NBA 2K22 Xbox Series X Review – Worth Buying?

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About This Sports Courier NBA 2K22 Game Review: TSC Gaming editor Fred Richani reviews NBA 2K22 on Xbox Series X! Available from 2K Sports now also on Xbox Series S, Windows PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PS4, and PS5! NBA 2K22 includes MyCareer being combined with The City, deeper staff management with MyNBA (aka MyLeague), new additions to MyTeam, the returning WNBA rosters, and much more! Note: TSC Gaming received a free copy of NBA 2K22 from the publisher 2K for the purpose of this game review.

Written Review

Is NBA 2K22 worth your money? You’re about to find out.

What’s up everybody? This is Fred Richani of TSC Gaming here to give you my thoughts on NBA 2K22, which we reviewed on Xbox Series X. Full disclosure, we received a free copy of this game from the publisher for the purpose of this review. NBA 2K22 has a lot of hype, and NBA 2K21, in my humble opinion, was a mixed bag. So how does 2K22 stack up?

When I started playing, I immediately noticed something different, and it’s not just the menus and a few more options. It’s the gameplay. They made tremendous enhancements on both offense and defense. They actually reward defense: there are tighter movements, you can make big stops at the rim, and blocking is very rewarding. The shot meter on offense is awesome. These days it’s about your skill, your common sense and your basketball IQ. You don’t need to be a basketball expert to get good at or enjoy this game, but you want to shoot within the meter and make sure it turns green. A little late or a little early may be okay, but if you’re just chucking it up or trying an errant dunk or layup, you’re going to pay. For new players, I’d strongly suggest playing 2KU, the training series, which has all kinds of tutorials. You can use the shoot button or the right stick, aka the Pro Stick, and not just for shooting but for dribbling and defense too. Let it become your best friend. I just love the overall feel of this game on the court. Putting in the work is rewarded; this isn’t just a button-mashing game.

Sports games aren’t just about gameplay but about game modes, and one thing I’ve always loved about NBA 2K is that they have so many freaking modes. It’s almost like a game within a game within a game, and NBA 2K22 is no different. Probably the biggest upgrade is combining MyCareer with The City. Last year, when I played The City online, it was lagging at times and wouldn’t work. While I did have some minor lag here and there this time, for the most part it was super easy to get around and a very smooth experience. I love that it’s streamlined with MyCareer, and MyCareer and the City are now kind of like an RPG meets The Sims. As every year, you can face-scan yourself, though I did have some issues with the Android version of the app, so keep that in mind. The voiceover work, as usual, is pretty darn good. If you want to upgrade, at times you do have to spend real money on virtual currency to upgrade your player, but that doesn’t mean you can’t grind or that it’s not a fun experience. You can lose yourself for hours playing MyCareer and the City with your friends, and you can even customize your apartment. That’s legit.

Probably my least favorite mode in most sports games is MyTeam, or Ultimate Team, where you open virtual card packs and you’re encouraged to spend VC. Not the biggest fan, but MyTeam has plenty of game modes and free challenges, and like most of NBA 2K22, it’s pretty customizable.

Speaking of customizing, somehow MyNBA has gotten better. I’ve always felt this mode doesn’t need many changes; it’s almost the perfect franchise mode, especially compared to Madden, where we’re still waiting on the basics. With NBA 2K, it’s still a super robust franchise mode on both the NBA and WNBA side. You manage not one, not two, not three, but four departments. There’s your front office, where you select a governor, a GM, an assistant GM and a CFO. There’s your coaching staff, which includes your head coach, shot doctor, big man coach, post defense coach, perimeter defense coach, guard guru and wing whisperer. Got all that? On the scouting side, you have your head scout, four domestic scouts and two foreign scouts to find hidden gems in international leagues. And there’s your sports medicine staff, which is very important for injuries: team doctor, strength trainer, sports psychologist, stamina trainer, sports scientist, physio and sleep doctor, because everybody needs a little sleep, even if you’re playing NBA 2K22. It’s still hands down the very best franchise mode in all of sports gaming.

On the WNBA side, The W is kind of their version of MyCareer, with new player progression, scrimmages, team practices and contact practices, plus The W Online. As usual, you have MyGM, where you can be your own general manager, and it’s still as deep and robust as ever, even if some of the dialogue and choices can be a little awkward. Think before you speak and before you make a final decision, because you want to stay on your team’s good side, especially the person signing your checks. Other popular modes have returned too: Blacktop, which is as fun as ever and gives major NBA Street vibes; online mode, which is a lot of fun and gave us little to no issues; and Playoffs, where you go straight to the tournament en route to an NBA or WNBA championship. And just like real life, you have NBA analysts giving scorching hot takes.

Enough hot takes. What’s the verdict? Graphically, I give NBA 2K22 a 9 out of 10. It’s one of the nicest-looking games, period, on the Xbox Series X, sports or otherwise. My only real issue is that online, at times, the City was a little laggy, even on the skateboard. Hey, at least you get a skateboard. Other than that, it’s a beautiful-looking game. I love the new animations and the super authentic presentation, with David Aldridge, Shaq, Kenny ‘the Jet’ Smith, Ernie Johnson and the usual top-notch in-game presentation.

Gameplay, I give NBA 2K22 a 9. It’s one of the best NBA 2K games I’ve played in years, and one of the best sports games too. I love the feel of it, though it takes some time to get used to. And while I know MyCareer is supposed to be about starting from the bottom, it can get annoying to grind and grind, especially when you’re launching more bricks than a builder. Other than that, it’s a whole lot of fun.

Content, I give NBA 2K22 a 9 out of 10. There’s so much here: MyNBA, where you can play through seasons, build dynasties, create new franchises, revive old ones and build your coaching and scouting staff; The W; Blacktop; MyTeam; and the City. You can spend hours on each mode. I have two major gripes. One, while I enjoyed MyCareer, part of the narrative is a little unrealistic. Minor spoiler: there’s an issue with the coach and playing time that seems very out of place at that point in the story. I’ll leave it at that. Two, the virtual currency, microtransactions and card packs are certainly not for everybody.

Overall, TSC Gaming gives NBA 2K22 on Xbox Series X a 9 out of 10. If you love the NBA, you should buy this game. If you want a great sports game, or just a great game in general that you can play casually and have fun with, this is the game for you. Until next time, as always, enjoy the games.