Visuals once again shine. The game runs at a smooth framerate and everything is packed with details. Arenas are alive with active crowds and all of the little visual touches you would find at a real game. As small as it may seem, one of the real standout visual elements was the court floor, which has just enough shine to look impressive. Even the player animations are smooth and look great. The only noticeable visual problems are the massive clipping issues. Players will routinely reach through other players or even pass through them.
If you played last year's game, you'll remember that play-by-play wasn't anywhere to be found. This year, play-by-play makes a return with mixed results. The voicework is done, though at the same time some of the calls are outright goofy. Sometimes the announcer will randomly call out "insights" about how the game is going that have nothing to do with what is actually happening in the game. For example, a team can be leading by twenty with under a minute left and he'll call it like it was a two point game.
