NBA 2K21

 PlayStation 4
User Score
0.9

Overwhelming dislike- based on 546 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 546
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 546
  3. Negative: 500 out of 546
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  1. alexbruns
    Sep 9, 2020
    0
    Absolute copy and paste of last year. Literally.
    The little things can't even get updated like your player in the story is called "Junior" yet you'll still hear the crowd or players on the court call you "Che" (nickname for your player from 2K20) and players will text you calling you "Che" as well.
    Do not give 2K any more money, this game is absolute trash and deserves to be left to rot.
  2. junglewhisperer
    Sep 9, 2020
    0
    This game is the epitome of garbage. It is like a bag of literal feces was collected from people who had diarrhea, ziplocked, put in a freezer for a day, put out and was pissed and spat on, and put in a dumpster and lit on fire and then just showered in those ashes. And this game might be an insult to that action. This game is so unbelievably boring, consistently inconsistent,This game is the epitome of garbage. It is like a bag of literal feces was collected from people who had diarrhea, ziplocked, put in a freezer for a day, put out and was pissed and spat on, and put in a dumpster and lit on fire and then just showered in those ashes. And this game might be an insult to that action. This game is so unbelievably boring, consistently inconsistent, mind-bogglingly sweaty, and so repetitive it would be more fun to play actual basketball with no limbs. The shot meter is terrible and resets when you take lay ups and dunks and is permanent unless you go meter-less, the animations and graphics are worse than 2k14 still, MyLeague is still terrible with simulation times, MyTeam is a cash grab and is more casino than game, and MyCareer is all bad servers and not realistic and not fun, it is absolutely one of the worst experiences of my life. You barely get any VC to start out and the grind is longer than climbing Everest with no hands. If this game was free I’d still ask for a refund, this game is like the Knicks but a basketball sim. I’d rather spend my money on supporting ISIS rather than these developers at this point. How could you have three years to make a game and still have no improvements, and I say three cause this is the exact same thing as 2k19 but updates rosters and downgrades in quality. The MyLeague draft classes, settings, and everything is broken and probably won’t be fixed, MyTeam feels the same but you have to start over, and MyCareer is the same as MyTeam. How can it get this bad? I had hope that this game might have been better than 2k20 but it got worse. It’s worse because it’s the same and the most fun I’ve gotten from this game is venting in this review right now. God awful and next gen will probably find a way to be worse, screw 2k who gave them the rights to the NBA, EA Live actually might be better this time around just because 2k has gone downhill so steeply it’s actually unreal. Their best game is probably PGA Tour right now because no one actually cares about that product so they should be lucky to have a game. Basketball fans, the millions of us, deserve better than 2k, at least have MyLeague sim a season in less than a full night of sleep and five GTA V loading screens... terrible game.… Expand
  3. Starscream96
    Sep 9, 2020
    0
    I actually open a Metacritic account just so I could leave a feedback for this game; that's how mad I am with NBA 2K21. The shooting system is abysmal and it's just unplayable. I've played more than 20 games and didn't won any of them; I'm not angry because I can't win though, it's because I've got 8% shooting percentage after the games ! The game is way too tough for casual players andI actually open a Metacritic account just so I could leave a feedback for this game; that's how mad I am with NBA 2K21. The shooting system is abysmal and it's just unplayable. I've played more than 20 games and didn't won any of them; I'm not angry because I can't win though, it's because I've got 8% shooting percentage after the games ! The game is way too tough for casual players and it's not fun at all and very frustrating when any shoot is a miss. It's so ridiculous, I hope they will fix it because eI pay a lot of money for the Mamba Edition and now I'm playing with 2K20 to get my Basketball fix ! Last time I pre order form 2K… Expand
  4. Nba2k1istrash
    Sep 9, 2020
    0
    Really no need for this game. No fresh rosters should have waited till the season was over and taken time to fix the game. From the broke shot meter , to the overpowered defense to the constant pushing of worthless "gear" to the lack of interviews in my season to the broke park ,with no hope of making a shot .. really sad to see it come to this.
  5. HappytoScrap
    Sep 9, 2020
    0
    Chalk me up as another user who created an entire account on this website just to warn people not to buy this garbage. NBA2k20 was a decent game. Much better than this one. They hyped up this one. That Mike Wang guy must wake up laughing at us for forking out money on this.

    He said they did their best to make it fun. I guess he thinks fun is having a football score on a basketball    Chalk me up as another user who created an entire account on this website just to warn people not to buy this garbage. NBA2k20 was a decent game. Much better than this one. They hyped up this one. That Mike Wang guy must wake up laughing at us for forking out money on this.

    He said they did their best to make it fun. I guess he thinks fun is having a football score on a basketball game. This guy had to know he made an awful game that no one would like. I'm sure that sort of thing happens all the time. What burns me up about it is, he sold us on a like of BS telling us they focused on the fun factor when he had to have known that they just destroyed the game.

