NBA 2K14 is a 2013 basketball video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K. The fifteenth installment in the series, it was released on October 1, 2013, for Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360,[2] and the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One versions were released on the consoles' respective launch dates. LeBron James of the Miami Heat became the cover athlete,[3] and also served as the music curator for the game. 2K Sports also released the DLC pack that as a bonus for pre-ordering the game, they would receive 10,000 VC, bonus content for "Path to Greatness" mode, adding James in the Blacktop mode and a signature skill for MyCareer mode.[4] On August 14, 2013, 2K Sports announced that Crew Mode would return to this year's installment of NBA 2K. NBA 2K14 is the successor to NBA 2K13 and was succeeded by NBA 2K15 in the NBA 2K series.
| NBA 2K14 | |
|---|---|
 Cover art featuring LeBron James | |
| Developer(s) | Visual Concepts |
| Publisher(s) | 2K |
| Series | NBA 2K |
| Platform(s) | Android[1] iOS Windows PlayStation 3 PlayStation 4 Xbox 360 Xbox One |
| Release | PlayStation 4 Xbox One
|
| Genre(s) | Sports |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Development
editOn July 2, 2013, 2K Sports and EuroLeague signed an exclusive multi-year deal to include teams in the game.[5] This marks the first time EuroLeague teams have appeared in the NBA 2K series, similar to EA's NBA Live series, which included FIBA teams and also the U.S. national basketball team found in 2K13, beginning with Live 08 and ending with Live 10.
Reception
edit| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | (PS3) 84/100[6] (X360) 87/100[7] (PS4) 85/100[8] (XONE) 86/100[9] (iOS) 59/100[10] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Game Informer | 8.5/10[14] |
| GameRevolution |   [18] |
| GameSpot | 8/10[12] |
| GamesRadar+ |   [16] |
| Giant Bomb | [13] |
| IGN | 9.3/10[11] |
| Push Square | [17] |
| TouchArcade | (iOS) [15] |
NBA 2K14 received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[19]
Ryan McCaffrey of IGN rated the game a 9.3 praising the gameplay saying, "With just enough new features, and tighter-than-ever gameplay, NBA 2K14 tops its predecessors and competitors... again".[20] Tom McShea of GameSpot rated the game an 8.0 praising the game as well but criticizing designing of the game. USA Today's Brett Molina rated the game 3.5 out of 4 stars, noting that the game's new dribble and shoot mechanics may be simpler to newcomers, but frustrating to veteran gamers.[21] Matt Bertz of Game Informer stated that the presentation was "the best the sports genre has to offer", but criticized the lack of improvements made to both the My Career and Association modes. Andy Hartup of GamesRadar+ praised the amazingly realistic player models, My Career mode, and improved presentation while criticizing recycled content and the uncanny valley nature of the player models. Greg Giddens of Push Square concluded that "NBA 2K14 on the PS4 is a stunning digital facsimile of basketball. The title's visually jaw dropping, technically stunning, and represents a whole different ball game to its PS3 counterpart. The new My Career and My GM campaigns don't always score a slam dunk, but they're engaging enough to dribble your way through, making this is a top option..."[22]
Shortly after release, the game was the best-selling sports game on 8th-consoles.[23]
During the 17th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated NBA 2K14 for "Sports Game of the Year".[24]
Additions and changes
editAs well as the aforementioned new soundtrack and inclusion of EuroLeague teams (at the expense of the "Celeb" team, "Team USA", "Dream Team" and 2001–2002 Sacramento Kings classic squad),[25] several new changes have been made since 2K13:
- "LeBron: Path to Greatness" mode, which is not found on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of the game, is reminiscent of an expanded version of NBA 2K11's Jordan Challenge, where players get to control LeBron James' career in an alternate future of the NBA from the 2013–14 to the 2019–20 season (either as a member of the Miami Heat for the entire time, or a more complex route where LeBron plays for the Heat, before later leaving to join the New York Knicks, only for him to leave again to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, before making one last return to the Heat.) as they attempt to win 7 NBA championships (while it is actually five championships as Lebron James had already won two in real life by the time of the beginning of the game mode). Lebron James' future is laid out by the game meaning players' choices are somewhat predetermined.[26]
- New signature skills, including an exclusive pre-order "LeBron Coast to Coast" skill (Speed, Quickness and Ball-Handling attributes are boosted 4 points and the shot penalty enforced for hitting a defender is decreased), One Man Fastbreak (a speed and handling increase on a fastbreak), Pick Dodger (player doesn't get caught on screens), Tenacious Rebounder (increase in rebounding skill), Flashy Passer (less likelihood of a "flashy pass" going astray - see below), Screen Outlet/Pick & Roll Maestro (skills which give boosts in pick and roll situations).[27] a new way of passing by holding a trigger and pressing a control stick in the direction the player want to pass (includes blind passes).
