Review for NBA 2K21. Game for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Google Stadia, the video game was released on 04/09/2020
Version for PlayStation 5 from 12/11/2020
Version for Xbox Series X from 10/11/2020
How strange the world is: we never expected to see the arrival on the market of a sports title with the old season still largely underway, but this year, with NBA 2K21 it really happened. Thanks to the numerous problems that have upset the world and clearly also the universe of the most loved and followed professional league in the world, the arrival of chapter number 21, for obvious reasons related to the imminent arrival of the next-gen, will be fundamentally transitional. and received a rather shy reception. Considering also a demo that highlighted all the will of Visual Concepts to play for savings, limiting itself to filing down some details and postponing the real news to the new version, at least from a technical and gameplay point of view in an absolute sense, the most exciting therefore concern the methods, which have always been a real triumph in terms of quantity and diversification.
Net of all the doubts of the eve, however, from fans of the ball in wedges and of the NBA, as well as from great fans of the Lakers (currently engaged in the Playoffs) we sled with great curiosity in testing firsthand what this current gen version can offer and, after having gutted it far and wide, we are ready to take stock as thoroughly as possible.
Sure, if you are looking for important news you are probably in the wrong place, but the "new" mode MyTeam, a MyCareer different in conception and development and some small improvements scattered here and there could be sufficiently valid reasons to buy the game also on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC, perhaps in version Mamba Forever, which will also guarantee a copy of the next-gen versions "free of charge".
Beware, though: micro transactions are still there, and they could “hurt” players, especially those who don't use them.
The "new" MyTeam: more "Ultimate" than ever!
If, as we had already anticipated, in terms of novelties relating to gameplay and graphics, this NBA 2K21 can be considered in all respects very similar to the previous chapter, the bulk of the work of Visual Concepts and 2K was reserved for the main modes , magazines to get closer and closer to the taste of gamers. Without fail, among these, MyTeam stands out, that slice of the game, to the FIFA Ultimate Team that clearly distances itself from reality and allows players, through a now super familiar Trading Card system, to create their own team. Among legends of the past, different versions of current talents and unforgettable champions who left us too soon (see Kobe), MyTeam has undoubtedly represented the fulcrum of the play experience in recent years - although not free from various problems - and for this reason it has received particular attention in the development phase of this delicate and, at least on current gen, transition chapter. The "new" MyTeam, without renouncing its identity, significantly extends its horizons, becoming for the players not only an occasional "pastime", but also assuming the characteristics of a game as a service in all respects, thanks to the introduction of a mechanic already more than appreciated on other shores: the Seasons.
As happened with FIFA 20, NBA 2K21 also throws the dynamic of seasonal rewards into the fray, to be unlocked through a series of challenges, actually some of which are very difficult and feasible only in the long term, essential to keep the interest and desire to play of virtual players always high. Although it may seem nothing revolutionary, and on a practical level in fact it really is, the introduction of Seasons significantly increases the depth of a very popular mode, but also in the long repetitive and stale and above all the prerogative of the most fortunate, those, to be clear, in the conditions of being able to buy currency in game in exchange for real money, very useful to strengthen their team with a few simple steps.
The seasonal rewards, on the other hand, try to close this gap, in truth without much success, but they are still a fundamental introduction to make the experience more satisfying and long-lasting. To advance with the levels it is necessary to complete different objectives, divided between daily, weekly and clearly seasonal and at each unlocked level the player will receive partial rewards, some of them also very interesting. To give you an example, by achieving the level 6 we unlocked a guaranteed ruby pack, in which we found one of the strongest players both in the game and in reality, Luka Doncic.
This system makes the MyTeam potentially more balanced and meritocratic, at least in intentions, since the difference with those who can afford the quick purchase of MT (the virtual currency of the MyTeam) is still very high. On the first day we have already faced online teams made up of Ruby, Amethyst players and with very high overall, which, let's not hide, has thrown us a little in despair. Overall pbut we cannot hide that the presence of the objectives has given us a desire to play at MyTeam that we have not felt for years and, in this respect, 2K and Visual Concepts have hit their target.
But if you are part of the most competitive ranks, perhaps even without spared any expense, the developers have thought of you too. Taking a cue from the Weekend League of the little boy of Electronic Arts, in NBA 2K21 the mode debuts MyTeam Limited, a competition that, in fact, takes place over the weekend and compares the strongest players in the world, with ever greater and decidedly interesting rewards. To access this mode you must meet the minimum requirements, which may not like, but at least it makes the experience less frustrating for players who are more casual and less willing to spend large amounts and immediately to get on with the "work".
And, finally, we want to signal the arrival of the feature The Exchange. Once again squinting at EA, the developers have coined a variant of the SBC (Pink Creation Challenges) in which it is possible to exchange cards in excess or otherwise unwanted for various reasons in exchange for new, powerful players. This feature, however, at the moment is strongly unbalanced, since even the smallest possible reward has a very high entry price, and we hope that it can be revised, perhaps over the next few weeks.
