Sports games are forever getting flak for many different issues, primarily the claim that they hardly ever change from year to year. In many cases, this statement can prove to be pretty accurate, but not in the case of 2K Sports' NBA 2K8. Following in the footsteps of its 2K7 predecessor, NBA 2K8 contains additions and improvements in nearly every aspect of the game. Aside from the usual updates in the graphics department and the minor tweaks here and there, 2K8 offers more gameplay depth than any other basketball game ever before.

 NBA 2K8 contains numerous game modes that add a lot more to its overall value. New modes include the slam dunk contest and three-point shootout. Of course, old favorites return such as 21 (which is part of the new NBA Blacktop mode) and the most noteworthy game mode, Association, which puts you in the place of a team's general manager -- managing rosters, practice schedules, trades, etc. A key to Association mode's great success is the improved player-morale system, which now gives players personalities, roles and sub-roles. A player's morale affects his performance on and off the court.

What gives the game most of its depth are its robust online capabilities. From the little things to the big, no detail was spared. At the bottom of the screen is a news ticker that updates you with sports headlines nationwide, and making a welcomed return are the online tournaments and leagues that support up to 30 people. Lag in games online is pretty minimal, but existent nonetheless.

Controls are very much similar to earlier installments, if not identical, save for the new lock-on D and off-ball controls. Lock-on D works by using the right analog stick while on defense to allow you to play tighter up on the ball handler and run more complex defensive plays. It's an interesting feature, but it doesn't feel like it belongs in a basketball sim of this caliber. It makes playing defense significantly easier, and it's something that could definitely be improved for next year's game. To put it simply, it pretty much allows any player, regardless of his defensive statistics, to play impenetrable D, and this just isn't the case in real life.

The off-ball controls, on the other hand, work fantastically. They give you the ability to get other players open on the court and run different offensive plays that allow you to gain a quick bucket. You can now switch off the ball handler to other players on the court in order to call for alley-oops, set picks, or post up.

The game's visuals are nothing groundbreaking, but they are noticeably improved, especially crowds and player animations. No longer are arenas jam-packed with thousands of emotionless cardboard cutouts. Spectators now have more detail than ever, and they react appropriately to what goes on in the game. Also, every player has been redone to improve likenesses to their real-life counterpart. While this proves true for some players, such as Kobe Bryant (who bears an astonishing resemblance to the real Lakers star), it makes other players look like they were kept under a bridge for one too many days.

The series' animation system has been completely revamped using Visual Concepts' new foot-planting technology, which allows for more realistic player movements. The system is oriented much more on real-life physics. To perform different moves, players must use their momentum and plant their feet, which is a world of difference when compared to the old IsoMotion system that allowed you to perform ridiculous dribble moves. However, the animations don't end there. That's because Visual Concepts also focused on creating a more authentic basketball simulation by implementing more signature moves and shots. But because of this new and improved technology, animations are much chunkier, deviating from the smooth, fluid motions that IsoMotion produced.

2K8's audio is what you'd come to expect from a basketball game -- perfectly fine sound effects thrown in with mediocre play-by-play coverage. It gets the job done, but we would have liked to see some more improvement in this field. One thing that was noticeably better was, again, the crowd, which now boos when it should, cheers when it should and goes wild when the game gets into crunch time. Other than that, there isn't much to report on about this facet of the game.

Speaking of play-by-play (which is offered up by Kenney Smith, Kevin Harlan and Craig Sager), the post-game show is a feature that really shines in NBA 2K8. After a game ends, not only are you shown stats and the game's MVP, but also replays of that MVP and the top three plays of the game. And, as if that wasn't enough, you can go through a list of every player and watch their highlights from the game.