I am a bandwagon sports fan. When the Toronto Raptors were in the NBA Finals, I, like many other Canadians, suddenly cared about basketball. Yet, while the Raptors fueled my interest in basketball, NBA 2K series made me fall in love with it. It helped me learn the teams, players, and how the game is played. It helped me get off the bandwagon and become a full-time fan of both the games and the sport itself. That’s why it pains me to say that current-gen version NBA 2K21 is a disappointing entry in the 2K series.
The biggest change in the game is the new shot meter. In previous games, to make a bucket, the player would have to release the shot at the right time. This year it’s switched to a directional meter, where, to get that perfect shot you must aim in the perfect position. The new method provides little feedback as to why players missed a shot and the meter is so small that it’s hard to see, which also makes the game less accessible. Sadly, there is no way to switch between shooting styles, even for offline play, so this new and unimproved shot meter affects every aspect of the game.
MyCareer’s online hub, The Neighbourhood, received a facelift in 2K21. The new space is modeled after Venice Beach and while a change of scenery is nice, there is nothing really new in the world and the size of it almost encourages users to buy the skateboards and bikes that 2K sells to get around faster, but these cost 75,000 VC which is equivalent to $26.99 CAD.
Note: As of posting this review, The Cages portion of the Neighbourhood is inaccessible. The game would crash when trying to load this area and after seven attempts, it was time to give up.
MyTeam also saw some new changes. As a big fan of the mode, NXL Gaming founder James Gravalos, said that the addition of seasons was big, allowing players a window to receive exclusive cards. The fact that MyTeam data will transfer over to the next-gen versions of the game is a big plus and makes transitioning to the new generation much easier for some players. However, for new players, MyTeam is hard to get into. The UI is information overload and it took some time to figure out where to start. 2K’s historical micro-transaction fueled mode remains that way, while it does have some fun to it, I’d rather spend my hard-earned VC in MyCareer.
While the foundation is strong, the execution is lacking. The story doesn’t provide enough time and rationale as to why things happen or why I should care. One example is Cobb, a childhood friend of Junior who moved away. The commentary team, bills him as an arch-rival but there is no rationale behind it, this happens multiple times in the story when all the interactions with Cobb speak the opposite. There were moments I enjoyed, such as choosing your representation, which has lasting effects after the story is over, but these moments are few and far between.
One issue I have that is not unique to 2K21 but rather all 2K storylines is that it doesn’t really take your performance into account for story beats. Yes, you may get drafted earlier and go to a team you wanted, but it doesn’t alter the interaction with characters. I had a reporter ask me if I was ok with my own stats taking a hit to help the team win after getting 22 points, 6 assists, 3 steals, and 76% shots made. 2K has done a good job at allowing you to play through mostly interesting stories, but my hope for next-gen is they shift to a platform that helps create YOUR story.
Cha…Cha…Changes
NBA 2K20 Shot Meter (left) vs 2K21’s Shot Meter (right)
A glimpse of the MyTeam menus
Narrative Air Ball
The story for this year’s My Career is “The Long Shadow” which sees you play as “Junior”, from high school to college (featuring 10 licensed college programs) and finally getting drafted to the NBA. The stories and career mode are my favourite part of 2K and this year was lackluster, the all-star cast including Jesse Williams (Grey’s Anatomy), Michael K. Williams (The Wire), and Djimon Housou (Guardians of the Galaxy) explored some interesting themes, including living in a parents shadow, dealing with relationships in college, and the interaction between media and players.The pre-generated version of Junior, the main character in MyCareer
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