In terms of gameplay, a 2K game has never felt smoother, though 2K8 still has minor issues that hamper the experience. Sometimes a player will shoot a blown lay-up, even outside of traffic, and miss it completely or take a shot so bad that even the announcers will wonder what the hell he was doing. Furthermore, the artificial intelligence will occasionally become superhuman, nailing an otherwise impossible shot or forcing a player into a "trap", where an intercept is more than likely.

Other than that, the game plays damn near perfectly. The addition of Signature Style really lets you put a personal touch on the game, as you can customize dunks and moves that are more your speed. Better yet, the transition between movements shows significant improvement. A player goes from a defensive stance with a defender on his back into a rim-rattling dunk without going through a misplaced animation or a "how did he skip through time" moment. The defense is right on the money, although skillful players like Kobe and Steve Nash still dominate the paint. Offensively, the game shows improvement with post-play (for better scoring opportunities) and Off-Ball Control, which makes it simple to call for alley-oops in the zone. Combined with the already excellent engine from last year's release, it just makes the 2K basketball experience feel more complete.

Although it still needs work in some areas, Visual Concepts has the presentation nailed down pat for the third year in a row. The players look fantastic, with finer attention to transition animations and superb details, like Carmelo's cornrows and Baron Davis' ultra-thick beard. Even smaller things, like quick high-fives on the court or the occasional brush with a defensive player, are quite noticeable. Arenas play a huge part in the game as well, with lively crowds, perfect lighting effects (the shadows and glimmer off the wood floors are insanely close to the real deal) and glowing electronic billboards. Some characters look better than others, though. The coaches, for instance, resemble plastic dolls rather than actual people.