Sometimes sports games need to reinvent themselves, and with a revamped ProPLAY system, it looks like that’s exactly what NBA 2K25 is trying to do. While the on-court models and action look smoother than ever, is ProPLAY the real move here?
ProPLAY Changes Up The Game in More Ways than One
In a hands-off preview of the upcoming changes hitting NBA 2K25, I think I was most impressed with the updated Dribble Engine. While 2K has continued to make massive strides in the graphical department, some of its gameplay elements have felt dated for quite some time — especially the antiquated dribble engine. Analyzing professional games, the engine can now make dribbling feel more 1-to-1 than ever before, turning a somewhat cumbersome effort into one that will hopefully change the game around for the better.
Alongside the changes to the Dribble Engine, it appears that the team at 2K Sports is taking a new approach to offensive and defensive gameplay, too. Pro Stick Rhythm Shooting, Custom Visual Cues, and Shot Timing Profiles will allow players to completely customize how they’re shooting on offense, especially after the polarizing changes that NBA 2K24 brought to the table. Veterans and newbies can take to the court and feel like an All-Star from the start now, and that’s a change I’m eager to test out for myself.
Related: When is NBA 2K25 Coming Out?
On the defensive side, there are some additional changes to take note of. A new “defensive cutoff” system is being put into play to ensure that those with a defensive mindset can control the court from the start of a match. Paired with the 9,000 alleged new animations that have been copied from archival footage, the on-court gameplay may finally have caught up with the impressive visual show that 2K brings to the forefront each year.
Ball Is Life, Life Is Ball
This is the year of many firsts for the NBA 2K series, with this also being the first game in the series to feature a Dual-League cover, alongside next-generation support for PC players. Since the quality of the PC version has always lagged behind the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series versions since their introduction, it’s great to see that they’re finally bringing every feature available on these consoles to PC.
Those playing on previous generation consoles and Nintendo Switch don’t need to worry that they’re being left in the dust, either. NBA 2K25 is bringing some of these enhanced gameplay features, such as Shot Timing Profiles, Shot Canceling, new AI improvements, and more to the aging consoles, so it won’t feel as different as one may expect. I would assume, however, that the story mode and free-roam segments are going to be downplayed on these consoles.
After seeing this preview, I’m cautiously optimistic. Seeing how the teams at 2K Sports have improved on animation and gameplay quality in other games such as Top Spin 2K25 and WWE 2K24, it feels like NBA 2K25 could breathe new life into the franchise. As the WWE franchise continues to see improvement rather than regression in its latest titles, I can only hope that NBA 2K25 is the redemption arc that players deserve.
NBA 2K25 will be available on September 6, 2024.
Published: Aug 1, 2024 11:00 am