- The "potential" stat now limited and restricted the overall level a player can grow to, rather than increasing as the player improves as happened in previous NBA 2K titles. It curbed the amount by which players' attributes could improve in Association Mode (fixing the flaw of too many players turning into superstars in future seasons).[28]
- More than 50 hours of new commentary from Kevin Harlan, Clark Kellogg, and Steve Kerr,[29] new draft night audio and new "MyCareer" voiceovers.
- A new "Training Camp" mode, which is there to guide players to master the new controls.
- Training Drills now have their own menu in My Career mode, meaning players don't have to return to the main menu (and back again) to do multiple training sessions.
- Always Online DRM added in patch requiring users to be connected to 2K servers to play MyCareer and MyGM modes. However, the patch is only available on the PS4 and the Xbox One versions of the game and not on the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC versions of the game.[30]
References
edit- ^ "NBA 2K14 (Kindle Tablet Edition): Appstore for Android". Amazon. Archived from the original on 2019-10-18. Retrieved 2013-10-22.
- ^ NBA 2K14 coming on Oct. 1; Xbox One, PS4 versions at launch Archived 2014-05-15 at the Wayback Machine (Joystiq)
- ^ "NBA 2K14 - The Reign Begins". Youtube.com. 2013-06-06. Archived from the original on 2016-07-29. Retrieved 2013-10-22.
- ^ NBA 2K14 Pre Order Bonuses Archived 2014-05-13 at the Wayback Machine (MyXboxLive)
- ^ 2K Sports' NBA 2K14 to Include Top Euroleague Basketball Teams for the First Time in the Series Archived 2014-12-29 at the Wayback Machine (Euroleague)
- ^ "NBA 2K14 for PlayStation 3 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on January 5, 2022. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ "NBA 2K14 for Xbox 360 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on January 5, 2022. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ "NBA 2K14 for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on January 5, 2022. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ "NBA 2K14 for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on January 5, 2022. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ "NBA 2K14 for iOS/iPad Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on January 5, 2022. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ McCaffrey, Ryan (25 September 2013). "NBA 2K14 Review". IGN. Archived from the original on 5 January 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
- ^ McShea, Tom (9 December 2013). "NBA 2K14 Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 5 January 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
- ^ Navarro, Alex (26 September 2013). "NBA 2K14 Review". Giant Bomb. Archived from the original on 7 January 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
- ^ Bertz, Matt (1 October 2013). "NBA 2K14 Review - All Hail The King, For Better Or Worse". Game Informer. Archived from the original on 5 January 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
- ^ Burnett, Karl (4 October 2013). "NBA 2K14 Review - It's Like 'NBA 2K13', Only Not As Good". TouchArcade. Archived from the original on 5 January 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
- ^ Hartup, Andy (14 November 2013). "NBA 2K14 PS4 review". GamesRadar. Archived from the original on 5 January 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
- ^ Giddens, Greg (4 December 2013). "NBA 2K14 Review (PS4)". Push Square. Archived from the original on 5 January 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
- ^ Charles, Devin (9 October 2013). "NBA 2K14 Review". GameRevolution. Archived from the original on 5 January 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
- ^ "NBA 2K14 reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on August 31, 2015. Retrieved Feb 1, 2014.
- ^ McCaffrey, Ryan (Sep 25, 2013). "NBA 2K14 Review". IGN. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved Sep 30, 2013.
- ^ Molina, Brett (Sep 24, 2013). "Review: NBA 2K14 fit for a King". USA Today. Archived from the original on October 2, 2013. Retrieved Sep 30, 2013.
- ^ Giddens, Greg (4 December 2013). "Review: NBA 2K14 (PlayStation 4)". Push Square. Archived from the original on 5 January 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
- ^ Langshaw, Mark. (December 15, 2013). "NBA 2K14 named best-selling sports game on next-gen consoles" Archived 2015-04-02 at the Wayback Machine. Digital Spy. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
- ^ "2014 Awards Category Details Sports Game of the Year". interactive.org. Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
- ^ "NBA 2K14 Video - Player Ratings: Classic Teams and Euroleague". Operation Sports. September 24, 2013. Archived from the original on October 22, 2015. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
- ^ "NBA 2K14 review (PS3): Dominates the virtual courts". Digital Spy. October 9, 2013. Archived from the original on June 29, 2015. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
- ^ "New Signature Skills Revealed". Operation Sports. August 30, 2013. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
- ^ "NBA2K14 and Player Potential: Why it is now so important!". NBA 2K Blog. October 20, 2013. Archived from the original on August 19, 2015. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
- ^ Hartup, Andy (August 25, 2013). "NBA 2K14 - 50+ New Hours of Fresh Commentary EVERY year". GamesRadar. Archived from the original on September 18, 2014. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
- ^ "2K Patches in Always Online DRM to Next-Gen NBA2K14". GameFAQs. December 11, 2013. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 11, 2013.