Is it worth the upgrade?

[JEDL]

Thinking of buying it so I can get started with fictional draft classes and seeing a few already getting a foot on the door is giving me a bit of an inspiration. Though heard from someone that CAP hasn't been updated but the Boom or Bust feature is intriguing. Randomly generated draft classes are still random and awful so there's that too.

[Andrew]

If you're satisfied with NBA 2K20, and in particular if you play MyLEAGUE, it's arguably not worth upgrading just yet. The big issue is that with the pandemic leading to the shutdown and restart of the season, NBA 2K21 Current Gen has obviously launched with 2020 season rosters, no Class of 2020 rookies (as they haven't been drafted and signed yet), and a placeholder schedule. All of that will be updated in time, but for now, the mode is definitely hampered by circumstances beyond 2K's control.

Gameplay-wise, it has some familiar issues and new issues alike, particularly with the shooting and dribbling mechanics in regards to the latter. With that being said, there are mixed feelings about that, and if you like NBA 2K20, it's not impossible that you'll enjoy NBA 2K21 as well. NBA 2K21 is obviously going to receive updates and content moving forward, whereas NBA 2K20 will not, so that's something else to consider. If you're iffy, you could certainly afford to wait for the game to go on sale.

[BPDHoplite]

It isn't simply put

Would value the game at maybe 20 Euro at most as a new MyCareer and MyTeam changes were all that was made.

[TGsoGood]

It truly isn't worth upgrading unless you are on PC and want the challenge of finding ways to mod. At that point you would be buying the game as a puzzle.
Modding and roster creation has always been more fun to me than playing the game. Even that can't save the game. It's just not worth the price tag. I like dribbling, I like the smoothness, I'm ok with shooting. Everything else is either on par with 2K20 or worse.

You can't download rosters, player dna, or draft classes from the community right now. Some have said their created rosters get erased at times.
If they can get that part fixed maybe there can be some reason to get the game. The game in my opinion should have been a $15 to $20 update for 2K20.

[Uncle Drew]

It truly isn't worth upgrading unless you are on PC and want the challenge of finding ways to mod. At that point you would be buying the game as a puzzle.
Modding and roster creation has always been more fun to me than playing the game. Even that can't save the game. It's just not worth the price tag. I like dribbling, I like the smoothness, I'm ok with shooting. Everything else is either on par with 2K20 or worse.

You can't download rosters, player dna, or draft classes from the community right now. Some have said their created rosters get erased at times.
If they can get that part fixed maybe there can be some reason to get the game. The game in my opinion should have been a $15 to $20 update for 2K20.

Thanks for the analysis. I think I'm going to hold out, at least until later this year. If they haven't improved the weak-side defense to stop the easy blow-bys to the cup, then I might as well stay put. New animations and shot mechanics aren't worth 60 bones to me. Fix the defense !!

[daddy123]

The gameplay imo feels better outside of shooting. But all the other stuff is pretty much the same. Graphics, hairstyles, game modes. Also no rookies in the game and same roster.

As a PC player you can just stick with 2K20 and have more. You can get it later on by end of year when game becomes very cheap any ways or just wait till next year when next gen comes to PC.

[Andrew]

After they've worked a few things out with patches and tuning tweaks, updated the game for the new season, and it inevitably goes on sale, I think it's going to have more value for PC gamers and anyone who isn't looking to get the Next Gen consoles. Right now, I wouldn't recommend it. I said it arguably isn't worth it in my previous post, and I'm changing that answer to no, it isn't worth it if you're still on the fence. Again, it could change after a few updates including actual 2021 season rosters when that's finally feasible, but for now, I'd recommend sticking with NBA 2K20 or whichever previous release you prefer.

[sticky-fingers]

just made few games, but i've already seen that sometimes the "physics" go off the rails.Strange/ unrealistic ball movement, calls for ghost fouls while as already mentionned previous games flaws are still there.
i wanted to make a new full game video yersterday, but this happened and i was so piss off to continue

[maumau78]

as now I prefer 2k20 with mods....maybe with some patches and some fix 2k21 will take over.

I will stay with 2k20 for now....IMHO not worth upgrade expecially at launch.....

[Thunder Shaq]

as now I prefer 2k20 with mods....maybe with some patches and some fix 2k21 will take over.

I will stay with 2k20 for now....IMHO not worth upgrade expecially at launch.....

Agreed, until we can get proper modding tools and fixes to glaring errors, the game isn’t worth playing in its current state. Quite the mess

[sticky-fingers]

2K20 on this gen has the best modding tools, amazing modded content, while in few weeks, with 2K21 next gen release, many players will move & play on PS5/XBS.

it's fun to discover and mod the new last game, but if the delivered experience isnt good we dont have to move on this last game for modding.

But right now, I don't have the courage or the desire for example to waste time to look for hex values for team city names for retro scoreboards or to convert the few CF i've done.

