NBA 2K20 Game Review | Common Sense Media

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Parents' Guide to

NBA 2K20 Game Nintendo Switch , PlayStation 4 , Windows , Xbox One 2019

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 8 Reviews
• Kids Say 26 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

By Jeff Haynes , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 10+

Basketball sim gets new content, but tech issues limit fun.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that NBA 2K20 is the latest installment in the long-running basketball sports simulation franchise on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Windows PCs. The game doesn't include any inappropriate content, but players can be exposed to offensive comments in online play. The most significant…

Why Age 10+? Products & Purchases

This is the latest installment in the long-running sports franchise. Tons of log

Violence & Scariness

Fouling another player is the extent of violence that can be committed. Otherwis

Language

"Damn" and "hell" occaisonally pop up in dialogue. Online multiplayer is unmoder

Sex, Romance & Nudity Not present

Cheerleaders are shown in short shorts and tank tops on the court, but they're n

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking Not present Any Positive Content? Positive Messages

Gameplay focuses on teamwork, working towards goals, and improving yourself thro

Ease of Play

Players have to focus on improving their athlete's individual stats in different

Positive Role Models

Most players are based on real-life counterparts, most of whom are positive role

• Parents Need to Know

  Parents need to know that NBA 2K20 is the latest installment in the long-running basketball sports simulation franchise on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Windows PCs. The game doesn't include any inappropriate content, but players can be exposed to offensive comments in online play. The most significant concern parents might have is the amount of branding continually being pushed throughout the game, including Nike, Gatorade, Beats, Express clothes, and more. Players negotiate contracts to be ambassadors of these brands in the MyCareer portion of the game, gaining virtual fans as a side effect of these promotions. Players will earn in-game credits by playing the game, which can be used to upgrade a created athlete's stats, buy new clothing or gear, or earn new players for their created teams by purchasing card packs. Gamers are pushed to purchase money to accelerate their progress through the game, and it also dives heavily into casino-styled item spins and pachinko-like peg boards to earn new items. It is also sold in multiple versions which offer varying degrees of content.

• Products & Purchases

  a lot

  This is the latest installment in the long-running sports franchise. Tons of logo placement in menus, arenas, career mode neighborhood, and more. Brands include Gatorade, Beats, Nike, Under Armour, Jordan, etc. Players are presented multiple options to become a spokesperson for and face of companies in career mode. Players can also spend real cash to upgrade their teams and players. Multiple ways to earn cards and in-game credits which feel more casino-like than previous years. Three separate versions of the game are offered with different amounts of content.

• Violence & Scariness

  very little

  Fouling another player is the extent of violence that can be committed. Otherwise, you can get hit by a dodgeball, but that's all in fun.

  Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

  Get started Close

• Language

  very little

  "Damn" and "hell" occaisonally pop up in dialogue. Online multiplayer is unmoderated, which could possibly expose players to inappropriate content.

  Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

  Get started Close

• Sex, Romance & Nudity

  none

  Cheerleaders are shown in short shorts and tank tops on the court, but they're not focused upon or sexualized. Their dance routines can be skipped as well, to get back to the on-court action.

  Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

  Get started Close

• Positive Messages

  a lot

  Gameplay focuses on teamwork, working towards goals, and improving yourself through hard work. The career mode involves personal sacrifice and standing up for your beliefs against what seems wrong and unjust. Players can choose to be self-centered, but many reactions are clearly weighted toward being a team player that works well with others.

• Ease of Play

  some

  Players have to focus on improving their athlete's individual stats in different categories, making him a more useful player on the court. Unless you're willing to pay for credits to make your character powerful at the start, you'll spend a lot of time playing games in single player matches or online games to earn credits to improve your stats. Mastering the shooting timing will take practice and luck to sink shots. This year, dribbling has been enhanced as well, leading to more fake steps, spins, and other options to get around opponents.

• Positive Role Models

  a little

  Most players are based on real-life counterparts, most of whom are positive role models. Career mode focuses on a star athlete that sits out of a championship game after a teammate is injured and thrown off his college team, preferring to fight for his friend even if it means sacrificing his possible future success or chances in the NBA. Players can become jerks, but you're clearly pushed to be a positive player.

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NBA 2K20

Parent and Kid Reviews

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• Parents Say (8)
• Kids Say (26)

age 10+

Based on 8 parent reviews

See all 8 parent reviews age 8+

Based on 26 kid reviews

Kids say the game offers a fun basketball experience with various modes, although many reviews express concerns about excessive microtransactions and simulated gambling that detract from gameplay. While it is generally enjoyable and suitable for sports fans, the complexity of controls and possible online interactions raise caution for younger players and their guardians.

