Visual Concepts has shared the debut gameplay trailer of NBA 2K24, showcasing some of the improvements featured in this year's iteration of the premiere basketball videogame.
To start with, shooting and dribbling will be more accessible to players of all skill levels, allowing for more scoring potential across the court. There's also a brand new blowout dribble move that allows players to tap the sprint trigger while moving to receive a burst of speed, potentially catching defenders off guard.
Conversely, countermoves while defending have been improved. Perimeter and paint defense are more important in NBA 2K24; defensive movement has been enhanced with better responsiveness and reduced sliding; directional steals are returning, requiring players to reach with the correct hand closest to the ball to succeed (and avoid fouls). The contest logic was also updated to emphasize body positioning, addressing the 'ghost contact' issue in previous NBA 2K games.
Blocking has been changed to require proper timing on the player's behalf, who must learn to wait for the right time and opportunity before attempting a block.
Takeover is returning in NBA 2K24 (only on the new consoles), albeit tweaked. Upon filling the Takeover meter, players will get to choose between activating either the Finishing, Shooting, Playmaking, Physicals, Defense, and Rebounding abilities.
Visual Concepts also introduces a new 'substitution engine', which will ensure top scorers are kept on the floor by the AI, whereas previous iterations often replaced the full squad simultaneously and caused itself scoring droughts.
The biggest advancement coming in NBA 2K24 is, however, the ProPLAY technology. This allowed Visual Concepts to directly translate real NBA footage to generate 'authentic movements that can only be made by some of your favorite players. For example, students of the game and avid NBA fans will recognize Kevin Durant’s unique jumpshot and free throw form, Steph Curry’s explosive dribble moves and array of off-dribble jumpers, Nikola Jokić’s methodical moves and feathery touch around the rim, and the list goes on and on. ProPLAY makes the game look and feel more believable and reduces the amount of breaks in authenticity.'
Unfortunately, ProPLAY (as well as 2K Smart Play and other features) will only be available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S|X, which are also getting cross-play for the first time in the franchise. Once again, the PC version of NBA 2K24 will be the same as seen on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
NBA 2K24 is scheduled to launch on September 8th.
About the author: With over two decades of experience in gaming journalism, Alessio Palumbo has led the gaming vertical at Wccftech since August 2015. He started working at a young age for Italian websites like Everyeye.it, Gamestar.it, Nextgame.it, and Multiplayer.it before kickstarting the indie English-language publication Worlds Factory as its founder and Editor in Chief. In the last decade, he has coordinated the overall output of Wccftech's gaming section, managed PR relations, assigned reviews, produced daily news coverage, edited gaming content as needed, and delivered game reviews. Arguably, his trademark content is the long series of exclusive developer interviews that have been cited by Wikipedia and by the biggest news media and gaming publications. His passion for technology also makes him knowledgeable when it comes to gaming hardware and tech. His favorite genres include RPGs, MMORPGs, and action/adventure games.
Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.
