NBA 2K25

NBA 2K25 continues the tradition of the most elaborate basketball simulation on the market and on Xbox Series X/S makes full use of the console's power for detailed player models and smooth movement animations across the court. The game introduced an improved dribbling and post-play system that attempts to better reflect physical clashes between players and offer more faithful controller feedback on both offense and defense. The MyCareer career mode again follows your own player from rookie to league star, with its own storyline and decisions made off the court, while MyTeam lets you collect cards of legends and current NBA stars and build them into your dream team for online matches. The MyNBA mode offers in-depth management of the entire league, including trades, the draft, and franchise development many seasons into the future, letting the player act as both general manager and club owner, including decisions about relocating a franchise to another city or building a new arena.

The game presentation, with commentary, halftime shows, and finely modeled arenas, gives the series a cinematic feel that has long set it apart from the competition. On the new console generation, the details in jersey textures, sweat on players' skin, and lighting effects on the court are especially noticeable, together creating a convincing image of an NBA television broadcast, complemented by faithful dance teams and mascots of individual clubs as well as realistically lit arena interiors during evening games, where even minor imperfections in the floor and lighting are reflected.

The series' annual cycle also brings criticism aimed at microtransactions in modes like MyTeam, something that has accompanied the series for a long time and remains the most common complaint about this installment too. Even so, NBA 2K25 remains the reference choice for basketball fans on consoles, because no other game offers a comparable depth of simulation of an NBA season, its characters, and the personalities around the basketball hoop.

Why play it: Despite long-standing criticism of microtransactions in the MyTeam mode, NBA 2K25 remains the reference choice for basketball fans thanks to its unmatched depth of NBA season simulation.