At this point, NBA 2K21 suggests that 2K21 MT the franchise is out of surprises. It has a robust suite of modes, but despite small remixing year after year, the yearly releases are beginning to blend together (when they haven't already). Mechanics get minor tweaks or additions, but largely stay untouched. So, for those embedded at the 2K cycle, you understand what the deal is, but because this year's game varies things mainly on a surface level, it's hard to be excited about still another entry.

Don't get me wrong, as a lifelong basketball fan who embraced the culture as a wee lad and cherishes road ball memories from back home, I'm still somewhat in awe of how well the game has translated into video game form (I stated as much in my NBA 2K19 review). And that doesn't just come from the player likenesses, character development tools, or even the broadcast-style demonstration; it is an issue of the core gameplay, too. Dribble moves with the right pole offer almost full charge of ball handling. It may feel a bit cluttered having so many actions mapped to slightly different motions on just 1 stick, as errant inputs may sometimes have you pull on a pump-fake rather than the crossover you intended. But if you can master a few important moves, you are going to be at an advantage for chances to drive to the basket or mitigate shot contesting. The same goes for making the right moves in the post-game to get under defenders or get positioning over them. All these are principles of NBA 2K for quite some time.

The large new addition concerning crime is that the discretionary Pro Stick shooting. Prior to 2K21, shooting would either be Buy NBA 2K21 MT Coins done by holding down Square, X, or the ideal pole and time your release at the peak of your jump, signaled by a shot meter overhead. With Guru Stick shooting enabled, you hold the right stick down without needing to be concerned about release timing and instead focus on precise pole alignment according to the shot meter prior to your player releases the shot. While it's a lot simpler to just use X or square for scoring in the paint, Pro Stick is a workable new alternate for jump shots, especially in scenarios when lag or latency may throw off traditional-style launch timing.