Why I Think Current Gen NBA 2K25 is BETTER Then Next Gen NBA 2K25

“I just want to hoop” will be a recurring theme in our NBA 2k25 Current gen review. Those five words have become the cornerstone of the complaints many true ballers have had about NBA 2K since the infamous “City” was introduced.

First making its appearance in NBA 2K22, The City has been one of the most underwhelming additions in sports gaming history. Low frame rates, NPCs moving in slow motion, ps2 era graphics, non-existent physics, and buildings you can’t interact with were staples of this “bustling” city.

In NBA 2K25, The City is back again on Next Gen, which is frustrating for true ballers because 2K developers keep saying that this game was based on community feedback more than ever.

The funny thing is what they are saying is true, but to me that’s only because of the Current Gen version of the game, which sounds crazy I know, but stick with me here as I explain why.

This year, the Current Gen version of NBA 2K25 has been mostly a mystery to the gaming community. It was not promoted even a little bit by 2K’s marketing team, and that’s okay because believe me when I tell you that it might be one of the best NBA 2Ks ever made.

Why I Think the Current Gen NBA 2K25 is Better than Next Gen NBA 2K25

Exhibit A: Current Gen NBA 2K25 Park

The Current Gen version of NBA 2K25 is like the Next Gen version, but it cuts out all the unnecessary fat and new “innovations” that have actually made gameplay worse. This version of the game seems to have been made for the people who have been telling 2K developers over and over again, “I just want to hoop.”

When you first fire up the game, you’ll immediately notice it has a completely different vibe than the Next Gen version. In the Current Gen NBA 2K25, it has a high school basketball gym theme going on, which is perfect.

This vibe gets even better after you set up MyCareer and are loaded into the park. Unlike the Next Gen version, Current Gen actually looks like a place you would go and hoop in real life.

It looks like an actual basketball park, very similar to the legendary park from NBA 2K20. You’ll really like how your character spawns right beside the 3v3 courts.

For years now, true hoopers have told 2K developers that no one wants to hoop in a pirate ship or in some kind of factory with 50-foot giant robots.

Not to mention the overly colorful courts that make it hard to see the basketball.

Every year it seems more and more like the next gen game is being made for the Fortnite crowd.

All of that is nowhere to be found in the Current Gen version, with every environment looking like a gym or actual basketball park.

Even the MyCourt seems better in my opinion, considering it has a balcony you can actually walk out to and get a nice view of the city.

It’s not just the Park and overall presentation that makes the Current Gen NBA 2K25 better than the Next Gen version; it’s also the gameplay.

Exhibit B: Current Gen NBA 2K25 Gameplay vs. Next Gen

Would I sound crazy if I told you that I believe Next Gen NBA 2K has become realistically unrealistic? Yes, I know those words contradict each other, but in this instance, they complement each other in the worst way.

The Next Gen version of the game introduced an alleged different engine that was aimed at making movement seem “realistic”. This led to a system that makes your player feel like they are moving in mud, swimming through water, or ice skating around the court.

This feels more evident than ever in NBA 2K25 Next Gen, despite the fact it’s supposed to be more “realistic” than ever.

What this has actually led to is a game that feels clunky and unresponsive, with a weird floatiness when characters jump in the air. Layups in the Next Gen version look more awkward than ever.

True fast breaks are still almost non-existent due to the engine, and it legitimately feels like you’re playing an NHL game at times with the way it feels like your character is skating around the court.

NBA 2K25 Current Gen doesn’t seem to have this issue. If you play the game after playing the Next Gen counterpart, you’ll immediately notice that it just “feels” better to move your character around the court.

Input seems way more responsive, your character moves faster, and you can actually “stop” on a dime to a higher degree.

It seems like movement in the Current Gen version is a perfect mix of the dribbling system from NBA 2K24 Next Gen with the movement of NBA 2K20. That combination so far feels like I’m playing what could end up being a legendary NBA 2K once people realize how great the gameplay is.

As crazy as it sounds, the Next Gen movement seems outdated compared to the Current Gen movement system, which is a true paradox of realistic becoming unrealistic.

Take a look at how YouTube Cheeseaholic reacted to playing the current gen version of the game for the first time, after putting in hours with next gen version.

If you ever wondered what NBA 2K20 would be like, with NBA 2K23 Next Gen’s finishing system and NBA 2K24 Next Gen’s dribbling system, you might want to check out 2K25 Current Gen.

In my opinion it is legitimately a better core gameplay experience than the Next Gen version. It has all the OG game modes, such as REC, 3v3 Walk-On, 1v1 Walk-On, ProAM, Park courts, MyCourt, MyCareer, MyGM, Ante Up, and a new mode called Rivals that teams you up with NBA players.