Deep Fear

Among the many quality horror titles lost to history, Sega’s Deep Fear definitely warrants a mention. Despite Resident Evil still being at the height of its popularity, Deep Fear’s tale of ex-Navy SEAL John Mayor as he investigates The Sea Fox submarine and Big Table facility for mysterious parasites still earned praise.

With excellent sound design and music, the latter composed by Kenji Kawai of The Ring fame, what could possibly kill the horror mood? The voice acting, unfortunately. It comes across as monotone at times and downright corny at others, marring the dialogue and any sense of tension. Plus the less said about DuBois Amalric, the designer of The Sea Fox and Big Table, the better.

2K Sports’ NBA 2K15 will be receiving a free weekend on Xbox Live Gold for the Xbox One, similar to past games like Sunset Overdrive and Forza Motorsport 5. Beginning on April 24th at 12 PM PDT/3 PM EDT, Xbox Live Gold members will be able to download and play the game until April 27th, 12:01 AM PDT/3:01 AM EDT.

According to Xbox Wire, this free weekend will grant access to the full game and any progress unlocked will carry over into the final product should you wish to purchase it. All Achievements unlocked during the free weekend will stay with you though. Those who already own NBA 2K15 on the Xbox One will also be able to pick up virtual currency for the game at a 33 percent discount throughout the free weekend.

What are your thoughts on NBA 2K15 being available for free this weekend? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more information in the coming days.

NBA 2K15 promises to be your one stop destination for all things related to basketball gaming, and, much like EA’s FIFA series of video games, promises to stay always current by updating the in game roster to reflect real world changes. However, 2K Sports seems to be taking this entire process one step ahead of EA Sports- their roster updates include not just updates to player transfers across teams, but also to what they wear, and their sponsorships.

Seriously, that’s almost entirely what consists of this newest roster update that they released today. Check it out for yourself:

Accessory Updates

• Anthony Bennett – Add right knee hex pad. Change to medium socks
• Bismack Biyombo – Remove arm band
• Bradley Beal – Change padded sleeve to arm sleeve. Add left protective wrist band. Remove compression pants. Add knee sleeves
• Brandon Knight – Remove knee sleeves
• Brandon Rush – Add left small arm band
• Brendan Haywood – Add left knee sleeve
• Brook Lopez – Change to medium long socks
• Bruno Caboclo – Remove hex pads
• Channing Frye – Remove knee sleeve. Add compression pants. Change to short socks
• Chris Bosh – Remove arm band. Remove arm sleeve
• Deron Williams – Remove compression pants
• Derrick Williams – Remove compression pants. Change to medium long socks
• E’Twaun Moore – Remove hex pads
• Glenn Robinson – Add knee sleeves
• James Young – Remove compression pants
• Jason Terry – Remove knee pad
• Javale McGee – Remove knee hex pads
• Jimmy Butler – Add left hand wrap home-white away-black
• Joe Harris – Add compression pants
• Jose Calderon – Add right arm sleeve. Add both mid calf sleeves
• Khris Middleton – Remove knee sleeves. Add compression pants
• KJ McDaniels – Remove compression pants. Add both mid calf sleeves
• Kyle Korver – Add right arm sleeve
• Kyrie Irving – Remove compression pants
• Lance Thomas – Remove hex pad
• Larry Sanders – Remove compression pants. Add knee sleeves. Change to medium double socks
• LeBron James – Add compression pants
• Lucas Noguira – Remove calf sleeve
• Mike Miller – Add right arm sleeve
• Nick Young – Add right hand wrap-black
• Nikola Mirotic – Add left arm sleeve
• Paul Millsap – Add compression pants. Add knee sleeves
• Paul Pierce – Change Small Elbow Sleeve color
• Pero Antic – Remove compression pants
• Rajon Rondo – Add headband. Remove left wrist wrap. Remove right rubberband. Remove hexpads. Add knee braces. Change to medium socks
• Rodney Stuckey – Change to medium socks
• Roy Hibbert – Change to medium double socks
• Ryan Hollins – Remove calf sleeves. Add compression pants. Change to short socks. Add both rubberbands
• Steven Adams – Add right knee hex pad
• Trevor Booker-Remove knee sleeves. Add compression pants
• Vince Carter – Remove arm sleeve

Shoe Changes

• Shawne Williams – Nike Kobe IX EM

The update should be available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, and will download automatically.

