The current generation version of NBA 2k21 was released on September 4th and has created a lot of mixed opinions throughout the gaming community. 2k21 got a 6/10 on IGN, 69% on Metacritic, and a poor score of 5/10 on Steam.

In every 2k game, the gameplay seems to improve and regress at the same time, and this year is no different. New dribbling mechanics and contact finishes have been implemented into the game and are by far the best gameplay change. The shooting has regressed drastically due to the new shot meter. Green releases are almost impossible to come by and the ball rarely goes in unless the timing is perfect. The R3 stick is now supposed to be the most lethal way to shoot, but it is so hard to time I just continue using square.

The modes Play Now, Blacktop, and MyLeague remains exactly the same as they were in 2k20. I did notice the player progression system in MyLeague has improved, resulting in not nearly as many 90 plus overalls as the league progresses. Disappointingly, the upcoming draft class has not been added into the game so there is no option to play as the NBA’s upcoming rookies. A  few new classic teams have been added into Play Now but other than that it is exactly the same.

The MyCareer and park have probably experienced the most change out of all the modes. The MyCareer storyline is one of the best out of all of the 2k games; your MyPlayer player starts in high school and rises through the ranks until he eventually goes from college to the NBA. The park has been completely changed into a beach after remaining the same for the previous two years.

MyTeam is probably my favorite mode out of all of them. Card collecting is as addicting as ever with the addition of the new mode, MyTeam Limited. In MyTeam Limited there is a different roster challenge every week and your roster has to adapt depending on the restrictions. The only thing that holds the mode back is that shooting is extremely difficult.

Overall 2k21 is just a reskin of 2k20 with a few tweaks, but there is only so much that the developers can do with the current generation consoles. So if you are looking for a new experience I would recommend waiting until the next generation consoles release. In conclusion, I would give 2k21 a C-.