I Played NBA The Run Early — My Honest Thoughts
Brutalsim played the beta, talked with the devs, and walks through rollback netcode, arcade gameplay, no microtransactions, and why a small Street-inspired team might matter for basketball gaming.
Why this project stands out
Brutalsim argues NBA The Run feels genuinely different — built by an 18-person team, not a 500-developer studio. Veterans who worked on NBA Street and even Battlefield are involved, using Unreal Engine 5.
He frames it as a passion project rather than a corporate checklist title built around microtransactions.
Rollback netcode promise
The biggest technical claim is true rollback netcode aimed at zero-latency online play — a priority because delayed inputs ruin sports games.
He only played beta and notes polish remains, but from the Caribbean he says sessions with distant teammates still felt reactive.
Arcade gameplay, not 2K
This is full arcade basketball, not simulation. NBA Street influence shows in flashy moves, fast pacing, and an easy pickup with real skill gap.
He admits his own beta footage looks basic because teammates carried him while he learned controls on PC without full button prompts.
Defense and modes
Defense matters — shoves, blocks, and steals are chaotic but you never feel useless on D. KO Squads 3v3 tournaments, KO Solos where you control all three players, and KO Friends private brackets up to 48 players are highlighted.
Shoot around and offline CPU modes are mentioned; he hopes more modes arrive or pricing reflects the launch scope.
Progression without pay-to-win
Monetization at launch: no pay-to-win, no packs, no loot boxes. Cred is earned in-game only for cosmetics like banners, taunts, and animations.
He respects the anti-2K positioning but says he'll be honest about shortcomings at release.
Edited from Brutalsim Da Guru's video narration. Wording follows the original subtitles.
