NBA 2K21

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Critics Recommend

Average Score

Total Reviews: 68

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Minor improvements to what is already high-level gameplay are ruined by the presence of predatory microtransactions in both multiplayer and single player.

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Critics Recommend

Critic Reviews: 68

Critics Consensus

# Reviews: 68

Minor improvements to what is already high-level gameplay are ruined by the presence of predatory microtransactions in both multiplayer and single player.

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Critic Reviews for NBA 2K21

Reviews

High Score - 86/100

Low Score - 30/100

Ben Vollmer (IGN)

6/10

“NBA 2K21 doesn’t break the series’ signature basketball gameplay, but its minor improvements and persistent addiction to obnoxious microtransactions mean more of the same isn’t good enough anymore.”

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Jay Jaffa (Metro GameCentral)

4/10

“It would be one thing if this was just NBA 2K20 with some minor changes but this rips the heart out of last year’s game solely to appeal to competitive online players, with many much-loved features stripped back or not included at all.”

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Kimberley Wallace (Game Informer)

7/10

“NBA 2K21 still delivers the thrill of being on the court and producing spectacular plays, but it lacks innovation and fresh ideas”

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**Read all 68 critic reviews on the desktop version of VSG.

Read the Reviews (68 total)

Outlet	Author	Score	Date	Quote	Read
Area Xbox	Unknown	7.8 / 10	09-29-2020	While it doesn’t feel like a big step from last years entry, 2k21 brings it’s own subtle changes, but it doesn’t wildly change the formula to be honest, but it is still the best sports simulator out there.	Read review
Attack of the Fanboy	William Schwartz	4 / 5 stars	09-08-2020	2K21 is another solid entry in the series that builds upon the great gameplay strides of the last few years. Visual Concepts has some fires to put out and hopefully that happens sooner rather than later so fans can get on to enjoying the grind.	Read review
AusGamers	Steve Farrelly	7.6 / 10	10-12-2020	But if you’re like me, playing every year, then know this: NBA 2K21 is the best basketball game around, but it’s also the only one. And as any high-level competitor will tell you, that’s never a good thing for long.	Read review
BaziCenter	Amin BalaZadeh	7.5 / 10	09-12-2020	There aren’t much changes in the latest entry in 2K’s NBA series, and it seems that the developers are finally out of ideas, at least for this generation. If you already own the 2020 version, there is not much sense in paying the full price to get your hands on the new game, and maybe it’s best to wait and see how the series will go forward when next gen arrives.	Read review
Bazimag	Vahid Zohrabi Nejad	6.2 / 10	09-18-2020	This feels more like an update patch to the last year’s outing and unfortunately it’s not that significant of an update. With new season having been postponed and no new kits and rosters added to the game, it just makes you wonder if this year’s version is worth a buy.	Read review
Chalgyr’s Game Room	Nick Herber	8 / 10	09-11-2020	In all, NBA 2k21 is still the best sports experience on the market. That being said, this feels like a strange year for the series, given the pandemic, altered real life NBA season and split attention between two generations of console. There were few significant changes made, but almost all of those updates were for the better – except arguably the most important one. To change such a core mechanic as shooting so fundamentally is going to be polarizing and while I have been growing used to how it works, I think more tweaks need to be made to finetune the experience.	Read review
Cheat Code Central	Jon Gronli	3.5 / 5 stars	09-10-2020	While there are issues, which are worst in MyCareer, it still is enjoyable.	Read review
Chicas Gamers	Adrián de Francisco	Recommended	09-15-2020	Visual Concepts once again brings the NBA into our hands with a totally round game that, despite having gotten out of the fold with the new shooting system, is still a title that represents the NBA like no other, with a gigantic quality at the graphic level and playable level. It’s a great farewell for this generation and it leaves us wanting to see what the next one will bring us.	Read review
COGconnected	Jaz Sagoo	68 / 100	09-05-2020	Even though the core gameplay is solid, most game modes are riddled with micro-transactions that prioritizes grinding and monetization over enjoyment.	Read review
Cubed3	Greg Giddens	6 / 10	09-24-2020	NBA 2K21 is still a wonderful digital simulation of basketball, with a wealth of modes to enjoy, but the MyCareer story has become stale and the microtransactions far too prevalent. This is not the step forwards that it needed to be to keep the series fresh and engaging. In other words, this title does not provide a compelling argument to upgrade from last year’s version.	Read review
