The Best Basketball Games On PlayStation 4

Sports titles can be extremely difficult to rank. Although they have a fan base, each installment can feel like one step forward and a few steps back. This list may be subjective, but doing some research and listening to the community’s opinions have helped us find five of the best basketball titles available on the PS4 right now.

We want to know your thoughts too. Would you rank these games in a different order? Would you have replaced one with a different title? At any rate, check out these five game picks and what they have to offer.

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#5 NBA 2K15

NBA 2K15 is a game following a successful next-generation release, and that’s not always an easy task. Players can enjoy more refined and responsive gameplay mechanics that allow for controlling the ball while creating space against opponents easier and more rewarding. Along with improved mechanics, we can’t forget about the improvements made towards the other game modes found in this installment as well.

Like past games, players take part in a career mode striving to become the next big thing in the NBA as a non-drafted rookie with a limited contract. Starting at the bottom is hard enough, and you’ll need to hurry up and showcase your skills if you want to make the team.

MyGM returns and it gives players the ability to oversee a franchise. You’ll have control of salaries, how the stadium is handled, and even negotiations with your player contracts. It’s a tycoon-style game with trying to keep everyone happy while raking in some money. There’s even a game mode called MyLeague and it even takes MyGM one step farther, with MyLeague, players are in control of a whole franchise with rosters, teams, along with season lengths.

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#4 NBA Live 18

Xbox

NBA Live 18 is a slight change up for the list. There can be some debates online over which game is better between the 2K and Live series. Wherever your stance is, you may find some enjoyment over NBA Live 18. The game installment has some easy to follow controls and the AI can give a decent challenge. You’re also going to find plenty of the same overall game modes in NBA Live 18 as you would in the NBA 2K series. There are the various exhibition games that can be had, a franchise ownership simulator and even a career mode. Nothing of which is going to stand out over the other installments.

What we find to be quite thrilling over this installment is the inclusion of the WNBA. Players could play in any team, including coastal teams or even the All-Stars lineup. It was the first game to bring the WNBA for players though it was still limiting in certain areas. For instance, the teams were not available in online gameplay matches. However, this was still a more than welcomed addition to the series. Speaking of online game matches, this was another element that felt like it was not as fully featured. Games were ranked and it didn’t give players much control over the rules.

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#3 NBA 2K17

Xbox

The NBA 2K17 installment is another great installment. Controls feel tight and easy to handle while the AI can be challenging. There’s an element of strategy in the game matches as you have to carefully decide how to outperform your opponents. There’s no simple solution to fall back on so throwing the ball to your best player for an easy point won’t be a strategy you can use throughout. Career mode also follows a player attempting to make it big in the leagues, it’s not so much of an enthralling story but there’s at least something here to keep the progression moving.

One of the elements you may find of interest with this installment is how you go about buffing your stats. Now before a match, you can hit the gym and work on some shots. These are essentially little mini-games to help your players stats. You even get little upgrades through means of activities outside of playing within the NBA such as attending different promotional events. This doesn’t trigger anything in particular in-game for you to enjoy but it does provide some extra currency to spend on your player.

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#2 NBA 2K16

NBA 2K16 definitely feels like a tight basketball simulation game. Controls are finely tuned, the AI can once again be challenging and that alone can make for some great gameplay. It’s everything you would come to expect from this series. You may find yourself taking some time to get a handle over the controls but the general reception for the mechanics has been pretty well received outside of some issue that comes up with blocking.

All of the game modes you expect to see make a return. You’ll still have the feel of controlling a team through the likes of MyGM though there is one particular overhaul that may keep player’s attention and that’s the career mode. Compared to the previous year’s iteration, you don’t just start out as a rookie, instead, this drama story follows a basketball player through his High School career, college matches, rookie season to his time within the NBA.

One of the best attributions to the career mode is also picking the team you’ll end up with. Rather than trying to negotiate for the money, you’re instead using a points system to buff your player out. This ultimately makes a choice feel important. Would you take a hit on losing out on points to play for a larger team or perhaps your favorite team? Overall, it’s a solid game and one that tends to be included as one of the best NBA video games for current-generation platforms.

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#1 NBA 2K14

New iterations of video games tend to look increasingly better with each installment released however, it’s clear that NBA 2K14 still stands as one of more impressive current-generation basketball video game titles. When it released it was jaw jarring at how well this game looks with its realism facial features that ranged from players to even the coaches. It’s simply impressive and we’re sure that you can still find a ton of amazement today if you were to start the game up. However, it doesn’t just end with the visuals.

Gameplay mechanics still feel great and holds up well even if there wasn’t much put into them in comparison to the previous generation release of NBA 2K14. While there’s also the career mode element to the game, it’s not much of anything to really go on about. The narrative won’t pull you in and the acting doesn’t help either. There are even moments where you’re talking to characters that don’t have audio so you’re left with reading subtitles.

Multiplayer modes are available including a mode known as the Park which takes games outside in a variety of matches. Everything from half-court match-ups in a 2v2 to a 5v5 full court is available. Those that are wanting to dabble into a management position could find some fun over the GM mode. It’s essentially a game mode that puts players in control of a team. From there you’ll have to say on the staffing to even how business is running within the stadium in an attempt to turn a profit while keeping everyone happy.