Sep 2020
Prepare your thumbs for some serious basketball action, because NBA 2K21 is back, and it’s bringing more basketball than you can shake a stick at! But is this installment an alley-oop to greatness, or does it just miss the rim altogether? With flashy graphics and enough microtransactions to give your wallet a heart attack, let’s dive into what makes NBA 2K21 a slam dunk… and what makes it a total airball.
The gameplay in NBA 2K21 is a mixed bag. On one hand, you have the classic MyCareer mode, where you create your very own basketball superstar, take them from rookie status to NBA legend, and possibly get a movie starring Adam Sandler out of it. The amount of customization is vast, but it feels somewhat stale, like eating the same pizza every week; you might like it, but after a while, you just want a new topping. In MyTeam, players are on a quest to collect NBA player cards much like Pokémon cards—but instead of yelling ‘Pikachu, I choose you!’, you’ll be spending real money on VC to buy whatever card has the hottest stats. With microtransactions sneaking around like ninja squirrels, prepare to feel your bank account's sting as you wonder if that shiny LeBron James card was worth three of your last dozen eggs. There's also a little thing they call "The City" for next-gen players, where socializing is just as important as hoops. If you’re looking for an online world where you can walk around, flex your new gear, and show off your latest haircut (which, let’s be honest, is often more important than your jump shot), you’re in luck. But if you've ever been to a high school lunchroom, you know it can be an intimidating place filled with cliques and social dynamics that can make or break your Virtual Career.
Visually? Oh baby! NBA 2K21 on the Xbox Series X/S looks absolutely stunning. The animations are so smooth that you might mistake them for real NBA players—at least until you remember that you can’t actually perform a backflip layup yourself (but wouldn't that be cool?). The ray-tracing and shadow details are there, bursting with hyper-realism that could potentially trick your grandma into thinking she should get the popcorn ready for the next game. Just remember: she won’t understand why you’re yelling at the TV; it’s just a video game after all!
To sum it all up, NBA 2K21 gives you enough basketball goodness that even the most hardcore fans will spend countless hours mastering their craft—if they can endure the onslaught of microtransactions and a somewhat familiar formula. If you’re looking for a fresh feel, you might feel like you’re just dribbling the same old beat-up ball from last season. But hey, if you love basketball and want to enjoy some virtual dunks, this game might still be worth your time (and quite a few dollars). Grab your controller, lace up your virtual sneakers, and step onto the digital court, just be wary of those pesky microtransactions that can sneak up on you like a cheap knock-off skateboard at a garage sale!
Another SquareThought Site