DASHGAMER.com	Michael Pulman	7 / 10	09-11-2020	As always, NBA 2K21 is a solid basketball experience, the only one that gamers can get their hands on this holiday season. It does what it does well, but there is very little that is new to get excited about on top of that.	Read review
Digital Chumps	Alex Tudor	7 / 10	03-01-2017	NBA 2K21’s current-gen version isn’t necessarily the biggest step forward the series has taken, nor should it be expected to be. But what’s there is still fun, even if it is more of the same. 2K’s reliance on microtransactions still feels incredibly out of place, and the game still doesn’t necessarily respect the player’s time. If you’re a fan of the series, chances are you’re already playing the game. If you’re on the fence, it may be worth waiting to see what the next-gen version offers.	Read review
Expansive	Jay Jones	Recommended	09-16-2020	NBA games have always been standard-bearers in terms of visual quality and performance and this is a well-produced, content-heavy swansong for one of the most impressive gaming generations of all time, even if it’s not the best of entry points for series newcomers.	Read review
FingerGuns	Andy Manson	6 / 10	09-12-2020	An incredible simulation of the game of basketball, which might as well be a free-to-play mobile game with so many microtransactions at times. If you can resist the temptation to pour money in, it’s the best sports sim on the market by a fair distance. Unfortunately, this is the worst game in the franchise for attempting to exploit that temptation. Wait for a heavy discount to make any further outlay a more palatable decision.	Read review
Forbes	Brian Mazique	7.25 / 10	09-06-2020	As it is, there are some strong components, but it doesn’t feel like a completely new game in as many aspects as usual.	Read review
Game Informer	Kimberley Wallace	7 / 10	09-17-2020	NBA 2K21 still delivers the thrill of being on the court and producing spectacular plays, but it lacks innovation and fresh ideas	Read review
Gameblog	Alix Dulac	6 / 10	09-12-2020	NBA 2K21 gives us the same observation as that established a year earlier with NBA 2K20: that of stagnating within the saga, without any real major improvement. But this time, the few bets attempted by the development studio have the main consequence of serving the game, at least in its first approaches and making it even a little less accessible to the general public. A quality episode certainly, despite its flaws, but not up to expectations. We could expect better for a transition to the new generation of consoles …	Read review
GameCrate	Cody Perez	6.8 / 10	09-15-2020	Longtime players won’t find much to enjoy in this barely changed version of last year’s entry.	Read review
Gamefa	Mostafa Zahedi	7 / 10	09-11-2020	NBA 2K21 is an enjoyable Basketball experience but unfortunately, its enjoyment is negatively affected by microtransaction. And to make it even more worse, NBA 2K21 has inherited old bugs and technical issues from its predecessors. In fact, i must say NBA 2K21 is almost the same as Its predecessors.	Read review
GameSkinny	LloydCoombes	6 / 10	09-09-2020	Lacking fresh ideas, NBA 2K21 feels like it’s just going through the motions and is a placeholder for its next-gen counterpart.	Read review
GameSpew	Richard Seagrave	6 / 10	09-10-2020	Perhaps largely thanks to coronavirus, NBA 2K21 is the least essential entry in the long-running sports series yet.	Read review
GameSpot	Michael Higham	6 / 10	09-24-2020	NBA 2K21 still manages to capture the art of basketball, but it’s largely the same dance as years past.	Read review
GamingBolt	Matt Bianucci	6 / 10	09-09-2020	NBA 2K21 makes welcome improvements to its MyCareer and MyTeam modes, but the frustratingly inconsistent new shooting system and lack of changes elsewhere make it feel like it’s lost its step over other sports games.	Read review
Generación Xbox	Javier Bassols	8.3 / 10	09-14-2020	The best basketball returns with NBA 2K21, a new release that comes with several new features in its most played modes and a totally renewed shooting system.	Read review
God is a Geek	Chris White	8 / 10	09-15-2020	NBA 2K21 is a fantastic basketball simulation, but it is a shame that most of the game feels more like an update than an entirely new entry.	Read review
GotGame	Luis Lopez	5 / 10	09-22-2020	While NBA 2K remains a top, albeit only, option for basketball simulation, the lack of improvements to previous versions is what holds NBA 2K21 back. While it remains to be strong in visuals and still fun in the gameplay department, it’s missing that special something. Perhaps the arrival of 2K’s next-generation version (which owners of the “Mamba Forever” version will receive upon release) will give the 2K series a rejuvenation it so desperately needs.	Read review
Hardcore Gamer	Cory Wells	3 / 5 stars	09-12-2020	NBA 2K20 was a fun and serious game of basketball to play.	Read review
