According to the developer, body-up rides and bumps feel much more rewarding for floor defenders because the motion team has significantly improved the feel of on-ball defensive movement. Unwanted 'bump steals' and snatchy body ups have been reduced in favor of allowing both the ball handler and the on-ball defender more freedom of movement and respect for their input. Shifts, launches, stops and cuts all feel much tighter, and with even more new-gen foot-planting improvements, you'll notice a significant reduction in sliding on both ends of the floor, according to 2K22 MT Xbox Series.
When it comes to dribbling, NBA 2K22 makes some adjustments to give players more freedom and control to get past defenders with flashy moves. KD's big hesi crosses, Harden's around/through the leg moves, Steph's quick machine gun crosses, and Luka's methodical rock back and forth dribbles are all now under the direct control of the gamer rather than a preset movie, according to 2K. In general, there are a plethora of new combinations, cancels, and chains that players can employ in NBA 2K22 to get around defenders. Some of these can be seen in action in the gameplay video above.
2K Sports has published a detailed blog post detailing the major changes to gameplay this year. In a nutshell, 2K claims that its goal for NBA 2K22 was to deliver faster-paced gameplay, more responsive player movement, and more skill-based offensive abilities. The developer also attempted to deliver these changes across both generations of consoles, so if you're among the group of people who can't find a PS5 or Xbox Series X|S right now, or who don't want to upgrade, NBA 2K22 should be a viable option.
NBA 2K22 introduces a number of new features, the most noticeable of which is the game's new shot meter, which now features a dynamically resizing make window. This window will expand when you're taking high-quality shots with good shooters, but it will shrink when you're heavily contested, shooting with a low-rated shooter, or fatigued, according to 2K.
Players who make smart shots will be rewarded in NBA 2K22, according to the game. According to the developer, "we've heavily focus-group tested the new shooting mechanics with players of all skill levels and believe this is the best that shooting has ever felt in MT 2K22."
In addition, 2K made changes to the finishing mechanics in NBA 2K22, with the goal of requiring more skill to finish a play at the rim. Defenders will make it more difficult to finish a play with a flashy dunk as a result of a revised blocking system. There are also timing meters for alley-oops and skill dunk attempts, but these are only available on new-generation consoles. Players who successfully complete a dunk can now commemorate their accomplishment with new celebrations that have been added to the game. There is also a Dunk Style Creator, which allows players to customize the type of dunk they want to use.
On defense, 2K has stated that it has rebuilt the shot content and blocking systems, and as a result, players will now be able to see snatch blocks and volleyball spikes, which were not previously available. NBA 2K22 also includes some enhancements to steals, with a greater emphasis placed on a specific player's steal attributes. For example, low-rated stealers will now experience slower animations, while better stealers will have greater success stealing the ball away from the offense.
This is only a small portion of what is available in the full blog post, which you should read if you want to learn everything there is to know about what's new this year. NBA 2K22 will be available on September 10 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, as well as the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch. There are some differences between the various editions of the game. Furthermore, 2K claims that player movement on defense should now feel more realistic.
