NBA 2K18 is already a huge game, in popularity and depth.
That said, there's always room for growth. Part of the reason the series has been so successful is its innovation and intelligent recycling of previously released gaming concepts. Face scanning, single-player campaign modes, and an open-world hub are all ingenious themes that are spinoffs of other, less-developed features from other titles.
2K has gone outside of the sports gaming genre before to grab new ideas, and with the rise of the uber-popular Fortnite, it may be time to look outside the sports gaming universe for its next bit of inspiration.
I've recently picked up Fortnite and I must say, there are some undeniable qualities in the game. While it is a much different game than NBA 2K, there are at least four things 2K can learn from Epic Games' monster hit.
Cross Play
Every sports game should be moving toward offering crossplay. As the competitive gaming scene cranks up for most of the top sports franchises, it's becoming more obvious that PlayStation 4, Xbox and PC gamers should be able to compete against each other,
The PC-to-PSN function on Fortnite isn't ideal as it can be a little cumbersome for the latter, but conceptually, it's something NBA 2K should embrace. As the first season of the NBA 2K League begins, offering options for crossplay will only improve the level of competition on all platforms.
Battle Royales Are Fun
I've been saying for a year that the Neighborhood in NBA 2K19 needs to be more interactive. File this idea under the lofty dreams tab, but imagine a mode only found in the 2K Zone that opened up a battle royale concept. For those who are unaware of what a battle royale is, allow me to briefly explain the genre.
Essentially, it's a survival-based mode where multiple players are placed on a map and are tasked with scavenging for resources while trying to eliminate the others on the map. Usually, the winner is the gamer who is the last one standing. How would you implement something like that in a basketball game?
I'm glad you asked.
Obviously, this is a basketball game, so there are no kills and if you think about it, there's no way the NBA would sign off on a game with gunplay. However, that doesn't kill my battle royale basketball concept.
The mode would unlock a post-apocalyptic version of the Neighborhood map. Rotting basketball courts, tattered buildings, and other alternative structures could make up the scene.
The objective would be to move throughout the neighborhood scoring a variety of baskets on a number of visible and somewhat hidden hoops. Some are high, some are low. Some are inside and some are outside. The tougher the shot, the more points you earn.
For example, if you see a hoop next to the building your MyPlayer lives in, you could move all the way back to the Gatorade gym and try to sink long-range bombs. Making this kind of shot would result in a large number of points for your total.
The object is to score enough points to avoid the elimination windows and closing areas of the Neighborhood (similar to the thinning of the safe areas away from the storm in Fortnite). In this instance, the thinning area would be replaced by closing hours for the different locations.
The first window might eliminate anyone who doesn't have at least 50 points. The second cutoff might be 75. The third 100 and then the final wave could cut off at 200. With the accessible area of the Neighborhood having dwindled down to one court or hoop area, the end of every round would function as a free-for-all of sorts with every gamer for themselves.
You would have the ability to block another gamer’s shot, steal the ball or even knock their shot off course by having your basketball collide with theirs. Obviously, there will be dunks and layups as well with really nasty dunks counting for an increased amount of points.
It is an open-world version of the classic real-life hoops game, knockout. This could be an addictive alternative for 2K gamers and another mode that attracts casual hoops fans.
Give Em Something To Build
Perhaps the one element that makes Fortnite stand out from other battle royale titles is its building mechanic. You can erect structures in seconds that can be used for a variety of reasons. What if you had a similar function in the battle royale basketball environment that could create an opportunity for even tougher shots and crazy dunks?
Imagine the videos on YouTube of gamers creating one-hundred-foot structures and trying to make Dude Perfect-like shots, or even leaping downward towards the hoop for a dunk. That's an attention grabber.
QuickRestart/Quick Turnaround
Fortnite gets you in and out of games quickly. If you're not as good as the group you're playing against, it won't take long to find yourself back in the lobby and looking for another match. NBA 2K needs a mode that gives players that kind of quick restart.
In every online mode, a blowout loss takes a while to finish. The aforementioned battle royale basketball mode has some quick exit/restart qualities, but what if the Park had elimination games of 21 and 32 that began with five players? If you're playing one of those games and you don't have any points by the time the high man/woman gets to 11, you're out. If you don't have 7 by the time the leading scorer has 15, you would be eliminated. An elimination would land you back in the lobby with an option to join another game.
The final three remaining players would finish the game.
This is a real-life hoops game played at playgrounds in the midwest and probably in other regions as well. Like everything on this short list, it could add some additional personality to the NBA 2K series.
