The purpose of playing a sports game is rethought in 2K23, which creates a framework that gives every sports fan the ability to lead the league in any way they see fit. I've spent a few weeks playing NBA 2K23, and during that time I've begun a new franchise at least eight times, using no less than six different teams each time. Each time, I find that I quit after playing only a few games; the primary reason for this is that I decide I want to try something different. The primary reason for this is that there are so many intriguing permutations.

The primary reason for this is that I have never before experienced a sports video game that was so painstakingly and meticulously put together as NBA 2K23. The most recent installment in 2K's long-running basketball game series is unquestionably the best sports game that has ever been developed. It is also a love letter to the most devoted basketball fans and sports historians.

The reason for this is that the game's developer, Visual Concepts, has packed every aspect of the game with an incredible amount of detail. In contrast to the vast majority of sports video games, NBA 2K23 is a significant undertaking, as opposed to the usual practice of making incremental improvements year after year. Instead of doing that, 2K23 rethinks the purpose of playing a sports game and creates a framework that gives every sports fan the ability to lead the league in any way they see fit.

The most important part of all of this is the NBA Eras mode, which either takes the place of your existing franchise or, more accurately, incorporates (but is not restricted to) a traditional franchise mode. In NBA Eras, rather than merely allowing you to take control of any NBA team of your choosing (which is the norm for the franchise mode), the game gives you the option to assume control of any NBA team of your choice during one of four distinct time periods. Play as the Seattle SuperSonics in the 2000s before they moved to Oklahoma City, run the Bulls in the 1980s just before Michael Jordan (who, by the way, is the legendary cover guy of this legendary NBA game), grab the Magic of the 1990s, or run the Seattle SuperSonics in the 2000s before they moved to Oklahoma City.(Of course, if you are a purist about sports gaming, you also have the option of beginning a traditional franchise in 2022.)

The attention to detail that was put into this mode makes it significantly more exciting and immersive. Every era has its own distinct set of rules, uniforms, and courts, not to mention a one-of-a-kind playing style. When you launch a business in the 1980s, you can anticipate seeing fewer three-point shots. Beginning in the 1990s, shorts became increasingly shorter in length. Observe the process by which teams change their names and relocate to new cities; alternatively, you can veto these moves, insist on hand-checking, and alter the trajectory of the league.

It's a combination of RPG elements, such as running a team, and world-building elements, such as managing like Adam Silver, and it's all incredibly accurate thanks to the most realistic and in-depth rosters you've ever seen in a sports game. All-time greats and all-time teams have been featured in NBA 2K (and other sports games, too!) for the past decade or so. However, especially in NBA 2K, the players who were featured on those rosters routinely fell short of expectations. You'd get a 1992 Chicago Bulls team or a 2001 Lakers team with four or five fake players, and while you might have fun playing as a classic team, it would break your immersion just a little bit when David Johnson came off the bench. In other words, you'd get a classic team but with fake players.

Because whoever is responsible for building the rosters in NBA 2K23 went the serious extra mile, this is much less of a problem than it otherwise would have been. In point of fact, miles. You need nearly complete rosters in order for the Eras plan to be successful; acquiring the greats and key role players from each era is a big part of the fun. And NBA 2K23 puts in a lot of effort to deliver. Earl Boykins, a 5-foot-5 guard out of Eastern Michigan, Tyus Edney, a smurfy UCLA guard drafted by the Kings in the '90s, and Marcus Fizer, a failed early-round Bulls pick in the days after Michael Jordan are all included in this collection. There are still some notable players missing from the roster (Reggie Miller is one of them, and it's a shame that Chris Webber isn't here for the first time in years), but overall, the team looks strong. In spite of this, the major players of the era, in addition to the atmosphere, are accurately portrayed.

The entirety of the experience is carried out with a minimum of glitches: the game still adds in randomly generated players as your franchise wears on, which breaks your immersion (or leaves you to correct the problem as you go), and for some reason, you are unable to turn off the G League during the middle eras of the game. However, these concerns are largely inconsequential; in point of fact, this is the most robust sports game ever, regardless of the mode in which it is played.

This sense of immersion extends beyond the confines of the Eras mode and into the Jordan Challenge as well. It's been years since 2K built a Jordan Challenge, which is a series of memorable moments from the most dominant player in NBA history that you have to play through. And the most recent iteration of video game consoles was designed with this in mind. Again, details that are specific to the era shine, and large parts of the experience will give you the chills. There has never been a sports game that pursued this level of detail before. And no other sports video game has ever delivered on those fronts to the extent that this one has.

Even more impressive is the fact that this framework was developed at the same time that 2K is working to improve its performance on the court. On the court, the game will play very similarly to how you are accustomed to and enjoy it, but 2K will continue to make adjustments to make it more realistic. The concept of an "adrenaline" boost is this year's most significant new addition:Every player has a regular energy meter in addition to three "boosts" that can be used at any time. These will significantly increase your speed, but at a cost:When all of them are used up, the players' energy will be depleted extremely quickly. This should prevent players from spamming turbo for the entirety of a game, although it also prevents the game from being perfectly balanced:Three speed boosts are given to every player, regardless of their position in the team. Your hope is that this will be changed in the long run so that hulking big men will not receive the same boost power as, for example, Allen Iverson or Ja Morant.

This year's version of the game features a slightly modified shot meter that results in a reduced emphasis on three-point shooting. The new meter most assuredly rewards skill even more than before, and it can be customized so that you are required to time the release of your shot stick either early or late. You won't hit as many threes with questionable big men because it's precise enough, but there will be times when it's almost too precise. In the meantime, the post game receives an improvement; spin moves and drop steps have a more natural feel to them and are utilized more frequently in 2023.

And in 1993. And 1983. Because NBA 2K23 includes all of those different eras as well. This game reimagines what it means to play a sports game, and it will keep you entertained for an astoundingly long period of time. if you can find a way to keep your dream franchise from needing constant restarts and rethinking, that is.