    He's either an idiot or a liar. I don't think he's an idiot. I'll never buy another NBA2k game. Mortally corrupt d-bags.    … Expand
  6. lilvexican
    Sep 10, 2020
    0
    yeah this is my last 2k.. i've had it with this scamming ass company they don't know how to fix servers after grinding my badges and getting my shooting badges running no shot meter to give me a bonus on park and none of my shots want to drop. 2k20 shooting THEY RUIN THIS GAME DONT BUY IT! STOP GIVING YOUR MONEY TO 2K!
  7. TeShady
    Sep 10, 2020
    0
    The only reason I choose NBA 2k over NBA live is the my career. I understand the NBA now is a shooters league, but that's only in the NBA. Every other league in the world relies on bigs, positioning, and coaching. With that being the case, this is the 3rd year in a row where its play the meta or go home, and i'm going home.
    My build is a 6'8 PAINT beast [red/blue] with max badges and 90    The only reason I choose NBA 2k over NBA live is the my career. I understand the NBA now is a shooters league, but that's only in the NBA. Every other league in the world relies on bigs, positioning, and coaching. With that being the case, this is the 3rd year in a row where its play the meta or go home, and i'm going home.
    My build is a 6'8 PAINT beast [red/blue] with max badges and 90 strength but I can't reliably hit post moves, dunk, or even score in the PAINT over non defensive builds, while playmaking shot-creators can make 100% of their fading shots, can spam behind the back dribbles behind one screen for the entire shot clock and green light their shots after the defender gets brick wall'ed 20 times(broken mechanic that has been in the game since NBA 2k19), they can score however they like in transition since chase downs are broken. you gave shooting a hot fix instantly when the babies with no badges couldn't shoot so how about you give the paint back to the builds that require it especially when they are maxed out.

    PAINT CAMPING IN THE PARK IS CANCER (only allow the defense to be in the paint for 3 seconds like other game modes)
    BRICK WALL SHOULD ACTIVATE 1-3 TIMES PER SCREEN (depending on badge upgrade)
    HEART CRUSHER IS BROKEN (1 steal results in the team being cold??)

    The moment you guys have competition in the basketball gaming market then i feel these issues will be resolved but this is the last 2k I will personally buy and i'm making my friends and viewers pick up and try NBA live for next gen because any other BS is better that the toxic BS you guys put out year after year    … Expand
  8. Menmaatre
    Sep 10, 2020
    0
    This greedy company keeps shelling out terrible games. The highest 3pt you can get in my career is 81!? What the hell is this, best you can do is grow to an average player. It died with microtransactions. 2k needs to be boycotted!
  9. flrn
    Sep 11, 2020
    0
    I don't know how anyone can rate this game with a positive score.
    If you haven't played nba 2k before, it is probably a good game. And if you don't want to play online, it could also be good.
    But when you want to compete online and see the (barely existing) changes from 2k20 to 2k21 it is just naughty, to sell this 2k20 "Patch" as a new full price 2k21 game. Even if the gameplay and the    I don't know how anyone can rate this game with a positive score.
    If you haven't played nba 2k before, it is probably a good game. And if you don't want to play online, it could also be good.
    But when you want to compete online and see the (barely existing) changes from 2k20 to 2k21 it is just naughty, to sell this 2k20 "Patch" as a new full price 2k21 game. Even if the gameplay and the shotmeter has changed and upgraded, the game is still exactly the same.
    - Ok the level designers have managed to create a new park.
    But in other games you would probably find this as a new map in a patch.

    The horrible badge grinding and the huge invitation to buy vc is still existing. Even more than before. What was wrong on the 2k19 badge system where you had to compete a number of "challenges" like doing 3pts, screens, dribbles or whatever to get a badge for that? It was great and rewarding.
    The fact that you see sponsors everywhere you are looking at, is not enough, to milk that game.
    Why do I always have to wait 5 seconds in each timeout, before beeing able to skip? Do I really have to consume the nice sponsor placements all over the arena?

