NBA 2K8

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Beautiful, deep, and varied, yet somehow underwhelming

Words: Richard Grisham, GamesRadar US

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Oct 5, 2007

The Phoenix Suns have been the team that's "supposed to" win the championship for a couple of years now. Stocked to the rim with flash, dash, and pizzazz, they've made a habit of running roughshod over teams in the regular season only to fail at crunchtime when the fundamentals of defense and toughness have eluded them. For better and for worse, NBA 2K8 shares a lot of those traits with Steve Nash and company. While it's certainly a treat to look at and play, there are some underlying issues that ultimately keep it from being a slam-dunk champ. Or, for that matter, a significant improvement over last year's version.

No matter how you slice it, though, last season's "wow"-level presentation has actually been ramped up, sporting a shiny new coat of polish and power. Players, coaches, fans, and courts virtually leap off of the screen into your living room, as you're immersed into the NBA arena experience. Not only do the cyber Yao, Kobe, and T-Mac appear as dead ringers for their real selves, their mannerisms are more pronounced than ever.