NBA 2K21 Arcade Edition Image
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  • Summary: Making its highly-anticipated debut on Apple Arcade, NBA 2K21 puts you on the court with today's top NBA stars like Damian Lillard, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Zion Williamson, and Anthony Davis.

    Pickup a competitive Quick Match in one of 30 NBA arenas or on the Blacktop. Jump into a
    Making its highly-anticipated debut on Apple Arcade, NBA 2K21 puts you on the court with today's top NBA stars like Damian Lillard, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Zion Williamson, and Anthony Davis.

    Pickup a competitive Quick Match in one of 30 NBA arenas or on the Blacktop. Jump into a multiplayer game with up to 2 friends, or start your journey to NBA legend status in MyCAREER mode.

    Sporting a new graphics engine that offers the highest possible resolution Apple devices allow, Everything Is Game in NBA 2K21.
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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 3
  2. Negative: 1 out of 3
  1. Apr 12, 2021
    75
    NBA 2K21 Arcade Edition is undoubtedly an ambitious title, which brings the highly appreciated sports experience of the 2K Games series to Apple Arcade with absolutely no microtransactions.
  2. 50
    The game looks fine, though obviously paired right down over what you can eke out of your PlayStation 5 version of the game. Just what kind of graphical performance you get seems to depend on your device. On the Apple TV, for example, the crowds seem to have been turned off, which lends games an odd energy and atmosphere; the sounds are still there but the chairs are empty. I call it "COVID-19 match mode", though, so for now it's actually timely. Also, the crowds are there when playing on higher-end iPhones. Whatever the case the animation is smooth and the range of camera angles are great. This is a good game of basketball and strikes a good balance between depth and accessibility. I just wish that 2K didn't use this as a bare-bones demo for the full console experience and gave us that season mode.
  3. May 14, 2021
    40
    NBA 2K21 Arcade Edition tries to bring the NBA 2K experience to mobile, but it throws the ball out of bounds more than it sinks the open jumper. While the players on the court look good on the phone, the occasional errant movement or visual glitch breaks immersion fast. The repeated audio cues are annoying, the limited mode selection limits the game's longevity, and the touch controls are a detriment. There's a solid NBA game here if you use a controller, but there are so many frustrating elements around it that it's better for everyone to not enter this NBA Draft.
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