This is where virtual currency (VC) comes into play, however again. It's no surprise the microtransactions litter every corner of MT 2K22 NBA 2K21--and for me personally, I've moved on from being outraged to sense despondent. The game boundaries on a pay-to-win version, with progress tracks which are paced in methods to nudge you towards paying for VC instead of earning it.

Improving your stats nevertheless relies on spending VC, and the costs increase exponentially the farther you upgrade a certain ability. There are loads of nice cosmetics to make, and it's admittedly a whole lot of fun dressing up your player in new kicks and the flyest Nike and Adidas apparel, however their steep VC costs suck the life out of their adventure.

VC permeates the MyTeam mode again, also. This mode acts as a fantasy-esque build-your-own-team endeavor where you earn card packs to unlock players among a roster which spans multiple NBA eras. MyTeam can be attractive for long-time basketball lovers such as myself who have Allen Iverson teamed up with Anthony Davis and can take this fantasy team roster into single-player or multiplayer matches.

However, the loot-box nature of making card packs--which can be acquired by gradually earning MT points through new avenues like challenges, seasonal events, and turning into cards that are useless, or even by purchasing them with VC--makes the dependence on VC unsurprisingly egregious.

MyGM, which puts you in the shoes of a team's General Manager, is a mode worth mentioning. It is a sports management simulation fantasy, but changes here are just skin deep. You'll go through awkwardly written and animated dialogue situations to manage relationships within your business --such as the way I chatted to RJ Barrett about how he had to play clarinet in order to boost his morale stats, or became the yes-man of 2K22 MT Buy head coach Tom Thibodeau to keep him happy.