Since its debut, the Mafia series has steadily marched forward through the decades – the original is set in the 1930s, its sequel spans the ’40s and ’50s, and Mafia III unfolds during the late ’60s.

In many ways, Visual Concepts’ long-running NBA 2K series mirrors the careers of players it works so hard to emulate. Sometimes, it’s a flash of potential: a hotshot rookie catching fire after putting ...