The presentation throughout NBA 2K15 is fantastic, from the menu screens and commentary to the gameplay itself. The players look eerily realistic; their faces grafted onto nicely animated figures that storm about the court with purpose. The arenas themselves look incredible too, with lights flashing and the crowd leaping up and down excitedly, just as they do in real life. Step back from the screen and you’d be forgiven for thinking this was live TV. The movement of the players is staggeringly good, with them becoming more laboured and sweaty as each match progresses.

"Besides the aesthetics, there have been numerous tweaks in terms of gameplay and it results in some impressive end to end action. The AI is improved, as are the physics.

One of the headline grabbers this year is the face scan facility, which makes use of Kinect’s technical wizardry to capture thousands of reference points so you can create a virtual you that will appear in the game. Sadly, it isn’t without its flaws and it’s highly likely that you’ll end up either with nothing to show for your efforts (the servers kept going down after my scans, which meant I lost everything and had to endure the entire process over and over) or you’ll be presented with some monstrosity that looks nothing like you.

You’re instructed to keep your head framed within a box that appears on screen that turns green when you’ve assumed the correct position. Then a counter appears and you have to remain still and expressionless with the occasional turn of the head to the left and right. It’s not a quick process by any means – and it becomes all the more frustrating when Kinect “loses” you. It’s a great idea, which unfortunately, isn’t executed too well. Still, persist and the results can be pretty decent.

Besides the aesthetics, there have been numerous tweaks in terms of gameplay and it results in some impressive end to end action. The AI is improved, as are the physics.

Attacking is intuitive and within minutes of picking up the controller you’ll be bombing down the court, creating vital space and then slamming the ball into the basket with aplomb. The new Shot Meter that sits beneath each player is a welcome addition too, offering some visual feedback as to when is best to release the ball for a shot – although you may find you spend your time looking at your players’ feet to see the guide rather than your team mates and what is happening around the rest of the court.

"2K has certainly gone collaboration crazy with this year’s edition. From Shaq providing insight from the TV studio and real players lending their vocal talents as mentors in the MyCAREER mode, to Pharrell Williams co-ordinating the soundtrack.

Defensively though, it’s a different story and you’ll no doubt find it tricky to do much to stop your opponent racking up the points. Much of my players’ time was spent flailing their arms about in an attempt to get the ball and I found it all too easy to concede fouls… which may help to explain some of the embarrassing results I suffered.

2K has certainly gone collaboration crazy with this year’s edition. From Shaq providing insight from the TV studio and real players lending their vocal talents as mentors in the MyCAREER mode, to Pharrell Williams co-ordinating the soundtrack.

Lurking within the many layers of menus, lie a load of game modes that should easily keep gamers busy until next year’s inevitable update. Solo, you can turn your hand to an quick exhibition match and dive straight into the action, or you can embark on a career in the NBA. MyCAREER lets you create a player and take them on a journey to greatness, improving performance and skills along the way. Here you can set everything from your player’s position and team to their appearance, stance, and shirt number. You start off undrafted and are given just a 10–day contract, hoping that a reasonably decent team will give you a chance to become a superstar.

And if you fancy something a bit more cerebral, then why not try out management with MyLEAGUE – lasting just one season or spanning a staggering 80 years(!) – or MyGM. The latter sees you control pretty much everything in your chosen franchise – from players, staff, monies and trades. There’s a great conversation mechanic in there as well, that lets you dictate how your club is run through varied responses.

This mode is a firm favourite and I really enjoyed simming the season and just playing the occasional game. As you progress, trade offers will come through, reporters will ask hard-hitting questions that may dent the morale of the team and you’ll have to deal with troublesome players who aren’t happy spending so much time on the bench. You can be as involved as you like regarding training schedules and tactics or assign those duties to your coaches if you prefer. The XP earned lets you choose from a selection of special badges that provide boosts and bonuses that can help the team and the finances.

"NBA 2K15 is arguably the best looking sports title out there and will certainly impress if you want to showcase your console. Thankfully, it plays well too and there’s plenty of value on the disc to make a purchase worthwhile.

