NBA 2K21 Critic Reviews

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.

With some small gameplay changes and an improved My Team Mode, NBA 2K21 offers enough to still be considered one of the best sports videogames on the market. Still, it takes a more powerful hardware to show the great change the franchise really needs.

Coronavirus has extended the previous season of the NBA and next-gen is very close, so the timing is not the best for this entry in the franchise, which is very continuist. However, it is still a great basketball game.

NBA 2K21 is still one of the best sport simulations around, but if you are looking for something really new you should probably wait for its next-gen version.

NBA 2K21 executes the fundamentals of basketball to perfection. Add to that a wonderful narrative in Long Shadow, and the package becomes even more appealing - even if MyCareer is linked to an online mode. These modes have a lot of potential, especially My Neighborhood, but some of the ideas still need a year or two of percolation before they're at their true potential.

At the end of the day, NBA 2K21 is still an insanely good game of basketball that feels and plays like a game that hit its stride a couple of years ago and is now coming to the end of the generation. I still am amazed at how good the moment to moment action is in this game. And although I would have loved to see them really go for it in the MyCareer mode and revamp the microtransactions more than they did, this is still a game that I adore and continue to be impressed by. I have no idea what to expect from the PS5/XSX versions of this game but if its roots are still planted in the foundation of the last couple of years, we could have a very exciting game of basketball to look forward to.

NBA 2K21 is a fantastic basketball simulation, but it is a shame that most of the game feels more like an update than an entirely new entry.

Gameplay wise, NBA 2K21 is once again an excellent product, and the best hoops videogame on the market (also due to lack of competition). While very similar to its predecessor, it is also evolved and revised. However, being a 2K title, microtransactions are inescapable.

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.

There aren't much changes in the latest entry in 2K's NBA series, and it seems that the developers are finally out of ideas, at least for this generation. If you already own the 2020 version, there is not much sense in paying the full price to get your hands on the new game, and maybe it's best to wait and see how the series will go forward when next gen arrives.

NBA 2K21 is the best that basketball simulations have ever been, yet the game buckles under the weight of intense microtransactions designed to bleed you dry.

NBA 2K21 is still the best in terms of simulation and production values that can be found in the sports genre, but the truth is that this is no longer enough to make it essential. In fact, gamers who already own 2K19 or 2K20 should stay there, unless they are dedicated to competing online and want to always be up to date.

No, it’s the same great game it was last year, the same awesome basketball gaming experience it was last year. It’s just not quite a must-buy, especially if you’re taking aim at the Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5.

If you want to transfer it to the next generation NBA 2K21, it may be the right choice to buy NBA 2K21 now. However, if you are not interested in the new generation, it would be better to continue playing NBA 2K20.

On the court, this is the pinnacle of virtual basketball. But the microtransactions are still overpowering, while the plentiful content has just been modified slightly compared to last year.

It's difficult not to see NBA 2K21 as a kind of early access. Not only because of its outdated teams or the mistakes made while trying to evolve the gameplay, but for the lack of some game modes that aren't accessible yet.

In pursuing pro players, NBA 2K21 may be a little too intimidating for more casual players. Nevertheless, this is an obscenely detailed simulation that captures the ebb-and-flow of real-world basketball with unrivalled authenticity. It’s also enormous, and while some aspects have been left untouched, the likeable story and revamped MyTeam modes mean that it’s worth the upgrade. The in-game economy, which is heavily influenced by lucrative microtransactions, continues to be a sour spot – and it remains to be seen how much life this release will have with a next-gen successor right around the corner. Still, even with all of these drawbacks, it’s comfortably one of the best sports games available on the PS4.

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.

NBA 2K21 remains a top-tier basketball simulation game, although one that has seemingly maxed out its potential on current-gen systems. Things like the shooting difficulty can and will be adjusted with patches over time. If you put in the time and work, you’ll probably learn to love the new skill gap it provides, but it’s definitely not for everyone. And that’s where NBA 2K21 misses its mark; it feels geared more towards the hardcore competitive community, leaving casual players and fans feeling lost and overwhelmed.

NBA 2K21 stays a good basketball game, but it lacks any really new features, while the shooting system is pretty poor, even since it was patched. Still, 2K Game's offering is one of the best in this field.