Heavy	Elton Jones	7 / 10	09-09-2020	NBA 2K21 does the bare minimum in most areas, but it still offers the best (and only) basketball gaming experience on the market today.	Read review
Hobby Consolas	Rafael Aznar	81 / 100	09-08-2020	Coronavirus has extended the previous season of the NBA and next-gen is very close, so the timing is not the best for this entry in the franchise, which is very continuist. However, it is still a great basketball game.	Read review
Hynerd.it	Alice Rondoni	7.5 / 10	09-12-2020	NBA 2K21 despite the criticisms is an enjoyable game for those who love the world of basketball. With a convincing career and a new shooting system, difficult but rewarding, he manages to entertain well even for several hours. Too bad for the presence of microtransactions that, at times, wink a little too much at Pay-to-win.	Read review
IGN	Ben Vollmer	6 / 10	09-10-2020	NBA 2K21 doesn’t break the series’ signature basketball gameplay, but its minor improvements and persistent addiction to obnoxious microtransactions mean more of the same isn’t good enough anymore.	Read review
IGN Italy	Davide Mancini	7 / 10	09-14-2020	NBA 2K21 is a solid update of NBA 2K20… but with a strange and unpredictable twist. The new shooting meter is made for online competition and, in the end, follows the metagame rather the basketball flow. Maybe it’s good for the pro gamers, but it feels unbalanced and frustrating for the bastketball lovers.	Read review
IGN Middle East	Zaher Albalbisi	5 / 10	09-12-2020	NBA 2K21 is a copy over last year game with even more issues, you could only buy this game for its new story in the career mode	Read review
IGN Spain	David Soriano	7.5 / 10	09-14-2020	In a generation where NBA 2K had border on excellence as the norm, a last-minute change in gameplay due to a new shooting mechanic makes its farewell bittersweet. Hopefully in the face of a new generation they’ll return to what worked in the past.	Read review
Impulsegamer	Lyla Saudi	4.3 / 5 stars	09-20-2020	Providing a complete NBA experience, NBA2K21 accurately captures and then places you center stage of everything that makes NBA basketball great. The music, the sounds, the energy, the hype, and most importantly the gameplay, this sports sim provides fans of the game the complete experience. With detailed controls and dynamic gameplay which mimics the game’s best players, you, the player, can play out your hoop dreams on the world’s biggest stage. Just mind your step on the microtransactions on your path to glory.	Read review
Jump Dash Roll	Peter Taylor	6 / 10	10-06-2020	When you’re shooting hoops and playing basketball, NBA 2K21 is rather fun to play. However, it suffers from obtrusive microtransactions and game modes that are made in such a way that they try to nudge you to buy more virtual currency. NBA 2K21’s appeal dives even more when you realise very little has changed from NBA 2K20. Hopefully Visual Concepts will come back strong on next-generation consoles with something that feels more than just about making money.	Read review
Kotaku	Luke Plunkett	Not Recommended	09-10-2020	The problem with 2K, though, and it’s bigger this year than ever, is that you can rarely be so clear in your perspective. In 2K21, just like we’ve seen for the last few years, every moment of fun on the court is undermined by the racket being run off it.	Read review
LevelUp	Víctor Rosas	7 / 10	09-28-2020	Beyond the controversy, NBA 2K21 manages to save itself only because of the special attention that the development team puts on its playability since the game does not offer anything at the moment other than its already known modes, which are beginning to being flagged by the community as old and outdated, as well as an online component that got eaten up by microtransactions	Read review
Merlin’in Kazanı	Ahmet Özçilingir	74 / 100	09-14-2020	If you want to transfer it to the next generation NBA 2K21, it may be the right choice to buy NBA 2K21 now. However, if you are not interested in the new generation, it would be better to continue playing NBA 2K20.	Read review
Metro GameCentral	Jay Jaffa	4 / 10	09-10-2020	It would be one thing if this was just NBA 2K20 with some minor changes but this rips the heart out of last year’s game solely to appeal to competitive online players, with many much-loved features stripped back or not included at all.	Read review
New Game Network	Josh Hinke	65 / 100	09-13-2020	NBA 2K21 marks a new low, which is really disappointing. At times, NBA 2K has been my favorite sports franchise, reinventing itself in ways that reverberated across the industry. But this year’s edition feels incomplete and lacking. I would recommend revisiting older games before picking this one up; maybe the next-gen version will be more complete.	Read review
