NBA 2K7 Xbox 360 Review

There might be heated competition from EA’s NBA Live, but 2K’s NBA series is widely considered to be the best basketball series on the gaming court. The last game was a little lazy in terms of new content, but 2K7 is a totally different story as it brings some refreshing innovations to the series.

This time around Visual Concepts aimed to emulate the signature styles of each of the NBA stars, and whilst we don’t pretend to be basketball fans, real enthusiasts do seem to be impressed with the results. This means that individual dribbles and throwing animations have been captured and fans of the sport will therefore be able to pick out their favourite NBA personalities. It was certainly an impressive undertaking on the part of Visual Concepts, and they deserve all the credit in the world for accomplishing this remarkable feat.

We felt that the introduction of the shot stick on 2K6 was a good one, although playing with the face buttons was still a better alternative. The shot stick has seen some tweaks on 2K7, which makes its use a little more worthwhile especially when you are next to the hoop, although any other time it remains the exclusive feature for those who fancy making things harder for themselves.

Ordinarily the game is bursting with options. The 24/7: Next mode has you creating a player, and taking him through a storyline chronicling his rise from the streets to the pedestal of professional stardom. We feel that playing as a single player is never quite as much fun as dictating an entire team, but it does have its worth, and also serves as a rather good training mode. Of course, you have the usual deep Association mode, and there’s a fully functional online mode (that allows for leagues and tournaments) amongst other options.

Graphically the game is a bit of a mixed bag, the players for instant look mostly fantastic with shorts and shirts flapping about, although some of their arms resemble action figures. The animations are meanwhile outstandingly natural, and witnessing players dive down to a loose ball is a superb sight. The courts and surrounding areas are always alive with movement, whilst sonically the fast paced play-by-play commentary is decent enough.

NBA 2K7 is less of a mere update than 2K6 was, and brings some interesting and fan-pleasing additions to the series. Next generation basketball has truly arrived.

8/10