    Try not to milk your community anymore. Sponsor deals should be enough for a sports simulation.
    Otherwise your fat cow will soon be just a blade of grass...    … Expand
  10. bigmo_bitw
    Sep 11, 2020
    0
    I was confused on how this game still made deadline while we were supposed to be in Quarantine on top of the fact that the “previous” seasons is still going on and the NBA Draft didn’t even happen yet. They literally gave us the same game from last year. The only difference is, the VC system is so much more expensive. The value of 100,000VC is much more ridiculous. Takes more VC to get toI was confused on how this game still made deadline while we were supposed to be in Quarantine on top of the fact that the “previous” seasons is still going on and the NBA Draft didn’t even happen yet. They literally gave us the same game from last year. The only difference is, the VC system is so much more expensive. The value of 100,000VC is much more ridiculous. Takes more VC to get to certain levels, even lower levels. The ability and opportunity to obtain more is significantly lower. While making the mechanics difficult. Where the only way to finally get to a reasonable level is to cough up at least an extra $100 worth of VC. And they have the audacity to make justifications to Next-Gen’s price increase when they make their money back and more off of micro transactions alone.… Expand
  11. xste93
    Sep 12, 2020
    0
    The game is trash. Shooting is impossible. Bonus content I paid £84.99 to receive is missing since release (8 days). Unless your a competitive player you will HATE this game. I enjoyed 2K16 it’s what got me into the series but this game is HORRENDOUS
  12. Knaptronic8368
    Sep 12, 2020
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is easily the worst game that 2k has ever made. They copy and pasted most of the game, which I expected due to covid and the move to next gen. But then they decided to revamp the shooting system, which is the worst idea ever conceived. Not only do they add a new system, but they heavily penalize you for using the old system (square button) instead of removing it all together… Expand
  13. FrederickhughH
    Nov 7, 2020
    0
    Anybody that thinks 2k21 is better than 2k20 got to be retarded in all senses. This is the worst game I ever played I want my money back. Whoever produced this game need to take out to the barnyard and deep down with a rubber hose. We all deserve our money back .
  14. Fuk2k21
    Sep 13, 2020
    0
    Buggiest trash game I've ever played. Riddled with microtransactions. They wont fix a bug that prevents you from earning currency, thus trying to force you to pay them for vc. The whole current gen dev team should be fired and forced to work a minimum wage job.
  15. Ite31
    Sep 13, 2020
    0
    A garbage company and garbage game as expected, NBA 2K20 3.0.
    Never asked for a refund from Sony before but this is probably the first time they honor my request.
    Save your headache, wait till it's deeply discounted or come to PSPlus for free. Smarten up and stop supporting these parasites.
  16. steamboi
    Sep 14, 2020
    0
    To let you know how bad this game is, I made an account here just so I could rate it a zero. This is a complete downgrade from 2k20, which really wasn’t the best game itself, so that’s saying something. As everyone has said, the shooting is horrendous. I also think the dribbling has seen a massive downgrade and the animations as a whole are just way worse than 2k20. You think theTo let you know how bad this game is, I made an account here just so I could rate it a zero. This is a complete downgrade from 2k20, which really wasn’t the best game itself, so that’s saying something. As everyone has said, the shooting is horrendous. I also think the dribbling has seen a massive downgrade and the animations as a whole are just way worse than 2k20. You think the animations would get more realistic as the years go on, but this is far from the truth. Overall, this game has probably the worst gameplay of any game I have ever played. Luckily I went 50/50 with my friend to buy the game so I don’t feel as ripped off as I would if I paid $60 for this piece of **** game. If you respect yourself and don’t wanna play a game for the sole purpose of being angry and stressed, stay away from 2k21.… Expand
  17. Zzz71
    Sep 14, 2020
    0
    bottom of the mariana trench bottom of the mariana trench bottom of the mariana trench
  18. travvvy121
    Sep 14, 2020
    0
    Made an account this morning to review this game. Initially I was put off by the new shot meter, but after some practice, I actually saw it as a great new addition (HOF MyTeam player).

    However, this morning the patched it, changing a core mechanic 2 weeks after the games release. This is absurd. You cannot introduce a drastically new shooting mechanic, and change it once players get the    Made an account this morning to review this game. Initially I was put off by the new shot meter, but after some practice, I actually saw it as a great new addition (HOF MyTeam player).

