2K opened the NBA 2K23 reservations and showed the first trailer for the game a few days ago, but it was not until today that it revealed the improvements in the gameplay that the new installment of the popular basketball game presents. The title will be available on September 9 on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam. Nintendo Switch and PC players should know that their version will be the same as those who have a previous generation console.
Last year developer Visual Concepts focused on improving defense, so perimeter players gained value. For this reason, in NBA 2K23 the team wanted to focus on the offensive aspect of the game and to achieve this they decided to “give more love to the finishers who like to finish in the hoop”. This means that NBA 2K23 will expand the tools to attack the basket. The first will be the arrival of new move combos on the Pro Stick, such as the Double Move and Recoil mechanics that add new weapons for both shooting and ball handling.
As for dunks, new commands are introduced that allow the controls to be expanded so that they can be executed the way the player wants, without accidentally throwing a skill dunk. In addition, when entering the basket with the Sprint trigger, the new control map of the Pro Stick will allow up to eight actions to be completed. For example, up for a two-way dunk and down to hang from the rim. In the new generation there is a physics system that allows you to control when and how the player hangs from the rim after a dunk.
Finally, the news in dribbling. “Ball-handling players are going to enjoy combos in NBA 2K23, as new move combos give you even more options for your arsenal,” explains Visual Concepts. The team says it’s now “especially important” to learn the speed of stick shots and the timing of personal animations. Size-up attacks are also introduced, which provide more side-to-side movement and are better at forcing the defense to drop and change position.
Visual Concepts doesn’t want NBA 2K23 players to flounder on dribbles for too long, so energy will drain much faster if too many moves are made together.
