Do you like basketball? Do you have a favourite player? Do you love high flying dunks?
Then you’re going to love NBA 2K Playgrounds 2.
NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 Review
On the playground, anything goes. It’s a 2v2 deathmatch and the only guy that should be getting slammed harder than your opponents is that round leather bastard as it goes through the hoop.
Each team has a roster of five to 15 players to unlock through loot boxes that look like card packs.
This shouldn’t concern you though as I absentmindedly earned enough points unlock the entire roster. I completed this feat in a few exhibition matches and about 10 matches of an NBA Season.
Extra points can be used to unlock cosmetic items like powder blue timberlands and other shit that no one who’s body is worth millions a year can legally play ball in.
NBA Fruit Conserve
Regardless of your success with the card packs, you’re able to choose any team to begin an NBA season with.
Two members from each roster are available from the get-go so I was able to whip out big Lauri Markkanen and slick Kris Dunn and get to work on these inferior teams.
Specifically, I’d like to shamelessly sling mud at every other team bar New Orleans and Portland. 76ers are cool too.
I tried another few duo configurations after I activated the unlock roster feature and found that player stats really do affect the gameplay.
Scoring is separated in 2PT, 3PT and slam jams, your percentage for success on attempting any of these three score types is determined by your player’s stats. Outside of scoring, players also vary in their ability to steal, rebound, block and the speed and duration for which they can execute these actions.
Allen Iverson strips people left and right but nearly anyone can pull up in his face with no fear of consequence. Shaq can stick any jam in anyone’s face but you’ll be lucky to see a 17% chance of success on outside looks with The Big Aristotle.
From a busier part of the city
The game is pretty simple but deeply enjoyable. It’s a throwback to the NBA Jam arcade machines with a bigger roster and even more ridiculous dunks.
Fuck physics, I wanna throw a double-backwards corkscrew, flying sideways through the air on a putback dunk from the 3PT line. Get a mate around and throw down on your enemies or throw down on each other.
It’s all gravy baby. You can tackle a full season with a pal and on the easier difficulties, anyone can lock down huge alley-oops with the best of them.
You can drop buckets in playgrounds all over the world and I’d love to report that I bullied some kids with my doctorate in dunkonomics but my internet is hot trash and I was afraid some kids would bully me with their doctorates in dunkonomics.
There’s a ranked competitive and if you’re anything like me you’ll crave to climb into higher tiers to validate the hours spent in a dark room ignoring your domestic duties to the chagrin of your roommates.
NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 is the perfect antidote to the realness of NBA 2K19. It’s fast, simple and easy to get into. You’ll have a great time playing alone or with friends and the game never stops being a fun time.
Thankfully, the microtransactions aren’t too egregious, though they’re still present. It’s been too long since we had arcade NBA games to play and NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 fills the hole perfectly.
If you see me on the playground, get ready to be schooled in dunkonomics.
NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 was reviewed on PS4 using a digital code provided by the publisher.
PowerUp! Reviews
Game Title: NBA 2K Playgrounds 2
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Huge face-offs with legends of the game - 10/1010/10
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Easy to learn, hard to master - 9.8/109.8/10
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Easily ignored microtransactions - 7.5/107.5/10
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GSW undefeated in the regular season - 1.5/101.5/10
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Physics, what's that? - 9.7/109.7/10
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Boom shaka laka - 9.5/109.5/10