    However, this morning the patched it, changing a core mechanic 2 weeks after the games release. This is absurd. You cannot introduce a drastically new shooting mechanic, and change it once players get the hang of it 2 WEEKS AFTER RELEASE. This is my last outing with 2K. It's a shameless money grab made by designers who overcomplicate things. Video games are meant to be fun.    … Expand
  19. elitecom4
    Sep 14, 2020
    0
    This is the worse 2k ever made. I deleted the game to save space for something else. I will make sure I never pre order this game ever again.
  20. Nickdeaze
    Sep 14, 2020
    0
    Its a trap, with many dangerous pratics and it is much expensive, its the worst game of 2k
  21. gliedman
    Sep 17, 2020
    0
    instead of fixing one of the many broken things from 2k20, 2k decided to **** up something new. THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH SHOOTING IN ANY 2K. WHY IS THAT WHAT YOU CHOSE TO REVAMP? I've been a competitive 2k player for years, and can went 12-0 multiple times last year. This year, I played 1 game of domination, shot 15 percent from three, threw my controller at my wall, and left the room.instead of fixing one of the many broken things from 2k20, 2k decided to **** up something new. THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH SHOOTING IN ANY 2K. WHY IS THAT WHAT YOU CHOSE TO REVAMP? I've been a competitive 2k player for years, and can went 12-0 multiple times last year. This year, I played 1 game of domination, shot 15 percent from three, threw my controller at my wall, and left the room. Devs, you ****ed this one up like you do every year. You do not see your players as customers, but as dollars. I will inevitably play this game, but you better deliver with next gen.… Expand
  22. Halfberry
    Sep 18, 2020
    0
    Playing against the computer who can hit every shot but I can't make a wide open jumper. This is trash.
  23. Nworingo
    Sep 19, 2020
    0
    Feels more like an update not a new game, wish I would’ve waited for it to go on some kind of sale but bought into the hype....
  24. Ken85
    Sep 23, 2020
    0
    Feels like a game made for ps3. Really bad graphics. EA nba games was way smoother then this ever can be. 2K games is stuck in the early 2000..
  25. aaron4
    Sep 25, 2020
    0
    I’m sorry but is literally the worst 2k I’ve played. The animations are so bad and the build system isn’t any better. Please make adjustments to next gen ps5 2k21 I payed 108$ to and I literally deleted the app off of my console.
  26. billister
    Sep 27, 2020
    0
    If I could rate with -10, I would have done it. Every shot in neighborhood is out, even if you have a good release. Piece of junk. Stupid algorithm.
  27. Rushrush
    Oct 7, 2020
    0
    If I could give this game a negative score I would! Easily one of if not the worst nba 2k games I have played. This game is a literal copy and paste of 2k20 and they somehow made it worse. For shooting is inconsistent even if you know your release. I’ve seen releases from not only myself, but other players be released right on the line to only get slightly early/late and miss a wide openIf I could give this game a negative score I would! Easily one of if not the worst nba 2k games I have played. This game is a literal copy and paste of 2k20 and they somehow made it worse. For shooting is inconsistent even if you know your release. I’ve seen releases from not only myself, but other players be released right on the line to only get slightly early/late and miss a wide open jumpers. The defense in this game is also horrible. You can make a lockdown defender with maxed out defensive badges and your assignment will slide off of you as if you bathed in grease before the game. Lateral quickness regardless of rating doesn’t matter, you’ll feel as if you’re playing in molasses. If you plan on buying this game I suggest you keep on playing 2k20. This was the first game I have ever requested a refund for from Sony.… Expand
  28. ecank
    Oct 18, 2020
    0
    This is just an exact copy of NBA2k20. I can't believe I spent €60 for this update package.
  29. 6ix_
    Oct 11, 2020
    0
    The game is literally the exact same game as last year (maybe even before last.) The shooting is awful, the online play is filled with cheese. There has been literally no improvements made, in fact the only thing I can see is new faults. As a long time fan of the 2k series (been playing seriously from 2k9) this is the most disappointed this series has ever made me. At $60, 2k should beThe game is literally the exact same game as last year (maybe even before last.) The shooting is awful, the online play is filled with cheese. There has been literally no improvements made, in fact the only thing I can see is new faults. As a long time fan of the 2k series (been playing seriously from 2k9) this is the most disappointed this series has ever made me. At $60, 2k should be ashamed of themselves for releasing an inferior version of last year's copy at fully price. The only sliver of hope would be next gen improving but at a $70 price tag, I may skip the jump to next gen because I am mortified with 2k at the moment… Expand
  30. Jonaslivebella
    Oct 12, 2020
    0
    The Absolute Worst NBA2K ever.. 100% don't recommend!!!
    Career mode lack of cutscenes!
    MY TEAM no fun , disgusting gameplay !
    letting this **** game going back to 2k16
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Awards & Rankings

24
#24 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2020

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
68

Mixed or average reviews - based on 50 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 50
  2. Mixed: 37 out of 50
  3. Negative: 0 out of 50
  1. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Nov 15, 2020
    70
    It loses a point because of its Virtual Currency (VC) obsession, a recurringissue in 2K games. It’s supposed to ensure that all your actions in every mode – career, MyTeam, even watching 2KTV – secure rewards, but they’re often someagre that the entire game comes across as a grind, aimed at funnelling you towards the PS Store to part with real cash.Please don’t do that. The only way games like this and FIFA will change in the next gen is if their players make a sustainedeffort not to exchange any of their hard-earned dosh for digital trading cards. Otherwise this is solid, but on that front 2K (and EA, and the rest) must do better. [Issue#181, p.94]
  2. GamingBolt
    Oct 31, 2020
    60
    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 full review
  3. Games.cz
    Oct 23, 2020
    70
    On the court, this is a brilliant basketball game that doesn’t change much. Why would it when it’s not really necessary? The microtransactions, however, are more annoying than Houston’s playstyle.
    Read full review
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