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wnbaon2k · 2 years ago

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An Early Review Of NBA 2K23's WNBA Integration

It’s been almost two and a half years since I wrote an article on NBA 2K adding the WNBA into its game for the first time with NBA 2K20 and what we’d like to see in NBA 2K21 and beyond. As of #2KDay, September 9, 2022, 2K will have completed three game cycles with the W included (2K20, 2K21, 2K22) and will be launching its fourth with 2K23.

I was fortunate enough to be granted early access to 2K23 (from September 5) to put together notes on the W integration to see how far it’s come from that first run.

INITIAL OVERVIEW

The W integration does take a strong step forward this year as part of what early reviews are saying is one of the best NBA 2K games in recent memory. It isn’t perfect and there are things we all want to see added or adjusted, but on the first run, the game looks and feels great!

ROSTERS

At launch, all 12 rosters will be updated as of the end of the season/playoffs, so anyone looking to start in any mode will have the full rosters at their disposal.

Headshot cutouts and face scans look good when they’re done but the numbers bear out to being average/just above average on accuracy: I counted about 77.9% correct face scans (113/145) and 81.3% correct headshots (118/145; including proper face scans substituted for a cutout; still needs to be updated but good placeholder).

Standout scans: Didi Richards (excellent update), Epiphanny Prince (FINALLY correct after several years), Satou Sabally, Natisha Hiedeman, Charli Collier, Seattle being the only team with a completely accurate roster (11/11 on scans and headshots)

Notable omissions: all of the rookies have placeholder scans for now; rookie Sam Thomas (PHX) has the headshot cutout (and placeholder scan) of former NYL player/FA Leaonna Odom.

MYPLAYER/ THE W

The MyPlayer builder is pretty much the same as last year and there are 30 different face templates you can use for your MP. You can edit all the same features (skin, hair - lots of hairstyles, etc).

From the start, you have a few WNBA branded shirt options you can go with so when you get into The W Online, you don’t have to wear the “iconic” Brown shirt!

You have tattoo options available to your MP now so if you want your player to have some ink, you can!

Not many W specific jumpshots are available to start with (without unlocking them with attribute boosts - wish this wasn’t the case.

The overall layout of the mode is similar to 2K22. The Progress section has been streamlined so you just focus on building your Career Progress (Progression, Popularity, WNBA Popularity, Wealth, and Chemistry) vs. worrying about Job Progress as well (Entrepreneur, Fashion Icon, Global Icon, Influencer, Coach)

A major oversight in my opinion: in practice modes (team scrimmages, freestyle, team practices), the players should have on their WNBA practice gear, not their full game jerseys (the NBA players have their practice gear in similar modes). That’s an immersion breaker and an oversight in design care to me.

I love the updated contact challenges from the contacts you gain. Hopefully it’ll be easier to earn access to some legendary players too, which was really hard to do when tied to the W Online games.

THE W ONLINE

Updated court looks amazing (raised court a la NCAA Tournament) and it’s set at night so the issue with the 2K22 court’s glare is eliminated.

Still don’t show the names of the AI WNBA players - easy way to teach 2K gamers who is who and to help build name recognition.

Still full court 3v3…wish there were more options like the male MPs have within The City and MyTeam.

I hope the community goals help bring people into the mode and push players to stick around. The catch-22 of the mode is if you don’t have enough buy-in, it’ll be hard to play games, which will keep you from the goals and that lack of reward may keep people from playing…hope I’m wrong.

GAMEPLAY, PRESENTATION, MYWNBA AND ANNOUNCING

I think the gameplay feels improved. The adrenaline boosts feature should even out gameplay across the board to eliminate a lot of overdribbling and wasted motion on offense. Post moves seem like they’ve been refined a bit as well.

In my opinion, the worst part of the game has not been addressed adequately enough - the lack of diversity of the announcing crew and major misgendering/mispronunciation issues.

The W side has had the same all-male announcing crew since 2K20 and 2K is missing a huge opportunity to bring in any number of notable, knowledgeable, diverse WNBA talents to help polish the game and appeal to their followings as well. Lachina Robinson, Monica McNutt, Carolyn Peck, Ryan Ruocco, Rebecca Lobo, Andraya Carter, Holly Rowe, Christy Winters-Scott, Pam Ward, Meghan McPeak, and many others would be great additions to the announcing booth in this game, especially knowing that on the NBA side of the game, you have greats like Kevin Harlan and others and guests like Richard Jefferson in the game. Not sure if it’s a money/contractual issue or a lack of asking, but change needs to be made moving forward.

In that same vein, the current crew has been a part of the lower level MyCareer sections in the past, which may be the cause of audio misgendering issues. Since 2K20, every once and a while you’ll hear a “he doesn’t hit the first (free throw)” or “he’s 3-for-4” or similar lines of audio where a she should be a he. I have clips already of it happening in 2K23 and will be logging all year. I haven’t even tried to see what happens with playing with a Layshia Clarendon or AD that use different pronouns, but at the core, this is either due to lack of speaking clarity, actual incorrect audio, or both and that’s unacceptable for professionals.

The In game presentation across the game - not just in the W - has gotten a bump. More dynamic looking replays, some cool intro highlights, the arenas, THE JABBAWOCKEEZ (!), and just the look of the player models is much better overall. The player models do still have some proportionality issues (all are kind of thin no matter the player’s actual body type) but the base aesthetics of the scans, the lighting, etc. look awesome. (NOTE: recorded this video before the Finals matchup was set but maybe 2K23 can tell the future!)

Glad the All-Star Game and Commissioner’s Cup have been added to the season schedules in-game. Those are major parts of the WNBA season so adding them had to be a requirement for realism.

Still wish the halftime stats screen during games would stay up longer than four seconds (yes, I counted).

The expansion feature in MyWNBA is wild and awesome…easily over 50 options on the map of cities you can move to, and you can create two teams (believe the NBA side has six). Editing the jerseys, logos, and arena takes time but should be fun.

One issue I did see with the jersey editor: you can use some customizable logos for your team but those customizable ones then can’t be added to the jersey. Maybe just an oversight.

The All-Star Draft is in the game now, with the teams named after captains and the draft set up like IRL. The All-Star game still uses Eastern and Western Conference verbiage though so I hope there’s a way to adjust that with Team A’ja, Team Stewie, etc.

Major wish: having access to the Gym with the practice drills at all times, even if you don’t make badge progress on your visits every time.

OTHER NOTES

I won’t dive into the player ratings here but I’m sure social media will handle those conversations! ;)

RECAP ON THE TO 2K20/2K21 WISHLIST

What’s been fixed from the first run of 2K20: multi-season MyWNBA; female MPs, custom rosters, draft classes; Playoff only mode; coaches all are their proper gender; online Play Now; WNBA Finals celebration; graphics in menus specific to W;

Still not fixed: announcers, MyCareer storyline, adding female MPs to the City/Park or at least making one just for them; halftime screen; no historic teams

FINAL THOUGHTS

Simply put, NBA 2K23 is coming out strong from the start and the WNBA side of things looks a lot more enjoyable that any of the three previous attempts. You can tell effort was put into streamlining some things and enhancing others. There are still some maintenance issues that need addressing and a number of major wishlist items that the community wants to see that aren't in the game yet, but I believe the WNBA in 2K23 is heading for contender status vs. just being happy to be be there.

FULL DISCLOSURE: My early access to NBA 2K23 was provided on a review basis by a member of the NBA 2K staff but this review was not shown to them prior to publishing.

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