
crucial basket is made. Crowd also join the
festivity as their home team leads the final
seconds but boos the visiting team when making a
steal or draining that long trey. But that’s not
all the game’s animated amenities. You have a
custodian who goes in to wipe the floor,
referees who check in the ball to start play,
and a mascot who tumbles his way into the center
ring upon timeouts. You also have side-line ads
that rotate every minute or so. All these little
court side details definitely sum up to deliver
an immersive basketball experience. |
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PRODUCT
OVERALL RATING: 8.5 OUT OF 10 |
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In the
gameplay department, NBA 2K7 is definitely a
step up above its predecessor. The physics have
improved quite a bit and you really feel the
weight of a dunk! Moving a player is relatively
smooth but on rare occasions, you’ll see a few
common glitches like player sliding in stasis
after a hard foul or their clothes suddenly
crumbled up like they have been ripped apart.
Executing a spin move or any other ankle
breakers may take some time getting used to.
Once you feel right with the controls though,
it’s actually easy to do all these fancy
foot-works. The menus can be a bit frustrating
to navigate through. You use the right stick to
bring out the major options and then it’s a
matter of tilting that joystick to confirm your
choices. Needless to say, the interface used for
the menus such as your season calendar,
statistic logs, and player customization feature
to name a few has a very nice modern style to
them.
The excellent audio effects give 2K7 court-side
bling. The things you hear in a real-life
basketball game have been captured here
accurately. Most of the monster dunks sound very
ferocious to give you that feeling that you
really stuffed it in. The game also gives you
convincing fall when you are hit hard from a
foul. Not to mention, when you are dribbling the
ball, it echoes as though it is really on a
hardwood floor. As far as color commentaries
goes, Kevin Harlan and Kenny Smith did a nice
job following the action on the court. They are
pretty much on cue but their scripts are
repeated too often. The best part of their
commentary is when they actually mention the
name of your created player as he carries out a
number of impressive shots. Among other things
you’ll hear on the court is the different hoop
slang between players, the crowd counting down
the last seconds of a quarter, and traditional
stadium tunes to cheer up the home team. The
music aspect of the game is fine for the most
part, composing of half hip hop and hard rock
soundtracks.
There are many things to like about this game
such as the cool cinematic fast break that zooms
in on the last shot you made. It's also nice to
see some cool replays from Kenny as he delivers
his half-time stamp of approval. The
commentators even has the ability to call you
custom player by his real name, which is not
possible in all the basketball games we have
played so far. Sure these enhancements are nice
but you still can’t ignore certain shortcomings.
In the next installment, we would like to see
the crowd receive a better facelift, smoother
controls for beginners, more selection of dunks,
and better color tones for player models. The
online experience is not too bad. You sometimes
have to put up with some lag issues. The rest of
the game modes such as the Street, 24/7: Next
and Situation have progressed quite a bit but
there is still room for improvement. The AI in
the game is good but the collision aspect needs
some tweaking. Overall, NBA 2K7 is an excellent
basketball game that continually matures by
offering gamers fresh set of animation and
unique gameplay concepts. NBA 2K7 is hands down
the best Xbox 360 basketball game out there. |
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