Recording dialogue from every player in the NBA, though, is a near-impossible task, so while this halfway house is a little unsettling, it’s understandable. The worst part, however, is the way that actual players and coaches can’t speak at all (because they haven’t been voice captured)-so while you chat to team mates, they stand staring at you like a dead-eyed serial killer while their portion of the conversation appears as a subtitle on the bottom of the screen. It’s a real shame that old-game dialogue has been retro-fitted into this next-gen presentation. Your character still has that generic voice that doesn’t quite fit any face, and for all the fancy new presentation, post-game press conference questions and pre-draft interviews are virtually identical to those in 2K13 and 2K12. However, for every neat little scene, there’s an immersion-ruining let-down.

There are some neat moments, like when your agent pops round to your flat for a game of NBA 2K (so self-referential), or when you see your character fretting for their career at the draft ceremony. It’s a natural extension of the traditional career mode, and adds heaps of depth to the concept of ‘having a career in the NBA’, so the intention is admirable. Your character (I called mine Bagpipe Outlaw) now appears in cut-scenes where he chats to his agent, talks smack with rivals, and even drives to the stadium in his car. My Career-the series’ most popular aspect of the game-has been transformed into a soap opera. Which brings us neatly back to the modes. The pacing is different too-My Career on current-gen just throws you straight in, whereas PS4’s career mode tells a tale about your first game, your draft, your team-mate friendships etc.

While My Career is all menus, messages, and waxwork David Stern on PS3 and 360, the next-gen version of 2K14 has brand-new cut-scenes and a proper story.

Nba 2k14 ps4