After a less than stellar last-gen release last year, 2K Sports and Visual Concepts bounced back with the next-gen exclusive version that came alongside the new consoles. They have once again decided to treat the two like completely separate games in some ways, with the next-gen version of NBA 2K22 still being the premier edition.

NBA 2K22, as expected, takes the idea of professional basketball and opens it up to the fans. The game is stacked with features and game modes for all types of players. For the casual fan, there’s the deep franchise mode in MyNBA. For the hardcore player with deep knowledge of the Association and its history, there’s MyTeam. For the player who has dreams of being a superstar, MyCareer has you covered. And each mode has bells and whistles galore to make the basketball experience as thrilling as it is in real life.

As much as there are improvements in the gameplay, there are still some annoying issues that haven’t quite been ironed out. The passing mechanic feels a bit delayed at times and there are still instances where players drop the ball from the smallest of bumps when running. It’s not nearly as common as previous games, but still adds to the frustration especially when playing online.

NBA 2K22’s modes remain largely unchanged from last year, which isn’t such a bad thing as many of those modes were new to NBA 2K21’s next-generation versions. Along with MyCareer, MyTeam and MyNBA modes, The W returns, featuring a standalone career mode based around the WNBA. In terms of the traditional MyCareer, players will be glad to know that both MyCareer and MyPark/Neighbourhood modes have now been fused into one single MyCareer mode, featuring an expanded version of last year’s City. While The City is essentially a larger and more detailed Neighbourhood, is is brimming with places to go and things to do.

Rounding things out is MyPlayer, which takes the career simulation and merges it with The City mode. You’ll create a player and take them on a journey to either NBA superstardom, or you rule the street circuit and semi-pro. Developer Visual Concepts has stuffed MyCareer with so many brands and advertisements that it’s almost comical. Still, I can’t entirely fault the whole experience, as if you watch any NBA game, you’d see the same push of branding and personal “me first” attitudes.

While you still cannot create a female player for MyCareer as has been the case, NBA 2K22 on the new generation platforms brings back The W for a second straight year. Perhaps there will be better integration with this and MyCareer in the future, but it’s still very enjoyable to be able to play through a player’s career in the WNBA regardless.

NBA 2K22, like its predecessors, shines in terms of its visuals and audio. The movement of the players, the stadiums, the crowds and the general likenesses of players and coaches is simply astounding and truly benefits from the next-gen upgrade. The music is, as always, a highlight with tons of great tracks to listen to plus the promise of an ever-changing lineup through 2K’s live service in the months to come. Sadly, the load times still feel a little too long, especially if you are used to the almost non-existent load times on most PS5 games.