There are few sports video game franchises where I can play the new game for hours and simultaneusoly think, “This is brilliant” and “Why am I putting up with this again?”
NBA 2K27 is the perfect embodiment of this notion.
Visual Concepts has made some genuinely meaningful improvements this year. The on-court action feels better, defence has finally received some much-needed attention, MyCareer is more ambitious, MyNBA is deeper than ever, and the new MyCareer Eras might be the best mode for NBA diehards.
However, you still run into some familiar problems. Earning VC (in-game currency) is still painfully slow to earn but still needed everywhere; plus, whether you like it or not, The City is still a core part of the experience (I don’t particularly enjoy it).
Graphics and Gameplay
This where NBA 2K27 truly shines. The biggest improvement isn’t necessarily the graphics as they have looked great for years.
It’s the way the on-court action feels.
Defence has been substantially tweaked, with improved physical interactions, better positioning, and more responsive on-ball play. Shooting has also been adjusted, while dribbling has received a significant number of new animations, and you can feel it.
Games feel more physical. Defenders aren’t simply sliding around the court while attackers perform the same three moves. There is more emphasis on creating space and reading what the defender is doing. That makes each game challenging and more rewarding as a result.
The presentation remains excellent, with player models, arenas, and animations continuing to push the boundaries of the hardware.
There are still occasional awkward animations and some odd AI decisions, but these are minor compared to the overall package.
NBA 2K27 MyCareer
MyCareer has received one of its biggest upgrades in years with Fire & Concrete, an 11-chapter story that is considerably longer than last year’s offering.
Yes, you can skip the grind of working your way up through the meat of the grind, but that defeats the fun of the mode.
This year’s story is far more ambitious with your main man MP working through some tough times at the beginning in high school through the G League and then trying to establish themselves in the NBA.
Honestly, I enjoyed this year’s rendition of MyCareer.
I’m not going to pretend that the story is Oscar-worthy, there are still moments where the dialogue feels forced, and the game desperately wants you to care about characters you barely know.
But it is considerably better paced than some previous attempts. The biggest addition is the ability to bring a friend into your MyCareer through the new running mate system. Your friend can control Trace Miller, effectively becoming a second player within your career.
It’s a fantastic idea and something I hope 2K keeps developing.
My biggest sticking point, though, remains progression. You can enjoy the basketball on the court, but there is always that nagging feeling that your player would be considerably better if you laid down some money VC. That’s the point when my patience starts to thin with the game.
That reliance on VC is something that is felt across all sports games, not just NBA 2K27, but unlike EA Sports titles, which almost always keep it to their Ultimate Team mode, having such a reliance on microtransactions in an essentially single-player mode doesn’t sit well with me, especially as we come onto Eras.
MyCareer Eras
One of my favourite new modes in NBA 2K27 is let down by the aforementioned reliance on VC.
For the first time, MyCareer lets you take your created player into five different periods of NBA history:
Magic vs. Bird Era- 1984, Jordan Era 1991, Kobe Era 2003, LeBron Era 2010, and Steph Era 2016.
Rather than simply changing the jerseys and putting old players on the court, the idea is to let your player experience basketball history and potentially change how it unfolded.
This is exactly the sort of feature I want from a yearly sports game.
The Jordan and Kobe eras in particular are true love letters to NBA fans. Seeing the presentation, teams, and players recreated around those periods gives the mode a completely unique feeling. It’s also one of those modes that makes you wonder why someone hasn’t done this before.
There is a downside, though.
The mode is brilliant as a concept, but it doesn’t break away from the traditional MyCareer experience. You’re still battling the VC-laden progression, with each era making you start from scratch, meaning the grind is that much more irritating.
The City
Now, we have my most disliked mode: The City.
I have a complex and very much a love/hate relationship with The City because I actually like its concept.
The problem is that I don’t always want to do it.
NBA 2K27 introduces the first co-ed City, allowing male and female players to play together, while new locations include Crew HQ and Casual Corner. Steet Kings also returns with a new format, while the REC rotates between different environments.
On paper, this all sounds perfect.
Crew HQ is useful if you regularly play with friends, while Casual Corner does what it says on the tin: helps newbies develop their skills before sweating it out.
Rucker Park is also a nice change of pace.
However, The City still suffers from the same issues: There is just too much going on. Sometimes I just want to play basketball. I don’t want to always run across a virtual city, navigate lots of menus, speak to NPCs, and complete some unrelated objective before hitting the court.
And there’s the elephant again: VC.
The City is at its best when it feels like a basketball playground. It is at its worst when it feels like a giant shop designed to remind you that your player character could be better with more money dropped.
MyTeam
Now, we have 2K’s answer to Ultimate Team: MyTeam. The mode that you’ll either eat, sleep, and breathe or ignore entirely.
There are some smart changes here, particularly around the revamped auction house and the way cards can be exchanged and progressed. The problem is that MyTeam’s biggest strength is also its biggest weakness.
There is too much to do.
There are different ways of earning cards, upgrading your squad, and competing, but the constant feeling of chasing the next better card can become exhausting.
Also, there is still the overarching presence of microtransactions. I don’t mind the fact that 2K need to make money, but telling me constantly that my team could be so much better with money spent, it makes the grind less satisfying.
If you are someone who loves building the perfect squad, MyTeam will consume your life. For everyone else, it can feel like another cash grab.
MyNBA
MyNBA remains the mode I would recommend to anyone who wants the most basketball for their money.
The new MyNBA Legacy is particularly impressive. You can now build a player-locked career while simultaneously dealing with the wider franchise, with the mode stretching across a staggering century.
That sounds ridiculous in the best possible way.
There are also improvements to free agency, contracts, team dynamics, and GM trust, alongside more than 20 community-requested changes to franchise management.
What I love about MyNBA is that it doesn’t deel like 2K is constantly trying to sell you something. It is pure basketball. Want to recreate history? You can. Want to build a dynasty? Go ahead.
Want to completely destroy the NBA and create the most ridiculous league imaginable? Smash it.
For me, this remains the mode that keeps me coming back for more.
Conclusion
NBA 2K27 is probably the best basketball game Visual Concepts has made in years. This is also why the persistent problems plaguing the series annoy me more. The basketball is brilliant, MyCareer is better, the addition of MyCareer Eras is fantasic, The City is improved, MyNBA is deeper than the ocean, and MyTeam remaind enormous.
But the overreliance on the VC system comes along and reminds you what the game is asking of you.
There are moments where I think this is the best sports game of the year so far. Then I’ll hit another progression wall or see another expensive option for my player and remember why I have become so cynical about this franchise.
If you can ignore the agressive and predatory monetisation, this is an incredible game, but if you can’t, you’ll run into frustration walls a lot.
Personally, though, I enjoyed NBA 2K27 considerably more than I thought I would. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it also doesn’t fix annoying issues.
But for once, it feels like Visual Concepts has concentrated on making the basketball itself better, which is the most important thing.
Developer: Visual Concepts
Publisher: 2K Games
Platforms: Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Windows PC
Release Date: 4th September 2025
