It's a shame that while the latest instalment in the near-universally praised NBA 2K series is certainly a highly polished and impressively deep basketball sim, it doesn't feel quite as good as its immediate predecessors.

2K13 has everything in the right place; it's undoubtedly one of the finest representations of NBA basketball that's ever been developed. Gameplay is frenetic and thrilling, and easily tweaked to forgive novice players or challenge veterans as needed. The control system offers an almost unfathomably large number of ways to outplay your opponent, while the "My Career" mode fleshes out the self-indulgent joy of guiding a created character to fame and glory in entertaining ways. Even the slick presentation, overseen by rapper Jay-Z, feels smartly placed and exciting (providing you like Jay-Z).

What seems lacking is any great leap forward. The numerous tweaks and adjustments are almost all wisely handled, but anyone with a well-worn copy of 2K12 may wind up feeling a little underwhelmed.