NBA 2K21

2K21 is another solid entry in the series that builds upon the great gameplay strides of the last few years. Visual Concepts has some fires to put out and hopefully that happens sooner rather than later so fans can get on to enjoying the grind.

Have we hit the ultimate ceiling for basketball simulation in terms of gameplay? Over the past five or so years, 2K has not evolved very much in how it controls. And to be fair, why should they? The current control scheme still works well and I am not sure what more innovation can be done using a modern controller. The problem that these games keep running into is that they just feel too repetitive and convoluted. Every year we get a similar MyCareer mode with an underwhelming storyline, a convoluted MyTeam mode, and an online experience that rewards those who fork over real cash. Until 2K and...

NBA 2K21 captures the see-saw flow of real-world basketball so well that you’ll feel at one with thousands of virtual fans when you nail a clutch corner three with seconds left on the clock. Visual Concepts’ simulation has, along with the MLB The Show series, always been a cut above the competition when it comes to broadcast-style presentation, and while this year’s edition looks alarmingly similar to its predecessor, it’s still very much in a league of its own.

This is a strange year for sports games, as next-gen consoles will be hitting shelves this holiday season, but most of the big franchises from Madden to NBA 2K drop new games in late summer/early fall. As a result, a slate of stop-gap current-gen sports games are being released. A “built from the ground up” Xbox Series X and PS5 version of NBA 2K21 is in the works, but in the meantime, we have the PC, Xbox One, PS4, and Stadia iteration to consider (PC players are getting current-gen visuals and features this year).

Lacking fresh ideas, NBA 2K21 feels like it's just going through the motions and is a placeholder for its next-gen counterpart.

So, to wrap things up, NBA 2K21 provides a good game of basketball, though its new skill shot system will thrill some players while frustrating others. MyTeam has had a bit of a refresh, which is nice, but MyCareer is really beginning to feel stale. Also, they both still rely too much on VC. Outside of that, there’s little to note that’s different to NBA 2K20, so owners of that might want to think twice before picking it up. Hopefully the next-gen version will offer up more incentives to stump up the cash.

NBA 2K21 still manages to capture the art of basketball, but it's largely the same dance as years past.

NBA 2K21 makes welcome improvements to its MyCareer and MyTeam modes, but the frustratingly inconsistent new shooting system and lack of changes elsewhere make it feel like it’s lost its step over other sports games.

NBA 2K20 was a fun and serious game of basketball to play. On the surface, I'm partial to the difficulty involved in shooting and the Advanced Pro Stick for NBA 2K21, as they can no doubt separate the great players from the average ones with endless combo possibilities. I like the idea of having to get better with shooting and while I've improved, the results are still too inconsistent no matter the player you have. What made last year's version great with the new MyPLAYER designs are all here, but roughly not updated. The narrative in MyCAREER is enjoyable, but leaves a gaping hole at the end...

NBA 2K21 has a plethora of things to do. Some will gravitate to MyLeague for grand-scale teambuilding in online competition. Some will play solo through MyCareer, slowly building up an NBA legend. Others will head to The Beach and spend tons of time breaking ankles and taking it to the rim in ProAms. In a year in which it would have been easy to copy and paste the last NBA 2K game, 2K21 has a lot of "new" going for it. However, once players dig deeper, additions like The Beach don't really feel any different than the old Neighborhood from previous years. And other changes, such as the shooting...

When it’s clicking, NBA 2K21 has some of the best gameplay in sports video game history. But that’s been true for several years now, and though this year’s iteration improves on a handful of things, most notably the aimed shooting mechanic, there hasn’t been much movement. At the same time, it’s a shame that 2K’s focus isn’t on the fun you can have on the court, but instead the money that can be extracted from your wallet off of the court in the MyCareer and MyTeam modes, which just aren’t fun to grind through without paying. Maybe the new set of consoles on the horizon will bring a fresh star...

NBA 2K21 suffers from the same issues that have held the series down for years. A poor MyCareer story, reused assets, shoddy servers, and an over-importance of VC/microtransactions. The one redeeming quality that NBA 2K21 can boast is its high-level gameplay. Luckily, that’s what you want most from a basketball sim.