Metascore

Universal acclaim - based on 42 Critics What's this?

User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 107 Ratings

  • Summary: The NBA 2k Franchise is back with NBA 2K12.
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 42 out of 42
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 42
  3. Negative: 0 out of 42
  1. Oct 12, 2011
    100
    NB 2K12 is as generous as it is demanding, and it's unquestionably a game for passionate Basketball lovers, made by passionate basketball lovers. But with its astounding animations, the high fidelity of the greatest players reproduced in game (the older stars like the ones of today), its rich content, deep gameplay, atmosphere and fantastic sound work, 2K's sport game wows anyone. It's as clear as a lightning-fast pass from Magic Johnson, a Michael Jordan cross-over or 3-point shot from Larry Bird: NBA 2K12 is the best basket simulation ever published.
  2. Oct 14, 2011
    100
    Were it not for the online issues, NBA 2K12 would be the closest thing to a "perfect" video game basketball experience we have yet come to. In fact, it still probably is. This is one of those rare sports games where the offline content nearly made me forget about the online component.
  3. Oct 4, 2011
    100
    The combination of sublime gameplay, unprecedented level of compelling historic team matchups, and an excellent update to My Player puts NBA 2K12 at a level no hoops game has ever been. The absolute mountaintop.
  4. 86
    Instead of re-inventing the wheel, 2K12 just made the wheel a whole lot prettier, and that's good enough for me.

See all 42 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 37
  2. Negative: 6 out of 37
  1. Perfection,amazement just downright fun.I just got done playing multiple games online and it was like I was controlling a real game on the television.Now offline let me get started by saying that I don't want to get into everything because everything is perfect.I can't find one thing wrong with this title.I mean come on the commentary is better then any game I have ever watched in the past on TV.I played basketball for several years and this is the first time that I feel like I'm 15 years younger and I'm playing again.Let me just say this,after playing this game put in NBA Live 10,09,NBA 2k9.2K10.There obsolete,that's how good this is.EA has done a good job with there hockey and soccer,Sony has done an amazing job with there Baseball but nothing and I mean nothing can compare with the brilliance of this game. Expand
  2. After last year's version i could not wait to get my hands on 2K12. i had no doubts that even though I did not write a letter that 2K would have focus groups, research committees, etc. look in to exactly what was great about the game and what needed to be improved. It's very frustrating as a longtime gamer to constantly see the most OBVIOUS flaws in games and not be able to get it changed. It seems to me the main improvement was making the game prettier and they succeeded. It LOOKS unbelievable but at the end of the day a true gamer wants the game to FEEL unbelievable. I'll skip to my biggest beef before this gets too long. ONLINE PLAY! How can this year's version actually be worse than last year's? The servers are so slow. Getting in to a game is terrible. Stat tracking is terrible. Quitters continue to get in to games with me even though I will sit thru an entire team-up game without ever getting the ball just because i don't quit. i will play defense, crash the boards, etc. Of course that is only if I actually get in to a game. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE put a little money in to improving the online experience. Team-Up in hoops is better to me than team deathmatch in halo, cod, etc. because i'm a huge sports fan and hoops is the one sport where teaming up can actually work but not if it's done only halfway by the developer. Last year it was so close but so frustrating because my friends and I could never get in to a game together or if we did our opponents all quit immediately because their friends didn't get in, etc. I was soooo sure this was the year it was going to be smooth and a blast!!! not the case. sadly it's just as frustrating. i still give this game an 8 but it's a low 8 because I had expecations of this being a perfect 10. Expand
  3. This game gets everything right, other than online multiplayer. That part of it is sloppy, laggy, unintuitive, and just generally needs work.

    Also, in my player mode your character will talk as if he is African American, no matter what.
    Expand
  4. 4
    Don't buy this game.
    this game cheats as hell, last game I did I lost for actual cpu cheating. In the 3rd quarter, most of the shots (unguarde
    d) were missed by my team, and the other team recovered and won the game hitting incredible shots (not mentioning the unrealistic mass of turnovers I always get in every single game). I will re-sell this **** out.
    I'm creating a 3pt specialized pg, I've been able to make it a very good player even in rookie season because I get good scores every game. But it frustrates you with stupid and unrealistic ingame glitches that make you almost throw away the pad. Only one word: crap
    5/10
    Expand

See all 37 User Reviews