Elton Brand has just ordered me to carry his suitcase onto the Atlanta Hawks team bus. I politely tell Elton that he can go fuck himself. He stands there scowling at me, and informs me that this isn’t over, and that rookies like me should be ‘more respectful’. No, I’m not having some kind of basketball-themed cheese-dream. I’m playing the🃏 new My Career mode in NBA 2K14 next-gen, and it’s… bizarre.

Visual Concepts has made some significant changes to NBA 2K14 for next-gen. I’ll ret🦄urn to the My Career, and other mode stuff, in a minute--but first: how does it look, and how does it actually play? Well, the first thing you’ll notice is the fact that it's incredi🐼bly gorgeous. Crowds are now much more varied, advertising screens reflect beautifully onto the hardwood, and players look eerily lifelike. Some are better likenesses than others--Derrick Rose and Kevin Durant are highlights--but on the whole it’s amazing to see how realistic they look. It’s great to see legendary players recreated in such detail too.

Animations and collision physics are improved too. Players now transition more smoothly from one animation to the next, which makes you feel more in control of everything you do. There’s a real game of cat and mouse every time you try to stop a nippy point-guard like Jrue Holiday driving to 🌊the basket, because every bump and shove feels more natural. As a result, the whole game feels quicker and more urgent.