Review of NBA 2K22 Arcade Edition: on the ball

Our Verdict

This mobile gem offers all basketball fans the optimal NBA experience. It looks just as good as any console version, and plays so smoothly, that scoring three-pointers has never felt so satisfying.

Every year, new basketball games are released, and to be honest, it's rare to notice a significant improvement that justifies buying a new game. Or at least that's what I discovered. I won't be too concerned with having an exact replica of the roster; I'll still fiddle with the system.

Nevertheless, the wildly successful NBA2K series is available on Apple Arcade this year, with the most recent edition, NBA 2K22, featuring an Arcade Edition that is solely available on the iOS service. So how does it measure up, and does it provide the classic basketball experience seen in its console and PC counterparts? To put it simply, it does.

I play NBA games because I love the sport. Rather than watching on TV or engaging in physical exercise, I want to open a match and pretend to be playing hoops. I'm not sure whether this is the case for you as well. Thankfully, the Arcade Edition gives me that, so I can make some three-pointers while I'm moving.

Naturally, all of your favorite NBA teams, like the Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, and New York Knicks, are included in the game. It has two game modes—standard exhibition matches and a career mode, which is now common to 2K games—but it's still nice to see that it was included in the Apple Arcade version of the game.

NBA 2K22 has two distinct touch controller layouts to accommodate players of all skill levels. There are two types of games: one is meant for casual players, while the other is meant for fans of NBA2K games. It has additional buttons that let you choose sets and execute various passes. After selecting your option, you can move about using a very simple touch analog stick on the left side of the screen. It really made me feel like Roadrunner on the court.

Matches function really well, and the controls are intuitive. I never felt the game's flow falter once. It has the same organic feel of playing on a console. The visuals of NBA 2K22 on the Apple Arcade game are comparable to those on the console and PC. It functions smoothly, has an eye-pleasing appearance, and gives you the impression that you are really part of the action.

In summary, I believe that any lover of basketball would find this version to be well worth playing. Heck, if you have access to Apple Arcade and are not acquainted with basketball games, I highly recommend giving them a try. Even though you have nothing to lose, you could enjoy playing NBA 2K22 Arcade Edition.

If you do want to play the game, be sure to go through our lists of NBA 2K Mobile codes and Locker Codes for the Switch version.

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