NBA 2K21 Review: 4 Ups & 4 Downs
Ups...
4. As Slick As Ever
Presentation is the one department in which it's hard to fault 2K for largely staying the same. The series has been lightyears ahead of other gaming franchises for a long, long time now, meaning only minor cosmetic tweaks are necessary to keep the competition in the dust. They could revamp the whole thing year-to-year, but why bother? That'd be change of the sake of change, and would likely result in a lesser product.
2K21 looks, feels, and plays like a game of basketball. As egregious as the loading screen advertisements are, the game immerses you in a digital basketball game, not a janky simulation hindered by janky videogame-isms. Everything from the studio punditry to the arenas ambience is on-point once more, the graphics are neat and tidy, the soundtrack is full of modern bangers, and while the menu system is a little dull, its simplicity is preferable to needless overcomplications.
NBA 2K's presentation remains best in class.