NBA 2K25 Review Scores: Bouncing Back from All-Time Low
Coming from a franchise low in NBA 2K24, how good is NBA 2K25? We take a look at what critics and fans say in this review roundup and judge the game based on the collective thoughts of the internet through the NBA 2K25 review scores out there.
NBA 2K25 Review Scores: 82 on Metacritic
NBA 2K25 has a decent score of 82 for the Xbox Series X version, followed by a 79 for PS5 and 73 for PC, on Metacritic. As for user reviews, the Metascore is nearer to the PC version than the Xbox Series X version, showing how fans are still not that happy with the newest entry into the NBA 2K franchise.
Still, this year’s review scores are higher than what was last year’s, so there is a marked improvement. Key to this is this year’s equity for PC, finally putting the PC version of the game on par with the next-gen consoles. Chief among complaints is the omnipresent and ever-polarizing VC and other forms of microtransactions, but many critics agree that beneath it lies a great sports simulation game.
Among the best reviews for NBA 2K25 come from the Xbox Series X version of the game, with the review from MondoXbox giving the game a 9.0 out of 10 review score, with a review that reads:
“With NBA 2K25 Visual Concepts has managed to merge the old and the new, improving on historical features and introducing new features that make the game even more addictive, complete and accessible to all. The excellent Career mode, the most realistic gameplay ever, the top-notch technical department and the very high level of simulation make it a game to be purchased without hesitation, by veterans and newbies alike.”
The PS5 version of the game also got a score of 9/10 from IGN France, with a review that states:
“After having explored the court and complained about VCs, we realize that NBA 2K25 remains the undisputed master of sports simulation.”
There are a lot of praises heaped at the feet of Visual Concepts and 2K for this year’s version of the game, with many praising the excellent career mode and the various gameplay improvements, with the new dribbling mechanics often cited as the best improvement so far. The game still has many flaws in the technical department, with frequent crashing and slowdowns reported by a handful of critics.
The review from Dot Esports sounds a bit negative, even with its 8/10 score for the game, as the writer summarized his thoughts:
“If you can get past the frustrating crashing issues and performance drops, there is a great basketball sim with plenty to discover for all kinds of NBA fans.”
Dot Esports listed as positives the diversity and depth of gameplay options and modes available for players to bite into the game, as well as improved animations that make the game feel more dynamic. Meanwhile, for the negatives, it listed performance issues, disappointment in the shallowness of its RPG mechanics, and a high skill ceiling in online play.
A usual complaint about NBA 2K games and 2K games, in general, is its broken online environment. Last year’s release was plagued by cheaters, hackers, and bots, not to mention the severe online connectivity issues that many players around the world experience. While some critics claim to have experienced a better online experience, a majority of the negative reviews still call out connection outages.
Thankfully, when you do get to play the game online with friends or strangers, you don’t end up playing against bots and cheaters as often as you did last year. There’s a marked improvement in the health of online play due to this, but perhaps this could just be a function of a lack of interest from bad actors or it just still being too early for them to show up in the life cycle of 2K25.
As to be expected, the least thrilled critics come from those who reviewed the game on PC. The lowest score that NBA 2K25 received was the review from VG247, which gave the game a review score of 3 stars out of 5, with a conclusion that reads:
“Overall, there’s still plenty of fun to be had in NBA 2K25, and I’d still argue it does enough to maintain the series’ place as a market leader – especially now PC’s finally on the next-gen version. However, there are just enough hangups that I don’t think it’s a slam dunk in terms of being a positive step forward, even if you definitely can’t label it just a retread of last year’s game.”
Regardless of what critics and fans feel about NBA 2K25, one thing is undeniable: 2K is still the king of the court. That’s not a high bar to pass, with all things considered, given how very little competition Visual Concepts and 2K face every year. Yet innovation continues to flow into the game, regardless of how meager it may be in some entries – but this year’s came with a good enough amount.
2K and Visual Concepts didn’t rest on their laurels, probably knowing that another screwup like last year’s would make them irredeemable in the eyes of fans completely. That’s good for them, because it’s clear that even if they’re the only player around, fans wouldn’t be afraid to vote with their wallets if they put out another bad game. Thankfully, we were spared of that this year.
On our own NBA 2K25 Review, we gave the game a 9/10, a point lower compared to last year’s 9.5/10. Our review reads:
“NBA 2K25 is more than worth it for both newcomers and returning fans of the series. Between the developers’ attention to feedback, as well as their new gameplay innovations, there’s a lot to love in this year’s installment. NBA 2K25 is another SLAM DUNK for the series!”
NBA 2K25 is out now on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch.
The post NBA 2K25 Review Scores: Bouncing Back from All-Time Low appeared first on ClutchPoints.
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