NBA 2K27 Review: A Slam Dunk Or A Flop?

As a new NBA season approaches, what better way to prepare than virtually playing out every potential scenario the upcoming eight months is going to throw our way? But how enjoyable is this to do on the new NBA 2K27?

2K have been, for the most part, drafting enough workable components together to deliver a series of extremely playable basketball games over the years. Maybe a few free throws have been missed here and there, but there have also been enough threes sunk to maintain the franchise as a postseason stalwart.

NBA 2K27 comes off the back of a very entertaining run for the series over the past few years, since NBA 2K21 stagnated in the regular season. And, if every instalment since 2k22 felt like a step in the right direction, building towards something bigger and better and more revolutionary, then NBA 2K27 is the moment the franchise heads back to the conference finals. But still isn’t quite reaching championship contention. Yet.

Gameplay to get you out of your seat

The game, as it always does, provides a slick gameplay experience. The immersion you feel from the first tip-off is undeniable. From atmosphere to graphics to deft little touches that have further rounded out some already pretty smooth edges, you feel locked in from the beginning of the first quarter.

Animations in 2K27 offer more variety than ever before. One layup is not going to appear the same as another. Angles of approach and player attributes play into every shot. The Dunk Meter offers unpredictability in the paint which, although it may feel frustrating at times, is more because of the heightened realism of its effectiveness rather than any cumbersome quirks. You can’t just be postering poor saps all the time. There’s got to be some give and take.

Defence, on the other hand, has undergone more of a physical shift, requiring far more concentration as you attempt to block shots, valiantly attempting to prevent shooters from reaching their green zone during contests. While your focus needs to be on point at every turn when it comes to defensive duties, it adds to the overall gameplay, relying less on automation and evolving NBA 2K27 into an even more realistic experience.

This is all to say that, as a straight up arcade-style deal, NBA 2K27 is yet another MVP addition the franchise.

NBA 2K27: The Eras Tour

This year, NBA 2K allows players to experience an abundance of NBA history, from the eras of Magic and Bird to Jordan’s Bulls to Kobe, LeBron and Steph. Decades worth of nostalgia are at your fingertips. You can even create a MyPlayer and have them play through these various stages of basketball history (in case you need to see how you’d look in those old Supersonics uniforms). All of which is a nice touch, especially the filters which add the ‘of it’s time’ aesthetic to each of the eras.

Older fans will get a kick out of indulging in the throwbacks, although they are more of a sideshow to the main attractions. Because, as always, MyTeam and MyCareer continue to be all-encompassing behemoths.

NBA 2K27 produces cinema. And lots of it

MyCareer this year is the cinematic ‘Fire and Concrete’ and takes your MyPlayer from high school all the way to the NBA Draft via the G-League and various other twists and turns. It is a typically robust career mode with enough bells and whistles to keep you entertained throughout if you choose to become lost in it. Which is easily done.

Although far grander than NBA 2K26’s Spike Lee narrated ‘Out of Bounds’, ‘Fire and Concrete’ does not feel more enjoyable despite the extended length and mass of content crammed into it. There is some drag and you do begin to feel as though less would be more until 2K can fine tune extended versions more incrementally.

And incrementally seems to be the name of the game with NBA 2K. NBA 2K27 is another very fine offering. Enough subtle changes to make a difference, but not a wholesale set of improvements that make it feel all too different to 2K26 or 2K25.

The now co-ed City remains an ambitious jewel in the crown that has received another polish for another year with the overdue addition of female players. The increased WNBA involvement is a huge plus overall, with the female player creation system improved pretty significantly. The character creation system is now built on the same one as the NBA players, featuring the same customisation and attribute builds as the male MyPlayers.

As a ‘pick up and play’ game, NBA 2K27 is a perfectly tuned arcade-style experience. It is breathtaking to look at, with no stone left unturned when it comes to details and aesthetics. The immersion of the creative suites is deeply impressive. Match the Scorsese-like ambition of its career mode with an ability to deliver on the epic scale they clearly crave with it, and 2K28 could be a Larry O’Brien worthy all-timer, next year.

Rating: 4/5

Featured Image Credit: 2K