NBA 2K21 offers the best virtual basketball experience out there, even if it still needs some tweaks to polish the gameplay and microtransactions are, once again, everywhere.
It's pretty much unchanged from last year, however. That's the deal with NBA 2K21. If you can find a way to deal with the new shooting mechanism and you don't mind some pretty bad storytelling, NBA 2K21 is great… because it's largely unchanged from last year. Or the year before. Or the year before that.
It loses a point because of
its Virtual Currency (VC) obsession, a
recurringissue in 2K games. It’s supposed
to ensure that all your actions in every
mode – career, MyTeam, even watching
2KTV – secure rewards, but they’re often
someagre that the entire game comes
across as a grind, aimed at funnelling
you towards the PS Store to part with
real cash.Please don’t do that. The only
way games like this and FIFA will change
in the next gen is if their players make a
sustainedeffort not to exchange any of their
hard-earned dosh for digital
trading cards. Otherwise this
is solid, but on that front 2K
(and EA, and the rest) must do
better. [Issue#181, p.94]
NBA 2K21 is a solid update of NBA 2K20... but with a strange and unpredictable twist. The new shooting meter is made for online competition and, in the end, follows the metagame rather the basketball flow. Maybe it's good for the pro gamers, but it feels unbalanced and frustrating for the basketball lovers.
It’s hard to escape the feeling that the current-gen version of NBA 2K21 is merely a rushed appetizer before the next-gen main course. Yes, NBA 2K21 can still be a great time, but stagnant presentation, copy-and-pasted modes and features, and new mechanics that clearly weren’t fully worked out combine to make the game feel like a half-hearted buzzer beater throwaway.
I know not to expect the world from a yearly sports title but NBA 2K21 feels like a backward step. As good as the passing and defence remains, the shooting has an unreliability the series just hasn't delivered before. Practice makes better but it doesn't seem to make perfect. The rest of the package remains fairly sound with great presentation and a swathe of modes to digest. Unfortunately, my time on the court felt compromised whenever I approached the net.
I think 2K needs to adapt to a new model, I believe that they need to stop launching the same game every year, and instead start to push towards updating the existing game every year. 2K21 is the best basket sim you’ll get to play, but I could’ve said the same on 2K20.
SummaryWith extensive improvements upon its best-in-class graphics and gameplay, competitive and community online features, and deep, varied game modes, NBA 2K21 offers one-of-a-kind immersion into all facets of NBA basketball and culture - where Everything is Game.