NBA 2K22 – First gameplay details revealed

After a shaky entry into the next generation of consoles, the NBA 2K franchise is looking to build on its ambitious foundations for NBA 2K22 (release date: September 10). During a brief preview with Visual Concepts, I came away happy to hear that many of my complaints about NBA 2K21 were being addressed in NBA 2K22. For example, the city, which previously seemed empty, is populated with NPCs and interactive buildings. Still, the shadow of microtransactions and their impact on all new features is looming on the horizon. It’s hard to say if any changes have been made in this regard, and if history has taught us anything, it’s probably best to assume the worst.

Optimistically, however, the most exciting changes all involve The City and MyCareer. In NBA 2K22, MyCareer will be ditching the more cinematic experience we’ve become accustomed to in favor of a more open quest system within The City. I was skeptical at first, but it doesn’t sound like a feature cut. Instead, the goal seems to be to make The City feel more alive and more populated. One of my main complaints in NBA 2K21 was how empty the city has always felt, and the changes to NBA 2K22 promise to change that. Buildings will be more interactive and NPCs will be available to take on various quests.

Likewise, the far too cranky Rookieville was cut from NBA 2K22. This is a big change, as it will give me direct access to the best parts of MyCareer in The City: playing with my friends and exploring the newly populated areas. There will also be the freedom to explore business outside of the NBA, with new opportunities to develop clothing lines or even become a hip-hop star. How fleshed out these quest lines will be remains to be seen, but it looks like an interesting step towards a better role-playing experience.

In terms of gameplay, very little has been said about it. Almost everything that was mentioned revolved around a goal for more “control” – something that NBA 2K21 has done a much better job of already. There seems to be an increased effort to make defense entertaining, with overhauled blocking and theft systems. Likewise, the emphasis on offense seeks to reward high skill levels instead of the dice-rolling elements the franchise has become known for. Some of these things look promising, but without a lot of detail, it’s hard to know what these concepts will look like in action.

One aspect of the gameplay that got a bit of attention was fatigue and how that would blend in with the emphasis on load management in MyNBA. With all of the injuries rampant in this year’s NBA Playoffs, NBA 2K22 emphasizes how focusing too much on a star player can endanger injury or major fatigue. The new fatigue system takes into account things like high-effort crossovers and the type of energy that zaps players in the middle of a game. Giving players days off and plenty of time to rest is now essential for a deep injury-free playoff run.

Another interesting development is the addition of “seasons” to all facets of NBA 2K22. Seasons were first used in MyTeam in NBA 2K21 as a way to re-engage players every six weeks or so. Now that concept will apply to the entire game. Visual Concepts promises major updates over a similar six-week period, including a holiday update that will add an undisclosed mode to MyTeam. While they didn’t provide details on exactly what it might look like, there was a promise that the game in the first season would be totally different from that in season two or three.

The last thing that dawned on me at the press event was Visual Concepts’ dedication to both the previous and current generation of consoles. Speaking of MyCareer, they spoke enthusiastically about the differences between each. For example, The Neighborhood (a previous generation exclusive) is all about playing aboard a cruise ship with trips to places like Egypt. Likewise, there seemed to be a real emphasis on gameplay parody between the two generations with a goal of not leaving the previous generation behind. While this is admirable in some ways, I felt a bit confused that the focus hadn’t shifted primarily to what should be the best version of the game on Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X and S.

Likewise, it looks like there will always be a storytelling experience available on the previous generation version of NBA 2K22. While 2K22’s additions to The City seem more exciting to me, the door seems open for the new generation of NBA 2K22 to feel less complete. More details are promised for August, so it may be prudent not to make any assumptions until then. While intergenerational advancements are still available, it really looked like both versions of NBA 2K22 got dedicated development time. I just hope that doesn’t leave the next gen versions less impressive than they should be.

Ultimately, NBA 2K22 seems to be playing it safe in many ways. After the monumental move from The Neighborhood to The City, it seems fitting that Visual Concepts take the opportunity to build on what already exists. As it stands, I look forward to hearing more details about NBA 2K22 and how it will build on its ambitious entry a year ago.