NBA 2K18
The highest rated annual sports title of this generation returns with NBA 2K18, featuring unparalleled authenticity and improvements on the court.
What it feels like
The game treats basketball competition with sincere, unironic authenticity, respecting the sport and its presentation.
What it's about
NBA 2K18 is fundamentally a basketball simulation where athletic competition is the central subject and organizing principle of all gameplay. Set in the recognizable present-day NBA with contemporary rosters, teams, and players, grounding it in real modern sport.
How it plays
Player control of avatar movement and positioning on court follows sport-specific mechanics analogous to vehicular control systems, managing momentum and spatial positioning. Match play unfolds in real time with pause capability for strategy and play-calling, a core feature of sports simulations. Career modes reward repeated play with progression through stat growth, unlocks, and character advancement, a grind loop common to sports titles.
How it looks and sounds
The game pursues high-fidelity realistic rendering of players, arenas, and court environments to achieve authenticity. Sports broadcast-style orchestral and dynamic scoring accompanies gameplay, lending broadcast authenticity to the experience.
How it's structured
Single-player modes are prominently featured, allowing solo play against AI opponents across various campaign and exhibition formats. Multiplayer head-to-head competitive modes pit players directly against each other as a core offering alongside single-player. Local split-screen multiplayer is explicitly supported, enabling same-machine competitive play.
Kindred games
Shares Sports, Vehicular Control, Competitive PvP, Photorealistic.
Both lean into Sports, Vehicular Control, Competitive PvP, Photorealistic.
Shares Sports, Vehicular Control, Competitive PvP, Earnest.
Both lean into Sports, Vehicular Control, Single-Player, Leveling & Grind.
Shares Sports, Vehicular Control, Competitive PvP, Photorealistic.
Both lean into Sports, Vehicular Control, Single-Player, Competitive PvP.
Closest hidden gems
A lesser-known kindred — Sports, Vehicular Control, Contemporary, Competitive PvP. 93% positive across 4,231 Steam reviews.
Both lean into Sports, Vehicular Control, Single-Player, Contemporary.
A lesser-known kindred — Sports, Vehicular Control, Competitive PvP, Contemporary. 86% positive across 4,517 Steam reviews.
Both lean into Sports, Vehicular Control, Single-Player, Competitive PvP.
A lesser-known kindred — Sports, Earnest, Leveling & Grind, Trading & Economy. 87% positive across 4,324 Steam reviews.
Both lean into Sports, Single-Player, Earnest, Trading & Economy.