Sadly the servers have been a little flaky since launch but manage to get online and there’s plenty more to keep you occupied. A new patch has just been released to address many of the issues, however, and fortunately includes improvements to the online play and the face scanning element.

In addition to the usual online league options, the pick of the bunch is MyPARK, which lets you make use of you customised character to take on all comers in street style games. The card collecting MyTEAM mode is included too – 2K’s answer to EA’s Ultimate Team in FIFA – which lets you build the best possible team and auction off unused cards, and will no doubt eat up the hours.

NBA 2K15 is arguably the best looking sports title out there and will certainly impress if you want to showcase your console. Thankfully, it plays well too and there’s plenty of value on the disc to make a purchase worthwhile. There’s nothing more satisfying than winning that vital match after finding little bit of space, then adding a sudden burst of speed and a shimmy before slamming the ball home. Give it some practice and you’ll be pulling off fakes and three pointers with ease, just like Jordan in his heyday.

This game was reviewed on the Xbox One.

Are you a fan of the bounce ball game? Yeah! Bounce the ball and win the game! 2K Games are extending a friendly offer to those of you who play your games on a PC and are in possession of a Steam Account, which, if you do play games on a PC you probably already have.

Lasting until 10AM PST on Monday the 3rd of November, gamers can get their hands on a free trial of NBA 2K15 to play around with and put through its paces. This is likely due to concerns that this game is a port of a console game and thus susceptible to performance problems. It will however should most definitely boast improved graphical fidelity lest the computer based gaming community put the boot in.

The game dropped on 8th gen platforms earlier this month and arrived on iOS as well so PC gamers are at least getting a demo before they sink their cash into it.

[Source]

The guide also includes Auction house tips for getting more gold and buying/selling players.NBA 2K15 2 is developed by Visual Concepts and is being published by 2K Games. Let us know if you have any questions in the comments section below.

Game Modes

NBA 2K15 has a selection game modes split between single player and multiplayer.

Single Player:

MyCAREER: MyCAREER allows the player to create a custom player and take on a career in the NBA. In this mode the player’s will see their character level up in skill and earn promotions and court sponsors.

The Association: The Association mode works in a similar fashion to the MyLEAGUE mode but is only available for the last generation of consoles. The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

MyLEAGUE: In MyLEAGUE the player will experience the game in a different point of view, rather than actually taking part in the games. The player will manage everything from who’s on their team, how long the game seasons are, lineup management, morale difficulty and effects, as well as their teams earnings and salaries.

 MyGM: Similar to MyLEAGUE the player will take on a management role and will be in charge of what takes place outside of the court with a focus on the actual running of the stadium.

2K HEROES: Only available for the last generation of consoles also, 2K HEROES is an online head to head game mode, in which players choose from a selection of 8 players and compete. The team who wins the most games will receive a donation by 2K games to give to a charity of their choosing.

Multiplayer:

Online Leagues: Online Leagues works as a basic head to head game mode in which players pick their favourite teams and compete against each other.

Rec Hall: Rec Hall works as an add-on to MyPARK mode whereby players can compete in a 4-quarter game with NBA rules and referees, as a 5 on 5 game, Unlike MyPARK mode these games will take place indoors similar to that of an NBA game.

Crew: Using the custom created character from MyCAREER players can form their own team and outfit and take part in a selection of street basketball games, in order to unlock other NBA players within the game.

MyTEAM: Playing as a virtual card game players build their decks and play against each other and can compete in challenges and tournaments.

MyPARK: Using the player’s custom created character from MyPLAYER mode, players can take their characters and compete with their friends by joining up with one of three park communities. This is played out as street-ball rather than the professional NBA style of play, and players can earn special perks and rank up their stats.

Stage: As a selectable mode from MyCAREER mode players can compete against each other online and wager their matches.

MyPARK Chat:

MyParkCHAT allows players to communicate with each other online when taking part in the MyPARK mode. Players will be able to text from their mobile devices when being on the same game system. This feature only works for the Xbox One and PS4 and the game system must be on the same network as the mobile device in order for this to work.

