NBA 2K20 is a title that sits in a strange space. On one hand, it delivers some of the best sports gaming experiences available. On the other, it’s aggressively monetized, creating an experience that can often feel exploitative and detached from the pure joy of basketball. This dichotomy makes reviewing 2K’s basketball games a unique challenge, as the elements of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ are deeply intertwined, making them almost impossible to separate. In 2K20, every positive aspect is shadowed, and indeed inseparable, from its negative counterpart.
Is This Another NBA 2K20 Review?
No, not exactly a full game review. Following our tradition, this piece focuses specifically on NBA 2K20‘s MyCareer mode. This mode’s extensive scope and the significant emphasis 2K places on it in their marketing and game design justify this focused examination. We’ve extensively covered the game’s aggressive microtransaction strategy before, and while it’s a crucial point, we won’t rehash every detail here. Suffice it to say, NBA 2K20, a game you purchase at full price, is saturated with attempts to push you towards spending real money on everything from player upgrades to cosmetic items and stat boosts. While modes like MyTeam are explicitly designed around this model, even the single-player MyCareer isn’t spared from this relentless pursuit of monetization.
Historically, the MyCareer storylines in 2K games have been notoriously weak, often featuring absurd narratives and cringeworthy attempts at being relatable to younger audiences. 2K20 takes a different approach, presenting a more earnest narrative of a college athlete who takes a stand against systemic issues, only to see his draft prospects suffer as a consequence.
This year’s MyCareer story offers a surprisingly relevant commentary on the NCAA system. You begin by playing a series of college games before navigating the path to the NBA, which includes pre-draft tournaments, the NBA Draft Combine (featuring mini-games to test attributes like vertical jump), and the Summer League. This introductory phase is brisk, lasting only a few hours, yet it provides the most authentic career trajectory the series has ever offered. Similar to FIFA’s The Journey, while there are moments of predictable drama, the narrative feels genuinely sincere in its aspirations and integrates well with your on-court NBA gameplay. It’s quite a leap from just two iterations ago, where players were cast as DJs suddenly invited to NBA practices, to now embodying a high-profile college recruit dealing with agent discussions and the complexities of the system.
The narrative of MyCareer, particularly during its cutscene-heavy initial hours, finally realizes much of what the mode has been striving for over the years. Celebrity appearances, notably Idris Elba’s compelling performance as your coach, are tastefully integrated and genuinely well-executed. The story progresses smoothly, avoiding the drawn-out pacing issues of previous installments (like last year’s lengthy G-League segment). By the time you establish yourself as an NBA player, you genuinely feel like you’ve earned your spot. This improved narrative and more realistic career path are significant strides forward for the MyCareer experience. Players can feel more invested in their character’s journey and progression, which is crucial for feeling like you are building “rep” in NBA 2K20 MyCareer.
However, this positive momentum is quickly undermined, not just by the pervasive microtransactions that have become a series staple, but also by 2K’s blatant incorporation of brand partnerships. This year’s story mode is produced by SpringHill Entertainment, LeBron James’ production company (with James credited as Executive Producer). What initially seems like a topical critique of the NCAA increasingly feels like a promotion for SpringHill, especially considering the real-world parallels and the prominent role of Maverick Carter, the company’s co-founder, within the story.
This commercial aspect is particularly evident, and disheartening, in how the game portrays your player’s conflict with the college system. After a teammate suffers an injury and loses his scholarship, your character takes a stand, leading to benching before a crucial game. While this is presented as a courageous act, the game quickly pivots to frame it through a marketing lens. After connecting with an agent, you are introduced to Carter, who immediately views your actions in terms of sponsorship opportunities and which brands would want to associate with your narrative (including his own).
This perspective encapsulates NBA 2K20‘s approach to a moment of personal conviction. It barely scratches the surface of the complex issues surrounding college sports and the compensation of athlete. Instead, it’s treated as a marketing opportunity, a chance to secure brand deals. It’s as if the game’s creators observed Colin Kaepernick’s situation with the NFL and concluded that the primary takeaway was his Nike endorsement. The series, already known for integrating brands into every facet of the gameplay experience, from Gatorade timeouts to Nike and Adidas apparel contracts, has now woven them directly into the fabric of the storyline itself. This level of brand integration can detract from the immersion and the feeling of earning “rep” organically in NBA 2K20 MyCareer.
Each year, the complaints about 2K’s increasing reliance on microtransactions and advertiser integration intensify. Every year, there’s hope that the next iteration will address these issues, yet each year brings greater disappointment. It doesn’t have to be this way. No other major sports game pushes monetization to this extreme. Even EA, often criticized in the gaming community, manages to keep brand partnerships within the realm of realistic broadcast integration and avoids charging players for single-player content.
Despite consistent online fan backlash, 2K continues to escalate these practices, squeezing players harder each year. Evidently, a significant player base either tolerates or is indifferent to these tactics, and it is for these players that 2K seems content to build their game around microtransactions and advertising. However, for players seeking a compelling single-player sports experience with an engaging story – aspects that NBA 2K20 actually delivers on the court – the pervasive monetization makes NBA 2K20 a disheartening step backward. While you can technically get “rep” and progress in your NBA 2K20 MyCareer, the journey is often overshadowed by the constant pressure to spend more money, diminishing the overall sense of achievement and enjoyment.