BTW, after a new full game, I persist : the "physics" are totally faulty, specially shooting with RFG% ; it is a terrible experience this year which proves that something wrong under the hood.

[Thunder Shaq]

2K20 on this gen has the best modding tools, amazing modded content, while in few weeks, with 2K21 next gen release, many players will move & play on PS5/XBS.

it's fun to discover and mod the new last game, but if the delivered experience isnt good we dont have to move on this last game for modding.

But right now, I don't have the courage or the desire for example to waste time to look for hex values for team city names for retro scoreboards or to convert the few CF i've done.

BTW, after a new full game, I persist : the "physics" are totally faulty, specially shooting with RFG% ; it is a terrible experience this year which proves that something wrong under the hood.

Yeah, I expected minimal improvements between games. Didn't expect it to get worse

[Andrew]

They tried to implement a major change to controls and mechanics at the end of a generation with tech that's showing its age and has had problems since it was implemented, in a year where development was hindered by a global pandemic. It wasn't going to end well.

[JEDL]

Holy moly I thought I had this thread deleted because I wasn't getting any responses lol. Anyway yeah I'm glad I didn't impulsively buy the game. I was really keen for next gen and I should probably just wait for that instead. Thanks for the responses guys!

[Andrew]

I restored it because I had meant to reply earlier and I think it's an important conversation to have.

[mp3]

I think I may still wait till 2k updates a few things, years ago it would of killed me to not be playing the latest game but iam oknow with it now I think mainly because the game remains untouched in respect to myleague and I am still unsure if not too wait till until next gen now and try save for the digital ps5

[eda]

I'm not surprised there hasn't been much change (based on the posts above) since 2k20.
I skipped several years, plus, switched to a console version.
Thus, has the game improved since 2k18?

[mp3]

I think it depends on what modes you play, for me I don't have 2k21 yet but from what I've heard it's pretty much 2k21 and people can't even say it's just such a 2k with a roster update like they used too in recent years because there isn't a roster update even as mentioned above too but I don't think the game has improved since 2k16. In fact I think it's gone backwards from a myleague standpoint which is the only mode I play but it's different strokes for different folk I guess

[eda]

I don't dive into the game that deep. I prefer some casual game from time to time. Playoff tops.
So I'm rather interested in the gameplay itself. Presentation of course.

[sticky-fingers]

I'm not surprised there hasn't been much change (based on the posts above) since 2k20.
I skipped several years, plus, switched to a console version.
Thus, has the game improved since 2k18?

2k19 is better than 2K18.
2K20 is similar to 2K19 with AI flaws on defense, but the game has the best modding tools and features
Not sure right now that 2K21 is superior to 2K18

[mp3]

Yeah them defensive flaws are a killer in 2k20, iam currently trying to play now and it's near impossible to stay in front of your man with the skating and a screen means the offensive player has a land to the basket because zero or very little help is coming

[Andrew]

I liked NBA 2K19 and NBA 2K20 a lot more than NBA 2K18, but there are still legacy issues, including a few new ones that were introduced with the motion system that debuted in NBA 2K18.

[mp3]

See these are the things that lead me back to nba live the legacy issues etc, it's like 2k just don't give a crap or are like screw it till next Gen I really don't know

[sticky-fingers]

i previously mentionned that, but i'm pretty sure that most parts (ui, 3d models, faces, animations, gameplay, scoreboard etc...) are developed separately and assembled just before the release.
And each years, all those elements vary slightly, but at the end new issues appears.
few examples of things guetting worse the next year :
- 2K14 NG > 2K15 lighting
- 2k16 > 2k17 bodies
- 2k16 > 2k17 ai
- 2k16 > 2k17 lighting
- 2K17 > 18 player animations
- 2K17 > 18 lighting
- 2k17 > 18 big heads
- 2k17 > 18 blowby issue
- 2k19 > 20 ingame tactics selections
- 2k19 > 20 double team issue
- 2k19 > 20 blowby issue
- 2k20 > 21 jerseys physics

While pandemic and lockdown could let them work and fix at lkeast simple things ; rosters/sig/tendencies/playbooks/make a bubble arena ... this year, even with a 95%+ copy/paste, they succeed to add more issues with for example strange physics of the ball.

[Thunder Shaq]

I have played 2k16, 2k17, 2K18, 2k19, 2k20, and 2K21 on this generation. Of those games, 2K18 is by far the worst. The gameplay was awful and the art was awful. Jerseys were way too bright and unrealistic. Also, can’t forget it had the worst Create a Player I’ve ever seen on this generation. I can understand if people consider 2k19,20, and 21 to be basically copy and paste jobs but nothing Is worse than 2K18.

If 2K21 is just going to be a copy and paste of 2k20 but without the modding tools and good shot meter, I may have to go back to 2k20