A new (?) Adventure
Hand in hand with MyTeam, highly anticipated at the gate as the bearer of great news, we find the My Career mode, this year called to replicate and perhaps improve the good result of last year. While it is pleasant, 2K and Visual Concepts have decided to profoundly change the shot, trying to bring a strong variation on the theme to the screen, only half succeeding. The new career will not put us in the shoes of the usual predestined or the superfine talent of the moment, but lets us wear the shoes of a young man crushed by the blazon of an important surname and harnessed in a life that is anything but simple, even at a sporting level.
While remaining entangled, and we did not have many doubts about it, in the network of clichés and situations typical of American films on the subject, the story of NBA 2K21 branches out in a different way than in the past, making it more pleasant to follow and more interesting overall. .
Follow the evolution of our "Junior", which can be created as usual with all possible customizations, thanks to the sumptuous creation editor, it is decidedly more exciting than in the past, thanks also to the choice of the developers to focus more on basketball played, significantly limiting the number of games compared to the previous iterations of the brand. cut scene and focusing more on the playful aspect of the production.
After choosing the role and selecting the most congenial archetype for your tastes, through a very numerous list, but still devoid of news compared to last year's chapter, it's time to earn a place in basketball with sweat and effort. that matters, not so obvious for a player anything but predestined for a prestigious career on the basketball courts.
He will get there with difficulty, with sweat, with a lot of application, starting, never like this year, from the bottom and far from the sights of the NBA teams, doing a door in every college game to try to get noticed. The interesting narrative approach of NBA 2K21, however, clashes with the sacrifices on the play front. All this happens, in fact, following the scheme already seen in the past. After each race a cut scene starts, the spice of which is represented by the (sporadic) presence of multiple choices, some of them also important, followed by the inevitable sessions in the menus, useful to enhance the player through the hated system of VC (virtual coins) which continues to push, at least on the competitive side, all in the direction of pay-to-win also in this edition.
In any case, this is a good variation on the theme, which makes the single player experience even more interesting and immersive until reaching the now inevitable "My Neighborhood", whose location this year leads us to tread the fascinating fields immediately attached to the beaches, which is very reminiscent of the 80's and 90's American films on the theme, such as “Who doesn't jump white is”, just to name one.
Many ways to play
The strength of NBA 2K21 remains, also this year, to offer the public a huge variety of game modes, useful to satisfy every kind of taste. In addition to the already widely discussed queens modes MyTeam and MyCareer we find the inevitable offline quick matches, the training mode, this year more important than ever, and the online matches, characterized by an excellent (finally) matchmaking system, which tries to match the players in the most balanced way possible both in terms of teams and the skill of the player himself, just to give a few examples.
The real highlight of the rest of the offer is certainly represented by the MyGM, which, like in previous years, puts in the player's hands the possibility of managing an NBA franchise as completely as possible. From the price of sales and tickets to the management of players and staff, everything is in our hands, albeit in a repetitive and not very original way.
The annual edition of MyGM, in fact, does not bring great news, on the contrary, it immediately proves to be almost identical to that of last year, with a small variation represented by the possibility of taking part in a sort of competitive variant, in which every week the scores are compared with those of online players from all over the world.
An interesting novelty is that linked to the possibility of administering a deductible WNBA, not with the managerial cut of the MyGM, but in any case deep and satisfying, with all the features of the case, including the player exchange, the free agent market and so on. The players are proposed in game with the same obsessive care as their male colleagues, and the gameplay differences make this game mode very interesting and above all a more than pleasant variation on the theme.
The gameplay: between the new release of the shot and many small news
As well as the technical sector, even the gameplay has not received major shocks, with the developers determined to limit their work to the improvement of the already excellent play dynamics developed in recent years. If, therefore, most of the peculiarities have remained unchanged, the shooting system, the real protagonist of this first week of life, has been subjected to a very big shock, which among other things is causing considerable discussion on social networks. by NBA 2K21. Abandoning the luck of the past years and following the style already seen in NBA 2K17, the new 2K game a very complex shooting systemindeed, in no uncertain terms at the limits of design problems.
Once the shooting animation has started, you must then try to release the ball at the right moment, winking at an apparently simple shot bar that appears above the head of the player concerned, but which has actually become - very quickly - the nightmare of many players. Shooting with decent percentages is currently difficult to achieve, which is generating a lot of discontent within the community.
The new pitch, therefore, did not have the desired effects, also considering the fact that the new dynamic also extends to other factors, such as the inbound and low post conclusions.. It goes without saying that, having to always respect the bar in question, even a simple third time can be difficult to achieve successfully, which makes some situations bordering on frustrating. At the time of writing, 2K has made it known that it is aware of these problems related to the new shooting system and seems willing to take a small step back, through a patch that will arrive in the coming days and that should somehow fix the things, at least from this point of view.
