NBA 2k Playgrounds 2 is the sequel to last years Saber Interactive online-centric 2v2 arcade basketball game. It has had a turbulent release with many outraged by the focus on microtransactions. I have spent around 10 hours with the game and now feel fully equipped to slam dunk my top three hits and misses with you.
GAMEPLAY
Gameplay is fast, frantic, smooth and a lot of fun while still remaining simple to pick up and play. 
plays elaborate passes between you and your teammate. Hold 
to shoot and if you want to attempt a dunk you simply start to shoot while holding sprint 
. Defending is also simple. is steal and 
is to push your opponent. Skillful moves can be pulled off using 
. While not quite on the level of NBA Jam, this is still a worthy successor for the current generation.
OFFLINE MODES
NBA Season Mode is a streamlined season where you select a team and play through 14 regular conference games before breaking off into a best of three playoff system. NBA Season can be played with an AI partner or via couch or online co-op. You pick up around 700 basketballs (the in-game currency) per match so this is a great way to progress and unlock new packs and players. 3-Point Contest also makes a return and is a fun mini game which again can be played against the AI and in local or online multiplayer.
GRAPHICS
I love the art style of this game. I liken it to the SoccerStarz figures you get here in the UK with the over-sized heads. Players and courts look great with a lot of care and attention to detail applied. It has been a good year for this style with Super Mega Baseball 2, Guns Gore & Cannoli 2 and more.
The first 6 minutes of the let’s play was muted due to copyright.
MICROSTRANSACTIONS
Before even starting the game I was made aware of a YouTube “influencer” who had made a video refusing to review the game based on the in-game currency. When you first load the game up, before you even get to the main menu, you are taken through the process of how to earn and spend the in game currency as well as how to spend real world cash to unlock everything from the get go. Not a great start I thought to myself.
An hour or two in though, my fears were mostly put to bed. Every match you play, whether it be Exhibition, Season, Online or 3-Point Contest, you build up in-game currency to spend on packs or specific players. Packs are priced at 1,500 (Bronze), 3,000 (Silver) and 5,000 (Gold), while individual players can be picked up for between 10,000 and 25,000. As I said earlier you tend to acquire around 700 basketballs per win, so the grind isn’t too bad.
SOUND DROPPING OUT
The only real bug I have found so far is with the audio. Regularly the crowd noise and music played during games cuts out and the only way to fix it is to go in the menus and toggle the volume of both. It is something that will likely be fixed in a future update, but as of now it remains a problem.
LIMITED COMMENTARY
This became most clear in my playoff series with the Miami Heat. At the start of every game I would hear the anikdote about how they got their name. I spent the majority of my time having a blast with the gameplay while catching up on podcasts though, so this didn’t bother me as much as it may do others.
Overall NBA 2k Playgrounds 2 is great fun and well worth your time. Many are going to be put off by the microtransactions and I wish 2k had approached it in a less heavy handed manner because once you get past that you have one of the most enjoyable arcade sports games in recent years.
-VDZE
Reviewed on PS4. Also available on PC, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. A review code provided by the publisher. Affiliate links contained in this article.
