NBA 2K21 is officially out today

I am NBA 2K21 MT GamesRadar+'s sports editor, obsessed with NFL, WWE, MLB -- and very sometimes things that don't possess a three-letter acronym. Notably: Bill Bryson, Pitch Perfect, and the Streets Of Rage Collection. I have two kids who aren't quite old enough to play Madden yet. Shortly, thoug...

NBA 2K21 is officially out today, but I just got my full review copy yesterday , so this review in advance will spill into next week (after the Labor Day weekend). However, I managed to put in a decent number of hours yesterday, and in that time NBA 2K21 has made it clear that it has maintained the franchise's listing of leading on-court gameplay. Most of the upgrades are relatively small, like loose rebounds looking and feeling a lot more realistic, however they also help add to an already strong base. The very best part of NBA 2K21 so much is the controller tweaks, like the new aim meter, make for an all-new learning curve. Regrettably, upgrades to the surrounding game modes seem fairly barebones.

The aim-meter mechanic is actually hard to grasp, but has led to a quite satisfying one-on-one isolation victories. It's nice having the ability to use the right stick exclusively as a sculpting tool till I am ready to pull back for a shot. The ability to size-up, which is tied to special dribbling animations for many of the top players in the league, and isolate is much better than ever. I spent a couple of hours experimenting with various playstyles, like easing the pick-and-roll using Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis. It is tremendously rewarding to utilize Doncic's dimensions and footwork to create space - something I could not replicate with other guards around the team, like Seth Curry. While it's not completely new, NBA 2K21's ability to entertain gamers' playstyles is exceptional this season.

That said, there are already a couple annoying gameplay issues I have come across, too. Fastbreaks seem slightly enhanced, but participant spacing is still clearly off. For example, even my best three-point shooters will monitor inside the three-point line on fast breaks when they'd be better off finding space in the corner. Generally, it feels like NBA 2K21 hasn't fully adapted to the emphasis modern NBA basketball has put on the three-point line. Quick catch-and-shoots are not as prevalent as they should be, and Cheap 2K21 MT final out is still far too easy on protection.