If the shooting system is not exciting, the same, fortunately, we cannot say it for some other gameplay dynamics which, instead, have certainly embellished the overall play experience. For example, we are talking about a significantly revised ball management, now more firmly in the hands of the ball carrier and not a sort of "soap", as seen in particular in the latest versions of the game. Getting the ball into the opponent's half is simpler, more enjoyable and above all more dynamic, thanks also to a speeding up of movements and a sensitive game rhythm, which makes the actions much more interesting and sparkling but, more importantly, less frustrating. The defenses have therefore been somehow "slowed down", but not weakened.
In recent years, in fact, running without hesitation towards the basket meant, essentially, losing 90% of the ball from the dribble, which, with this NBA 2K21, the developers have tried to limit, giving the players, in addition to a general speed more also evident greater resistance in ball control. However, this significantly loses its value in online games, in which, somehow, stealing the ball is so simple that most of the players encountered so far mercilessly abuse it.
Even the defense in post and the rebound fight have been slightly revised, thanks to a new series of animations that have led to a different and more realistic management of collisions. Fighting under the planks seemed more physical to us, we felt it more, and convinced us, at least until we began to see with more and more insistence on the parquet the long opponents (and not only) attack the iron with unnatural and extremely effective movements, which partially nullifies the excellent work done in complex. Often and gladly we came across continuous alley-oops launched by the AI, as per tradition very witty and eager to punish the player at every slightest mistake, taking advantage of the problems in the low post we were talking about a moment ago. In general, however, we appreciated the "new" gameplay, in particular the desire to make every movement faster and more dynamic, even in the low post, but the problems related to shooting cannot really be ignored in the overall evaluation of a product that, never like this year, has recorded more than one false step and from different points of view.
Technically speaking ...
Graphically speaking, NBA 2K21 does not differ that much from its predecessor and, as much as this choice may be all in all understandable, we can't get over it. The 2K and Visual Concepts series has always been able to accustom us to technological miracles, over the years, and we must admit that we were disappointed for a moment to see such a desire to leave everything fundamentally unchanged, doing (perhaps even rightly) all-in on the new generation version.
To a closer eye and more used to being on the videogame parquet of the series, However, NBA 2K21 brings with it several small improvements, certainly appreciable but certainly not revolutionary. We are talking, for example, of a more sparing management of color rendering, which finally tends more towards colder shades and makes the general glance even more realistic.
The ball, so to speak, now seems to have a much more believable pigmentation, as does the ring, the players' kits and a little bit of everything else. To this is added an even more accurate lighting, which manages to highlight elements such as the playing field, the shadows of the players and the bodies of the athletes themselves, thanks to which it is possible to give a strong characterization to the men on the field, especially when they are more tired and the sweat starts pouring out unchecked.
All this considering also the overall passable number of new animations, which make for example the dribble and contacts, especially in the low post (but we have already talked about it), much more credible and beautiful to look at. Sure, some shooting animations are absolutely unnatural and look super scripted, but overall the great work done in this direction is always appreciable. Final comment on the sound sector, as far as we are concerned only half-promoted. If his undtrack is once again spectacular, thanks to a selection of splendid tracks, such as for example Bliding Lights by The Weekend, to name one, we do not feel the same to say about the commentary and the effects in the field in general. The sentences pronounced by the reporters are, in most cases, the same for several years, as well as those of the players on the pitch, who have repeated profusely the same "defensive" messages for six or seven editions.
Let's be clear, we did not expect a revolution from a transition product, but we hope that the idea of settling the issue will be considered. A modernization, in this sense, seems obligatory, or almost.
NBA 2K21 is fundamentally a transitional product, and this can be seen with great ease even just by winking at the aesthetic sector, the decidedly more "snubbed" one compared to last year. Even the gameplay, barring the addition of new animations and the much appreciated general speeding up of the action, remains basically the same as last year, for better or for worse. The real variation on the theme is represented by a new shooting system which, however, is proving to be poorly managed, capable of making the gameplay (both online and offline) more frustrating than it should, so much so as to push the developers to run for cover. Very interesting, however, the innovations made to MyTeam, finally permeated by a "seasonal" style capable of giving longevity and satisfaction, and the new career, characterized by a much less "directorial" and more focused on gameplay. Unfortunately, however, in addition to the few innovations, other various problems of a technical nature remain, such as an annoying problem that leads the game to crash in some activities, especially those related to MyTeam, and in online competitions, which makes the situation even more. the term, disappointing than ever. Too bad, because 2K has always got us used to it very well, but this time, obviously, something went wrong. We just have to trust in the next-gen, in short.
► NBA 2K21 is a Simulation-Sports game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K Games for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Google Stadia, the video game was released on 04/09/2020
Version for PlayStation 5 from 12/11/2020
Version for Xbox Series X from 10/11/2020
