NBA The Run reviewed by Nico Vergara on PC, also available on Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5.
NBA The Run plays more like a distant descendant of the NBA Street series than a successor, which isn’t a bad thing. Although the two share certain traits, like their curated roster of NBA stars and street legends, an ample rotation of carefully crafted courts, and the sultry, ever-present vocals of DJ Bobbito Garcia, The Run’s core principle of online, run-and-gun action over the classic single-player arcade approach makes it a much more exciting and enticing present-day package than its predecessors. Unfortunately, its emphasis on pushing you through a steady flurry of quick matches is also where its biggest weakness lies. While this modern, run-it-up style might work for the first several runs, the games played, highlights made, and championships secured all eventually blur together, turning the excitement of those first title wins old much too soon. That means I was usually ready to pack up and head home before the lights were too low to see the rim, but these runs are still undoubtedly enjoyable in short bursts, and I’m eager to see how future updates might pull me back in for a few more.