• fun gameplay
• microtransactions issue
• suitable for fans
• complex controls
• online caution

Summarized with AI

See all 26 kid reviews

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Pass

Meets our minimum requirements for privacy and security practices.

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Does not meet our recommendations for privacy and security practices.

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Does not have a privacy policy and should not be used.

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What's It About?

NBA 2K20 is the latest installment in the long running sports basketball simulation, and features lots of new content and features across virtually every single game mode. Ten new legendary teams have been added to more than hundred team roster from multiple eras of the sport, fleshing out dream team squads and competitions so gamers can discover who the best players of all time happened to be. This year also includes all 12 WNBA teams and unique broadcast team for those head to head matchups across Play Now and Season modes. 2K20 also revamps the shooting and dribbling controls in all modes to make the action more dynamic, and even ties some of the gameplay to a revamped badge system where players can lock down opposing athletes with their defense, improve their success with jump shots, and many more options. The MyTeam mode has added new tweaks to the Triple Threat game challenge, as well as evolving player cards that improve their stats as players accomplish certain tasks during games, such as scoring a certain number of points. Some cards and game modes will also have limited time challenges to earn some upgrades as well. The MyCareer mode returns as well, with a new story, "When the Lights Shine the Brightest." Focusing on Che, a young basketball player and captain of his team in his senior year at Bay City College. Instead of leaving school early to be drafted by an NBA team, Che sticks around until his senior league. But when a younger player is injured and kicked off the team before a championship game, Che decides to sit out and sacrifice his chances at a guaranteed place in the league to make a stand and bring attention to the injustices on his team. Can the player lead Che through the draft, and will his decisions for his teammate come back to haunt his chances at success in the league?

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Is It Any Good?

Our review: Parents say (8 ): Kids say (26 ):

This year's installment of basketball is one of the biggest yet, but its old issues, some of which seem larger than ever, keep this from being a total slam dunk. There's plenty of new content added into NBA 2K20 this year across virtually every single mode. For example, for the first time in franchise history, players can choose one of the 12 WNBA squads and play a quick match or season with those teams. It's a nice addition that rounds out the professional simulation of basketball in North America, and could be expanded in future years. You'll also pick up on some adjusted elements to on-court play, such as a revamped dribble system to help ball carriers break ankles before driving the lane or kicking the ball out for a quick jump shot on the perimeter from an open teammate. MyTeam returns with a dynamic card evolution of players by completing goals in challenges, which gives an additional test to your on-court play. Finally, MyCareer has been updated with an original story, where players are cast as Che, a college athlete that endangers his draft stock when he protests the championship game for his school after an injured teammate is kicked off his team. While there's very little question that Che will get drafted, his impact on the league is up to the player and their skill. Fortunately, some tweaks have been made, such as improving the training sessions in your team facility and the Gatorade center to improve your on-court play in a more substantive way, with larger sessions and stat bonuses that last up to an actual week.

Even so, the career mode is somewhat thin – connections you make and people you talk to in the prologue rarely come back or impact the day to day action of your character. For instance, your roommate in the prologue gets no acknowledgement, apart from a quick line by the announcers when you play his team. In some ways, it highlights the consistent issue of My Career, which is spending money to improve your created character. While there are a lot of ways to earn bonus credits and items (some of which feel right at home in a Las Vegas casino), the truth of the matter is that unless you're willing to sink lots of time playing games to earn cash, you'll have to spend money to make your player even slightly competitive on the court. Worse, unless you're perfect with your shot meter every single time, you'll need to spend a lot of credits on improving your shot stats. Also, you'll have to select badges that boost your shooting chances, thereby weakening your characters in other areas if you want any chance of consistently making a shot outside of taking a layup. Finally, there are other technical issues that haven't been ironed out yet, like a surprising amount of network disconnection issues in the middle of online games. That's not to say that NBA 2K20 doesn't look great or play well, but the ball is a bit flatter and doesn't bounce as well as you'd hope, even with all of this expanded content.

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Talk to Your Kids About ...

• Families can talk about consumerism in sports games like NBA 2K20. Does the inclusion of logos add to the realism, or are they only being used to push products? Is there a reason for there to be a logo on every street corner in the game? Do you feel uncomfortable with an athlete that you create being a spokesperson for different products?

• How well does NBA 2K20 mirror the sport? Are there some elements in the game or in its various modes that you won't find on a real court?

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Game Details

• Platforms : Nintendo Switch , PlayStation 4 , Windows , Xbox One
• Pricing structure : Paid
• Available online? : Available online
• Publisher : 2K Sports
• Release date : September 6, 2019
• Genre : Sports
• Topics : Friendship
• ESRB rating : E for Mild Language
• Last updated : October 9, 2025

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Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

NBA 2K20

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