Nintendo Life	Chris Scullion	8 / 10	09-09-2020	With a solid new story mode, a greatly improved MyTeam mode and the same high quality of presentation that 2K now brings to the series on Switch, NBA 2K21 is now the new definitive basketball game on the system. The unwanted microtransaction ogre continues to loom over most of the package, ever encouraging you to fork out more cash to accelerate your progress, but as long as you’re capable of ignoring this and have the patience to slowly improve your player and team organically, the results will be infinitely more satisfying.	Read review
NintendoWorldReport	Neal Ronaghan	6.5 / 10	09-09-2020	It’s a shame because once again, the port to Switch is impressive and the amount of things you can do is immense. So much of it just feels like last year’s game as we wait for the previous NBA season to finish and next-gen to arrive. Maybe the updated rosters and new schedule for the next season coming down the pipeline will refresh NBA 2K21 on Switch, but maybe it’s better to wait and see what that looks like.	Read review
NoobFeed	Sarwar Ron	80 / 100	09-20-2020	NBA 2K21 is a comprehensive simulation that brings the closest accuracy to actual real-world basketball.	Read review
Operation Sports	Joel Smith	Not Recommended	09-20-2020	Had the 2K team decided to pull an eFootball PES move and patch NBA 2K20 to NBA 2K21, I think I’d have felt a little better about the product we currently have. Instead, we were given a slightly improved but underwhelming current-gen game. If you were on the fence about getting NBA 2K21 for current gen and are getting yourself a PS5 or Xbox Series X, wait it out for the extra month and a half and see what the game looks like then.	Read review
Oyungezer Online	Engin Vural	7 / 10	09-29-2020	Competitive mode, microtransactions and high price point are still among the things to criticize; but NBA 2K21 is still the only alternative if you want to play a basketball game. 2K is taking small steps when it comes to bringing new features, but it’s still better than nothing.	Read review
PC Invasion	Kurt Perry	3 / 10	09-08-2020	A recycled mess that features the same bugs, financial exploits, and cheats that PC players have had to suffer through for years. MyTeam has seen some great innovations but they are completely overshadowed by NBA 2K21’s shortcomings.	Read review
Player2.net.au	Paul James	Recommended	09-14-2020	NBA 2K21 is the best that basketball simulations have ever been, yet the game buckles under the weight of intense microtransactions designed to bleed you dry.	Read review
PlayStation Universe	Timothy Nunes	8 / 10	09-09-2020	NBA 2K21 executes the fundamentals of basketball to perfection. Add to that a wonderful narrative in Long Shadow, and the package becomes even more appealing	Read review
Polygon	Owen Good	Not Recommended	09-10-2020	That means some kind of personal journey or transformation for the star, and supporting characters with some depth and likability. Given every chance to be a preening overdog, newcomer Vince Washington turns the character Hendrixx Cobb into a warm, believable friend instead. Michael K. Williams (Omar from The Wire) is just shady enough as a streetwise mentor to make an endgame choice	Read review
PSX Brasil	Thiago de Alencar Moura	80 / 100	09-15-2020	While its gameplay is still one of the best in the market and the game mode options are incredibly varied, NBA 2K21 follows the series tradition of sinning by its intrusive microtransactions that limit how much casual players can take from the complete package.	Read review
Push Square	Sammy Barker	7 / 10	09-10-2020	In pursuing pro players, NBA 2K21 may be a little too intimidating for more casual players. Nevertheless, this is an obscenely detailed simulation that captures the ebb-and-flow of real-world basketball with unrivalled authenticity. It’s also enormous, and while some aspects have been left untouched, the likeable story and revamped MyTeam modes mean that it’s worth the upgrade. The in-game economy, which is heavily influenced by lucrative microtransactions, continues to be a sour spot – and it remains to be seen how much life this release will have with a next-gen successor right around the corner. Still, even with all of these drawbacks, it’s comfortably one of the best sports games available on the PS4.	Read review
Rapid Reviews UK	Tomas Rodriguez	4 / 5 stars	09-17-2020	One more year, the king of basketball returns to claim his throne. NBA 2K21, the new instalment of the Visual Concepts and 2KGames saga, continues to dominate the basketball simulator market by not having any clear and powerful rivals in front of it. And, although the saga always presents juicy novelties, it begins to suffer from a certain continuity in many aspects.	Read review
Rocket Chainsaw	Andrew Cathie	3.5 / 5 stars	09-19-2020	Overall, NBA 2K21 is a good game with potential that isn’t quite fulfilled. It feels fantastic to play, the A.I. teammates are the best they’ve been and the pushing of VC seems slightly less aggressive. However, while the game is a mixed bag visually, while the story is doesn’t delve as deeply into the struggles with dealing with another’s legendary shadow as it could.	Read review