Redeeming Locker Codes:

Players who pre-ordered NBA 2K15 gain access to in-game content that can be unlocked by redeeming a code. This content is available for all platforms and the instructions are below for each system.

PC:

1. Sign into Steam with your Steam account.
2. Launch NBA 2K15 from your Game Library.
3. Follow the on screen instructions to create your MyPLAYER Account.
4. Return to the main menu and select Features/Options.
5. Navigate to Locker Codes.
6. Enter the Locker Code that was provided.
7. Your MyTEAM card should begin downloading automatically.

PS4 & PlayStation3:

1. Sign into the PSN network with your account.
2. Insert your NBA 2K15 game disc and launch the game.
3. Follow the on screen instructions to create your MyPLAYER Account.
4. Return to the main menu and select Features/Options.
5. Navigate to Locker Codes.
6. Enter the Locker Code that was provided.
7. Your MyTEAM card should begin downloading automatically.

Xbox One & Xbox 360:

1. Sign in to Xbox Live with your account.
2. Insert your NBA 2K15 game disc and launch the game.
3. Follow on screen instructions to create your MyPLAYER Account.
4. Return to the main menu and select Features/Options.
5. Navigate to Locker Codes.
6. Enter the Locker Code that was provided.
7. Your MyTEAM card should begin downloading automatically.

VC/Virtual Currency

Virtual Currency can be earned by playing through various game modes within NBA 2K15. It allows players to purchase a variety of items from the in-game store such as uniforms and equipment, animation packages that will provide your character with new moves, and apparel. VC can be used in all game modes and players can also purchase VC using real world money.

Creating a Player through MyCAREER:

Character creation allows the player to create his or her own NBA star in order to start a career in to the NBA. NBA 2K15 gives players a variety of customization options in regards to creating a player. Through the appearance section the player will be greeted with facial features such as hair styles, eye shape and colour, lip thickness, ear size, nose variations, and facial hair.

Should  the player wish to avoid all this there are a selection of presets available. In regards to bodily structure the player is able to adjust the height, weight, and muscle tone of their player, as well as body length and shoulder width. Also available from the customization menu is the choice of birth year, player nickname, player voice, on-court position, and their desired team.

It should be noted that specific player features and attributes such as height, weight, strength, and stamina should be customized and upgraded in reference to the position that the player would like their character to play on the court. There are six categories based on these attributes. For example the athletic category places a focus on standing and driving Dunk, stamina, quickness, speed, vertical, strength, and hustle.

Facial Scan:

Using the Xbox One’s Kinect or the PS4’s PlayStation camera, players can scan their own faces in to the game for the creation of custom characters.

In order to make sure the process is done correctly certain things must be undertaken, so the character doesn’t result in a mess resembling Batman’s villainous ClayFace.

Instructions:

• First off make sure you are in a well-lit room so that the camera is able to fully recognize your face for scanning.
• Make sure the camera is placed at an appropriate height and is kept steady.
• Turn your head 30 degrees left/right keeping your face inside the green box.
• It’s recommended to have your face shaven, expressions absent, and face or head gear removed.

Player Ratings:

NBA 2K15 ranks it’s playable characters according to a rating system with players being ranked on a scale up to 100. This rating system takes in to account each of their skills and traits on the court, in to an overall rating. Below is a list of the highest ranking characters.

Ratings of 80-83: 

Isaiah Thomas
Taj Gibson
Roy Hibbert
Nikola Vucevic
Nenê
Greg Monroe
Jimmy Butler
Michael Carter-Williams
Josh Smith
David West
Brandon Jennings
Andrew Bogut
Jamal Crawford
Eric Bledsoe
Bradley Beal
Nikola Pekovic
DeAndre Jordan
Marcin Gortat
Kenneth Faried
Paul Pierce
Manu Ginobili
Al Horford
Mike Conley
Brook Lopez
Andre Drummond
Rudy Gay
Klay Thompson
Andre Iguodala
Pau Gasol
Monta Ellis
Jrue Holiday
Kemba Walker
Joe Johnson
David Lee

Ratings 84-87:

