Recent reviews by PJ

Enjoying this game casually is practically impossible. Timing your animations is painful as the green-windows are small and seem to be inconsistent. Your AI teammates are pathetic (Like Game 1 Kyle Kuzma bad), and they love to ruin any play you attempt to run. 2k24 (On Console) is a better game in literally every way and this game will not only waste your money but also your time.

I've been playing 2k since 2k13 and I've never taken the game seriously. I play MyCareer and MyNBA on superstar and just try to have fun. I've occasionally had to go into freestyle practice for a while to try and get the timing on some animations down but I've never really had issues like I have in this game. My first real complaint is the fact that they REMOVED THE SHOT METER AND THEN MADE SHOT TIMING MORE IMPORTANT AND MORE DIFFICULT THAN EVER. Yes I am aware that 99% of people who run park and pro-am don't even use the shot meter, but I did. I'm also aware that there are the 3 new "shot timing indicators" but if you ask me they're all beyond terrible. 2k24 (The console version) had the best shot meter in the series, which clearly defined the green window on your animations. This was a big step in the right direction by 2k, so naturally they took one step forward and then two steps backwards and subsequently fell down the stairs into the basement. I mean I tried extremely hard to try and get the timing down on one set of animations for my MyPlayer and no matter how hard I tried I would maybe hit three shots in a row at best before alternating between "slightly early" and "slightly late" for the next three to four shots(These shots were stand still 3s with an 85 3pt rating). This process went of for HOURS before I finally decided to boot up 2k24 on my PS5 to see if I was having a mental episode. Nope I greened 20 threes in a row with a random player that I've never played with before (Derek Fisher).

The AI is another sticking point for me. In 2k24 (and other previous installments) your AI teammates were stupid but they would at least make a fair number of shots. In 2k25, forget about any contribution from them. You are essentially 2018 Lebron. One of my favorite MyGM saves in 2k24 was a Pacers franchise where I would player-lock Tyrese Haliburton and just pass the ball to my open teammates and rack up about 20 assists a game. Something similar would not be possible in 2k25. The AI is ineffective at running plays, incapable of understanding spacing, takes terrible paths to the basket off pick and rolls, stumbles over each other on the fast break, and is overall inept.

The last thing that bothers me is the way that certain features keep getting removed for seemingly no reason. Oh, are you one of those weirdo's who still uses the x button to shoot (me)? Well good luck ever doing a hop step ever again, you have to use the right stick to have access to that animation. Do you like player-locking in MyNBA and using the MyCareer Default camera? Can't do that either (thats actually been gone since 2k24). Oh did you like the old shot meters? Here's three infinitely worse versions of them. I mean it all just doesn't make sense to me. You can't convince me there's an actual technical reason for 2k to have to remove these features. The hop step especially irks me, because there isn't some new animation or something that uses the same input they just removed your ability to do it with the x-button. I know for most people these changes will pose no problem but for 10% of the player base these changes will negatively impact their experience.

All in all this game is a major let down. Its the first 2k current gen version of 2k we've had on PC in 6 years (2k19-2k24 on pc are ports of the last gen versions of those games) and it had every opportunity to be a triumphant return. There are many great things that have been added to 2k over those 6 years, my favorite being NBA Era's, and this was an opportunity for people who don't own a console to finally enjoy those features. However, 2k has made changes to the game that make the most basic mechanics of the game frustrating. I don't know if its laziness or 2k's obsession with making their games "competitively viable" but they seem to routinely make decisions that negatively impact the user experience. I loved how in games like 2k13 my ability to make shots was 80% dependent on me understanding my player's abilities, the defensive match-up I had, how the help defense might react, and other factors such as that, and timing my shot was only the other 20%. You spent your time thinking about basketball in a way that is similar to real life, and I feel like I now spend my time thinking about what shots can I actually green consistently. If you came looking for this game to take the place of 2k18, don't waste your money or your time.

Most reviews on here don't seem to mention the most important reason to not buy this game; it is the PS4/Xbone version of the game. What that means is it's a Frankenstein abomination that feels like the developers took NBA 2k18 and tried to jam all the new features into it. This obviously leads to a game that leaves you confused and feeling "strange" for lack of a better word. Many features feel out of place and half finished at best, feeling like a Roblox adaptation except it's somehow worse. This game should be the prime example of what NOT to do when porting to PC.

TL:DR - Buy it

This may be the best game I've ever played. The characters are interesting and the bonds you form with them are tangible and significant. The story is deep, compelling, and takes turns that leave you legitimately surprised. The combat presents the player with endless possibilities for resolution, ranging from complex and meticulous to the hilarious and ridiculous.

I bought this game only because my friends wanted to play a campaign, and even with a slightly cynical attitude and no prior experience with DND content I was instantly hooked. You can feel the developers' passion permeating every aspect of the game. The only complaint I have is that the game had to end at some point.

Larian, please never change. You have provided us all with an experience that is truly special, proving to the world you don't need gimmicks or predatory tactics to have success in this industry. You just have to make a good game.

CK3 is a good game, and if you enjoyed CK2 you will probably enjoy it. It does a great job of simplifying some of the concepts and features from CK2 without cheapening the experience. However, I do feel like the game is missing some of the features that made CK2 great and I hope they are added in later on.