Saudi Gamer	Ahmed Al-Khabaz	6 / 10	09-14-2020	NBA 2K21 might be the best basketball simulation game out there, but that doesn’t mean it’s perfect and flaw-free. And even though I play NBA on a daily-basis it’s extremely hard to recommend it to anyone especially with the fact that the upcoming next-gen edition will be released soon.	Read review
Shacknews	Donovan Erskine	6 / 10	09-12-2020	NBA 2K21 suffers from the same issues that have held the series down for years. A poor MyCareer story, reused assets, shoddy servers, and an over-importance of VC/microtransactions. The one redeeming quality that NBA 2K21 can boast is its high-level gameplay. Luckily, that’s what you want most from a basketball sim.	Read review
Sirus Gaming	Erickson Melchor	6.5 / 10	09-10-2020	The most memorable things about NBA 2K21 that I’ll connect to it for many years to come are the Black Lives Matter t-shirts and the many tributes to Kobe Byrant. I guess I should thank Visual Concepts for at least remembering Kobe… and probably nothing else.	Read review
SomHráč.sk	Róbert Herda	60 / 100	09-28-2020	Aside from the unbalanced AI, there’s no doubt Visual Concepts and 2K can create a great basketball simulation, but it suffers from so many issues unrelated to the core gameplay that just ruin a potentially fun game.	Read review
SpazioGames	Giulia Garassino	7.7 / 10	09-08-2020	NBA 2K21 entertains with a strong gameplay, but the new shooting system lacks precision and may feel frustrating.	Read review
Sports Gamers Online	Michael Straw	7.5 / 10	09-09-2020	While the demo lowered my expectations, admittedly because of the copy and paste presentation, 2K21 is enough of a change from 2K20 to stand on it’s own.	Read review
Telegraph	Josh Wilson	3 / 5 stars	09-09-2020	Excellent gameplay and an impressive amount of pomp and spectacle continues to be let down by off the court problems	Read review
The Games Machine	Gabriele Barducci	7.9 / 10	09-12-2020	Gameplay wise, NBA 2K21 is once again an excellent product, and the best basket videogame on the market (also due to lack of competition). While very similar to its predecessor, it is also evolved and revised. However, being a 2K title, microtransactions are inescapable.	Read review
TrueGaming	نواف النغموش	7 / 10	09-15-2020	This yearly sequel added and tweaked many gameplay elements to keep it fresh, yet those pesky microtransactions are bit too aggressive in some modes than its predecessor	Read review
Unboxholics	Γιώργος Πρίτσκας	Not Recommended	09-24-2020	NBA 2K21 remains, as every year, a great basketball game that has the potential to offer many hours of fun. But, the development team has done even less things this year to freshen up a package that is starting to become stale	Read review
WayTooManyGames	Leonardo Faria	7 / 10	09-08-2020	This is getting more and more frustrating with each new iteration. NBA 2K21 is not a bad basketball game. It’s robust. It’s realistic. It’s really fun if all you want is a quick match with a friend or the CPU. The problem is that very few additions were included when comparing this game to NBA 2K20, with its additional monetization practices getting even more absurd with each new iteration. When will enough be enough?	Read review
Wccftech	Nathan Birch	6.5 / 10	09-08-2020	It’s hard to escape the feeling that the current-gen version of NBA 2K21 is merely a rushed appetizer before the next-gen main course. Yes, NBA 2K21 can still be a great time, but stagnant presentation, copy-and-pasted modes and features, and new mechanics that clearly weren’t fully worked out combine to make the game feel like a half-hearted buzzer beater throwaway.	Read review
Worth Playing	Redmond Carolipio	7 / 10	10-12-2020	While NBA 2K21 is clearly different from its predecessor in several ways, I can’t say it’s significantly better than what we saw last season. The game still looks fantastic, the commentary is still top-notch, and many of the same battles you might have had with the previous edition are still there, like whether you want to spend so much virtual and real money. If you don’t have any basketball games in your library and want to change that, then by all means, this is as good as it can possibly get.	Read review
ZTGD	Ryan	7 / 10	11-24-2020	NBA 2K21 is a tough game to review. On the court, the game is mostly very good. The passing and dribbling feels excellent and the My Career mode is certainly well-acted. It could easily be a high 8 or 9 if the whole progression system didn’t feel so broken.	Read review

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Game Info

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NBA 2K21 is the latest title in the world-renowned, best-selling NBA 2K series, delivering an industry-leading sports video game experience. With extensive improvements upon its best-in-class graphics and gameplay, competitive and community online features, and deep, varied game modes, NBA 2K21 offers one-of-a-kind immersion into all facets of NBA basketball and culture – where Everything is Game.

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