Releasing the same game twice, on two generations of different consoles and a few weeks apart: this is the challenge taken up at the end of 2020 by 2K Sports and Visual Concepts for NBA 2K21. The temptation to simply port could have been great if the teams had not announced and teased next-gen basketball beforehand, wishing to convey the following message: the REAL NBA 2K game this year is on Xbox Series and PS5, not elsewhere. So what does this future of virtual basketball have in store for us? What is striking at first sight is an unparalleled fluidity that could have been offered before. No loading time, no latency in the menus: everything is fast. Own. The interface has gained in clarity, without losing brilliance. And graphically, the slap on the cheek (right or left, it's up to you) is there, without being resounding. NBA 2K21 is beautiful, very, very beautiful. Highly detailed, very, very detailed, with incredible skin light renderings, realistic sweat, even greater physical detail. But NBA 2K pays a little for its reputation as a beautiful game, in the sense that the current-gen version was already effective at this level. But the physical gap is there, without question.
What is striking at first sight is an unparalleled fluidity that could have been offered before.
It is also present joystick in hand. Gameplay on current-gen had some flaws, which several patches had fixed. We think in particular of the shooting system, supposed to be more picky, so much so that it was off-putting for the competition and difficult to understand for the regulars, shocked to see certain OK shots not returning. If we can determine the shooting system that we want, it is clear that we have in our hands the NBA 2K that we would have liked to have in September. Everything is fluid - we will not be able to repeat it - with lighter players and less slippery on the floor, too. The feeling of movement on the pitch is quite crazy, reinforced by the new controllers, which vibrate in unison with each interaction (dribble, rebounds, interceptions, counters, duels and falls). Mention well for the Dual Sense, which offers an incredible experience, especially with the adaptive triggers, which harden with use as soon as your player enters the red energy level.
It is clear that we have in our hands the NBA 2K that we would have liked to have in September.
You will understand, gameplay level, yes, it smells good next-gen. With always this little idea of telling ourselves that we are only at the beginning of what the new consoles can bring to a title like NBA 2K. The reason ? Some technical slag present in the past and still, alas, at the rendezvous. We think of a rigidity still present in the characters and players encountered during the game. If their basketball gesture is impeccable and realistic at the highest point, it gets worse when they move in space. And what about the halftime show, with a Big Shaq still stiff and stuck? What about certain facial expressions and sometimes fleeting glances on close-ups? Yeah, I'm tough and NBA 2K has always gotten us used to that, you might say. But are we talking about next-gen today? And therefore an identified site to explore for Visual Concepts, undeniably. To justify this next-gen aspect precisely, other than by its aesthetics or its technique, NBA 2K21 offers two new game modes and as many promises for the future, ultimately of the license. The first is none other than a life-size extension of the Quartier, this interactive hub that allowed players to connect with each other, to compete, to take part in several different gaming experiences (Pro-AM and REC in particular) and, outside of the Quarry, to “grind” their avatar. It should also be noted that apart from a few additional cutscenes, we are on the same Career as on current-gen. No miracle therefore for this last campaign, not very immersive because less well written than other episodes and with less content (NBA Combine in particular) and still not very immersive on new generation consoles.
Difficult to speak in good or bad of The City, because this one will have value and stakes only once assailed by players. As it stands, the latter is above all too big for what it is and what it brings.
The District is therefore transformed into a city, with more potential to be exploited, shops now under the sign of a brand and novelties to be tamed, such as the return of affiliations, more buoyant because distributed by district. At the time of this test, difficult to speak in good or bad of The City, because this one will have value and stakes only once assailed by players. As it stands, the latter is above all too big for what it is and what it brings. We especially deplore the intermediate stage to access it, Rookieville, a playground in a port area, in which you will have to obtain pro status to hope to see the doors of the City open to you. Deplorable stage yes, in the sense that it involves a good number of difficulties, bugs in particular (with people and sometimes no one, when there are people, do you follow?) but also a certain individualistic attitude in some, concerned about "grind" at all costs, sometimes jeopardizing your shocks in 3 vs 3, when only victory allows you to progress effectively.
Women's basketball, the WNBA, has a dedicated mode, The W, which allows you to create your own player (75 overall at the start) in order to integrate her into one of the twelve teams of the North American league. American. For step-up, nothing very complicated: you have to play and manage the extras of your life as a player, namely the other professional aspects of your career and determine your image (influencer, fashion, etc.). So many aspects that allow you to glean the skill points inherent in your progress. Yes, you can grind without checking out in NBA 2K21, a surprise, especially since on the men's side and in the My Career mode, the VCs are still just as decisive and still just as conducive to getting you out of the CB from time to time. other. Even quite often, given the general average of some online…
Finding the stars of basketball in their favorite gestures, with enhanced graphics and 60 FPS on the screen is a delicious happiness, happiness even more pronounced thanks to a next-gen gameplay, she.
We can all the same salute the work done on this mode, in order to offer an even more complete and more readable build to the players, with the disappearance of certain insignia and badges, a more extensive physical customization for your avatar, the management now of two Takeovers (instead of one), a main and a secondary, not to mention the team one, determined by your choices, also on the floor. If there is one last small downside, it concerns the new MyNBA Mode, which combines the My GM and my League modes, taking over all the features of both, in order to offer the player the NBA adventure (draft or not and if so when? How many teams? Which salary cap?) the most personalized and customizable there is. The idea is good but does not bring anything new, where My Team, by integrating a Season Pass and Insignia and Badges cards, had already taken more risks in recent months. Ultimately, NBA 2K21 strikes a blow, not masterfully, but significant for its arrival on new generation consoles. Finding the stars of basketball in their favorite gestures, with enhanced graphics and 60 FPS on the screen is a delicious happiness, happiness even more pronounced thanks to a next-gen gameplay, she. For the rest, it is undeniable that this version lays important foundations, especially with a City that offers a certain potential. But we will have to wait before judging it and seeing the rest to realize if this version was really just a simple taste of the future.
