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Following on from last week’s insight into shooting, dribbling, and passing, this week’s NBA 2K21 Next Gen gameplay blog covers movement and contact. We can expect to see a third gameplay blog next week.
Key points discussed in the latest blog include the rebuilt dribble movement, improved motion on defense, more realistic contact, and new foot planting technology. It also covers some features that are exclusive to the PlayStation 5’s controller, with its adaptive triggers and haptic feedback.
I encourage you to read the second NBA 2K21 Next Gen gameplay blog in its entirety for the full scoop, but I’ve also posted a summary below. Add your thoughts in the comments, and join in the discussion taking place here in the Forum!
NBA 2K21 Next Gen Gameplay Blog #2 Summary
- Movement for dribbling has been rebuilt from the ground up. It’s now easier to go where you want on the floor, and there are apparently no unwanted turns, or issues with facing the wrong way. Protect and post movement has been upgraded, and there’s more realism in player speeds and their sense of weight.
- The motion engine is in its third year of development. It features unique contextual animations for various game situations, improved pathing, cuts, and stops, more responsiveness and less twitchiness, increased differentiation in the way players of varying sizes move, and the ability to take small/quick steps with taps of the left stick.
- New foot planting tech aims to reduce/eliminate sliding, by allowing players to take procedural steps when making small adjustments to their position on the floor.
- Interactions between ballhandlers and defenders feature less canned moments, with emphasis on the “cat and mouse game” that takes place between offensive and defensive players. Off-ball interactions have also been re-worked to avoid a feeling of being canned. Vacuum screens have also been removed.
- The Impact Engine is a new in-air contact shot system. Its goal is to resolve collisions as players make contact in mid-air, rather than being locked into animations and defenders on the ground being automatically moved into place to force outcomes. Block targeting has been improved, with players’ hands tracking the ball.
- Contact alley-oop and putback dunk-ons are included for the first time.
- Blocking and charging fouls have been reworked for more accuracy based on being set and getting to the spot in time. There are also “crash” layup animations for contact that warrants a no-call.
- The PlayStation 5’s adaptive triggers will convey fatigue. As players’ energy drains, there’ll be more resistance on the Sprint trigger. Strong post players will also feel less resistance on L2 when backing down opponents, while weaker post players will force gamers to pull L2 with more force.
- Different levels of contact will vibrate the PS5 controller at varying intensities. The haptic feedback will be used to give grazing bumps and hard hits a different feel.
