NBA2K21 Next Gen Preview
You’ve followed every basket of the regular season, you’ve watched every minute of the playoffs, and now as the finals approach, you’ve studied every aspect of the teams, from player form to the best sports odds on the outcome. There’s nothing more you can do but wait for the main event.
But if you can’t wait that long for the big final, you can always recreate it for yourself with NBA2K21, the latest version of the hugely popular basketball video game. Already established as far and away the best sports simulator around, NBA2K has been reworked from the ground up and the results are truly astonishing – in the game play at least.
Welcome improvements
While much of the game will be familiar to regular players, with just minor tweaks here and there, the next gen version of NBA2K21 does have some significant improvements. Built from scratch to take full advantage of the powerful next generation games machines, such as the PS5 and Xbox series X, the gameplay looks smoother and is more responsive than ever before.
Dribbling is fluid, contact is more realistic, and the new stick shooting adds a fresh dimension to the game. This last upgrade may take a little while to master, but it is well worth it. Visually and viscerally, NBA2K gets closer and closer to the real game with every new release, with incredible details, not just on the court, but all around it too. Even the trainers and coaches mill around the courtside just like they do during a real game, and the realistic crowd add a compelling atmosphere.
As women’s sports progress toward the mainstream, it is good to see NBA2K21 moving with the times. The new version adds The W and lets you generate WNBA MyPlayer characters for the first time, bringing the women’s game into the spotlight at last.
Some residual niggles
Despite having been around for over two decades, and having significantly more processing power from the next gen consoles, it’s a shame that so many of the long standing faults of the game remain. For example, some of your AI teammates’ moves still make no sense at all, while other issues, such as ball tangibility, inconsistent renders and clipping, persist. This will be a disappointment to many players, and some may wonder whether it is worth upgrading at all. Nonetheless, NBA2K21 still delivers an astonishingly realistic sports experience that games like Madden NFL Football and FIFA can only dream of.
Beyond the court
Beyond the court, NBA2K offers a richer and more compelling world than any other game. MyGM, My League and MyLeague Online have been combined into My NBA, and the Neighbourhood has been expended to become The City, a vast cosmopolitan region of shops and mini games which reportedly takes 45 minutes to walk around.
Unfortunately, it is when it turns itself away from the courts that NBA2K21 lets itself down, with far too much emphasis on virtual currency. To be fair, you can graft away to earn this, but the expectation is that you will take the easy route and purchase virtual currency with real money. This just makes the game appear more like a moneymaking machine designed for the shareholders than a great sports simulator designed for the fans.
In the end, this blatant cash grab leaves a sour taste in the mouth, when the improvements to the basketball itself should leave you salivating for more. NBA2K21 looks and feels fantastic, offering a truly immersive on court experience, but exactly who this experience is designed for is becoming more and more blurred with every new edition.