NBA 2K20 Review: 5 Ups & 4 Downs
1. Predatory Practices Remain
The microtransactions/monetisation/virtual currency debate has been covered thousands of times by thousands of voices. Thus, this slide won't necessarily bring anything new to the table, but it's a key part of the NBA 2K20 experience and therefore must be brought up. It can't be ignored.
VC is present in almost every single game mode. As with previous versions, it leaves 2K20 feeling like a cheap, nasty mobile game, not the premium sporting franchise that you've just paid £50 for. It has, unfortunately, become one of the series' defining traits.
"You have a choice," is a common counterargument here, as is "nobody's putting a gun to your head." Both are true to a certain degree, but it's a choice that doesn't exist without 2K dangling progression in your face. It's a temptation that doesn't exist without that carrot. Willpower is an individual trait that varies from person to person as well, so saying "you have a choice" is far too simplistic.
The profitability of these predatory practices means they aren't going anywhere fast. Does that mean we should stop criticising them?
Absolutely not.