NBA 2K21’s current-gen version isn’t necessarily the biggest step forward the series has taken, nor should it be expected to be. But what’s there is still fun, even if it is more of the same. 2K’s reliance on microtransactions still feels incredibly out of place, and the game still doesn’t necessarily respect the player’s time. If you’re a fan of the series, chances are you’re already playing the game. If you’re on the fence, it may be worth waiting to see what the next-gen version offers.
As with every transition into a new console generation, we are in an odd period with sports games; NBA 2K21 not being the exception. The current-gen renditions of sports titles are usually a tad held back or “more of the same”, with most of the new and exciting features saved for the next-gen versions. NBA 2K21 does introduce some small changes to the current-gen version, but by and large, it’s features are mostly the same from 2K20.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as NBA 2K has been a premiere basketball simulator now for over twenty years. NBA 2K21 still feels amazing to play, even if some of the gameplay mechanics need to be tweaked in future patches. As many players will surely find, there is still plenty to sink your time into for whichever mode you prefer.
MyCareer/The Neighborhood
As I mentioned last year in my review of NBA 2K20, MyCareer is possibly the one mode I spend the least amount of time with each year. I did hop in for a few hours to check out what was going on with the new location for The Neighborhood. Many fans of MyCareer will find that not a whole lot has changed (other than the actual story beats), as the MyPlayer creator and the way you grind out your player’s stats have remained unchanged from 2K20.
What has changed is the new Neighborhood. Now known as 2K Beach, the new Neighborhood is a breath of fresh air for those who were tired of seeing the same generic cityscape of 2K19 and 2K20. Commemorations of Kobe are everywhere (super nice touch), and the entire locale has a very chill vibe.
I won’t spend too much more time discussing MyCareer, as I am by no means an expert on the mode. But fans of the mode should note that even from a player who doesn’t spend a lot of time in MyCareer, I noticed that not a lot has changed from 2K20.
New Shot Stick/Motion Styles
Before I hop into discussing MyTeam, it’s super important to point out the new shot stick mechanic and motion styles added into the current-gen version of the game. Ever since the NBA 2K21 demo was released, the new shot stick has been a very contentious talking point among fans. I’m among those who believe that the shot stick is an amazing addition to the game.
For those who aren’t in the know, the new shot stick allows players to pull down on the right stick to initiate a shot, and then to rotate (or “aim”) the RS to the perfect release point. While at first jarring, once I got the hang of the new mechanic it was all I wanted to use. It truly feels as though the stick shooting is a natural extension of basketball motion, and I can’t believe I played any other way before.
That being said, it’s not without its issues. Initially (at launch) it was impossible to hit any shot past the 3-point arc and nearly impossible from mid-range. During my playtime since launch (about one week), 2K released one hotfix to resolve issues around shooting anything outside of the paint, which drastically improved shooting but could still use some tweaking for stick users. It still feels as though button-users have more of an advantage to hitting more of their shots than stick users, even though it was claimed to be the other way around.
For example, it’s almost a night and day difference between using the shot stick and button while shooting free throws. I have been dead-on center multiple times with Kobe while shooting free throws with the stick, only to have missed the shot. If I use the button (Square on PS4), it’s almost an automatic make every time. I have no doubt 2K will be tweaking the shot stick and shooting all year long and into next-gen, so it’s a bit difficult to knock it for its first week. But the shot stick is a great addition, even if it needs a bit of tweaking.
MyTeam
This is the real meat and potatoes mode for me when it comes to NBA 2K. Year-after-year MyTeam has delivered a mode that is both addicting and ever-evolving, even when some of its core mechanics can get pretty sluggish. While at first NBA 2K21 appears to have completely overhauled MyTeam, the deeper you look the more everything feels the same.
MyTeam has had an issue ever since I started the mode in 2K14: every year there is a new feature that is exciting but comes with some heavy caveats. This year that feature are Seasons: a “free” battle pass-like addition that allows players to earn XP to earn new rewards over six weeks. On its surface, Seasons are the perfect addition to MyTeam and something I’ve been looking for since battle passes have really hit gaming hard over the last few years.
But Seasons come with some real head-scratching caveats. Firstly, you cannot earn XP for winning games. The only way to earn XP is through “Season Agendas”, or daily/weekly/set challenges that reward you XP for completing them. To complete the first season, players need 150,000 XP in six weeks. Why the ability to earn XP from actually playing and winning games is not in the mode is beyond me. It would have been much more beneficial to reward players 100 XP for winning a game, as it would take someone 1,500 games to max out their Season. With 40 minute games, that’s roughly 1,000 hours or 42 days. That’s 6 weeks (how long the Season runs). In other words: you need to complete every single challenge to complete the season, which will almost assuredly take all of your time.
Other than the inability to earn XP from wins, the actual agenda challenges are hit or miss. Players always get daily challenges, which so far are pretty easy and only take one or two games to complete. There are also moments challenges, that require players to recreate some highlights from the previous night of games. The last few days have been great for moment challenges, as the NBA bubble has given us some great moments. It’ll be interesting to see what 2K decides to do with these challenges in a month when the NBA Finals have finished and there’s no NBA basketball for a short period.
The real caveat to the Agenda challenges is that the big XP rewards have been (so far) only been locked to MyTeam premium cards/sets. While typically I would have an issue with 2K locking challenges behind cards that you can only obtain through packs, I found that simply saving my MT (the in-game currency) and using the auction house allowed me to gain all the cards I needed to complete these challenges. Time will tell if this will become a real problem, however, as the rarity of some cards may make it impossible to complete some challenges.
One final highlight I’d like to point out with MyTeam is the introduction of MyTeam Limited: a weekend mode that places restrictions on what sort of lineup players can run online in pursuit of “Championship Rings”. I’ve been looking for a Limited mode for years now with MyTeam, as running into “God Squads” in MyTeam Unlimited is inevitable and never fun. Placing restrictions on what cards players can use makes for a more competitive mode, and really puts one’s actual 2K skills to the test.
In the end, NBA 2K21’s MyTeam mode is a nice small step forward. Seasons are a welcome addition, even if it has some really odd omissions. MyTeam Limited is a lot of fun on the weekends, and I can’t wait to see what future content the mode has in store.
Overall
NBA 2K21’s current-gen version isn’t necessarily the biggest step forward the series has taken, nor should it be expected to be. The next-gen version of the game is just around the corner, where we should all expect to see the biggest changes and additions. But what’s there is still fun, even if it is more of the same. 2K’s reliance on microtransactions still feels incredibly out of place, and the game still doesn’t necessarily respect the player’s time. If you’re a fan of the series, chances are you’re already playing the game. If you’re on the fence, it may be worth waiting to see what the next-gen version offers.
