Play By Play Studios wanted to make a streetball game that felt like the old NBA Street classics. And in a lot of ways, they pulled it off. NBA The Run handles well. The controls are smooth. The cel-shaded art style channels that early 2000s energy. But there’s one problem that’s hard to ignore, and it might be a dealbreaker for a certain kind of fan.
The game is online only. No offline mode. No local multiplayer. If your internet goes down, you can’t play the thing you paid for. And if you wanted to have a friend over for a couch game the way we all did with NBA Street Vol. 2, you’re out of luck. That decision feels like a fundamental misunderstanding of what made those old games stick around for years.
Let’s back up. NBA The Run started as a project called The Run: Got NXT with fictional characters. At some point the team secured a licensing deal with the NBA and NBPA, so now you’ve got over 30 real NBA players alongside original characters like Destiny Jackson, El Gigante, and Spin Cycle. Bobbito Garcia, the original NBA Street announcer, is back too. That’s the kind of nostalgia bait that works.
The roster sits at about 40 characters when you count rookie variants and the fictional crew. That’s not massive compared to NBA Street Vol. 2’s 100-plus, but Play By Play Studios is an indie operation. They worked fast to get NBA players in the game after originally planning a roster of made-up characters. That deserves some credit.
How the game actually plays
Each character has a zone ability that charges up as you build momentum. Use it at the right moment and you can swing a possession. Steph Curry is automatic from deep. Wembanyama and Kawhi lock down on defense. There’s a practice mode where you can test everybody before committing to a lineup. You can run three of whoever you want. No restrictions.
The core mode is tournaments. You pick Knockout Squads, where you control one player with two teammates. Or Knockout Solos, where you control all three. Or private games with friends. Each tournament match throws different rule modifiers at you — different point values, different win conditions. That keeps it from feeling completely samey.
And the controls genuinely feel good. Shooting, passing, movement, blocking. There are four types of advanced dunks, four ankle breaker animations, multiple defensive options. The stamina system forces you to pick your spots. You can’t just sprint and spam moves forever. There’s a skill ceiling.
Where it falls short
But here’s the thing. After a few tournament runs, you’ve seen most of what the game offers. The lack of variety in modes starts to wear. No pickup game option. No exhibition mode. Just tournaments. And if you’re playing with randoms who don’t use mics, the whole experience can feel hollow. Some teammates just jack up threes and never pass. That part hasn’t changed since online gaming began.
The audio is minimal. One menu song, decent sound effects on the court, and Garcia’s voice making callbacks to the old days. It’s fine. The cel-shaded character models look good up close but don’t always blend with the more realistic court backgrounds. That’s a minor complaint though. Visuals matter less when the gameplay is solid.
Play By Play Studios says more content is coming post-launch. Maybe that fixes some of this. But right now, NBA The Run feels like a game with a solid foundation that’s missing a few key pieces. It’s fun in spurts. It’s not the full package.
Should you buy it?
If you’re a hardcore NBA fan who loves online 3v3 and doesn’t care about playing offline or with a friend on the same couch, you’ll probably get your money’s worth. If you were hoping for a true successor to NBA Street that you could fire up at a party or play when the wi-fi goes out, you might want to wait and see what updates bring.
Score: 7/10. The bones are good. The game just needs more meat on them.
Leave a Comment