Joakim Noah
Damian Lillard
Al Jefferson
Rajon Rondo
Dwyane Wade
DeMarcus Cousins
Kyrie Irving
John Wall
Kawhi Leonard
DeMar DeRozan
Marc Gasol
Kyle Lowry
Paul Millsap
Deron Williams
Goran Dragic
Chris Bosh
Serge Ibaka
Zach Randolph
Lance Stephenson
Ty Lawson

Ratings 88-91:

Chris Paul
Tim Duncan
Carmelo Anthony
Kobe Bryant
Kevin Love
Paul George
Blake Griffin
Stephen Curry
James Harden
Dwight Howard
Tony Parker
LaMarcus Aldridge
Dirk Nowitzki
Anthony Davis
Derrick Rose
Russell Westbrook

Rating 95:

Kevin Durant

Rating 98:

LeBron James

Auction House Tutorials and Tips:

Block Tutorial and Tips:

How To Buy and Sell Players:

How to get cheap gold:

Player pricing:

Complete collections and buying players:

Note: This guide will updated once we have more information about the game.

Following last year’s extremely shiny but ultimately disappointing NBA 2K14, this year’s entry, NBA 2K15, has launched today for the Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PC. According to 2K Games, this is a big game, a seminal moment in the history of the genre that will forever change what players expect from sports games.

“NBA 2K15 is one of the most ambitious sports titles in video game history,” 2K Sports executive Greg Thomas said in a statement. “We’ve surpassed our own goals to move this franchise in new directions by pushing the boundaries of both hardware and software technologies to create a game that will change what fans can expect from sports simulations.”

Said ambitions and achievements include over 6,000 on court animations, improved physics, mechanics, AI, and interactions between and among players, the court, and the ball to more realistically translate an authentic basketball experience in a game, and a new MyCareer mode. It’s all very extensive, and sounds like a dramatic overhaul, the kind that EA gave its now massive FIFA series back in 2006 with FIFA 07.

Stay tuned to GamingBolt for more news on NBA 2K15.

For all of its gorgeous next gen graphical fidelity, ultimately, NBA 2K14 fell flat as a game, and roundly disappointed basketball fans last year, who are typically used to high quality entries in the NBA 2K series, and were expecting nothing less from last year’s game. The issues were many- perceived lack of content, problems with the online functionality, and more, all of which gave the impression that a whole lot of time had been spent on the graphics, but not much else.

However, this year’s game looks awesome, and the newest trailer for NBA 2K15 should only serve to excite fans of the sport and fans of the series even more. This newest trailer, for example, boasts 6,000 new animations, and also showcases many of the top players within it.

Whether or not all of this goes towards addressing the problem with lackluster content and underwhelming online functionality remains to be seen, but it is hard to deny that, much like its predecessor, NBA 2K15 makes a hell of a first impression.

Normally, I’m screaming “Get Hyped”, but when the commentator calls someone “The Wild Thang”, I lose all semblance of genuine interest. So here for you today, we have a video straight from the NBA 2K15 folks showing you just what next years player introductions will look like.

Players take to the court with some slightly janky animations, not particularly bad but despite the fact that they players are slapping hands, and all that good stuff, it just looks super light and not very realistic at all. But commentating is solid and as long as it’s accurate and has enough variety to not loop too often, it should hold up over a decent period of time.

And though it’s not the point of the video, that court looks pretty sick. Especially those slight reflections. Quite nice indeed!

If you’re expecting something really impressive and cool, find a different video. I suggest something from [insert the name of a content creator that you enjoy here]

Visual Concepts’ NBA 2K15 will apparently have “most extensive and unique soundtrack compilation in NBA 2K franchise history” according to 2K Sports. This is because the publisher has brought on Pharrell Williams to curate the official soundtrack for the game.

Williams stated that, “It was a cool experience. I tried to curate songs that were diverse but yet still proved to be motivational to gamers. It was important to me that the music complemented the on-court action of NBA basketball in NBA 2K15. I hope everyone enjoys it.”

Williams is known for an extensive catalog of hits including Daft Punk’s Get Lucky, Robin Thicke’s Blurred Lines and his recent single Happy (which spawned way too many videos of happy people in public). There’s no denying that he’ll bring a special flavour to the game’s soundtrack when NBA 2K15 launches this October for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4 and PC. Thoughts on Pharrell’s inclusion? Let us know below.