For years, playing the newest NBA2K always felt like playing the same game over and over again especially the past two years.

Having so many versions of the same game flooding the market, what 2K producers are doing is very bad for the gaming community because it pushes consumers away from the game. Why should someone pay close to 60 dollars just to play a slightly-changed game every year. After all, basketball is basketball; the core game is not new.

Since NBA2K16, the developers did a really good job of evolving each version by making the game more realistic and the gameplay more enjoyable. However, around 2k20 and 2k21, people really didn’t enjoy it anymore, because the overall gameplay, settings, content, as well as the MyPlayer Builder were all exactly the same. The game developers had run out of ways to change it up or were convinced of the old adage, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” It may not be broke, but the formula has definitely grown stale.

So If you are trying to buy NBA2K21 on the Playstation 4 you should probably wait until the Playstation 5 comes out. With the coming of the new gaming system, more power means more possibilities. The ps5 version has better graphics, new content, a brand new MyPlayerBuilder, and new affiliations: the NorthSide Knights, South City Vipers, Beast of the East, and Western Wildcats, according to nba.2k.com.

If you can’t wait to buy NBA2K21, you could buy the Mamba Edition, which gives you access to play on the Playstation 4 and the Playstation 5 (when you can afford to buy one). You get 100,000 VC (virtual currency) and a bunch of mamba shoes and clothes to customize your MyPlayer.                                   

This year’s NBA2K earns an ESRB rating of E for everyone. The overall ranking system in NBA2K is based on the performance of the player in real life, and the number one rated player in the game is Lebron James, with an outstanding rating of 98 overall. Apparently, he earned that rating because in real life he carried his team to the finals and won the championship. He also won the finals mvp and averaged  27.8 ppg, 11.0 rebounds, 8.5 assists, according to the writers at USA TODAY Sports.

The gameplay on NBA2K21 is pretty solid; they did upgrade the graphics and the controls. The one major annoyance is that the shooting system has been changed, making you more than likely have to buy a jump shot boost for every game at a cost of 200VC, or you will struggle every game you play.

This new edition of 2K added the new shot-stick aiming. With this feature, you have to aim your right stick directly down in the center, and you will get rewarded more than if you would have shot with the square button, but if you aim it a little to the left or to the right you will more than likely miss or even airball. This is a problem because other players have been using a Zen Controller, a modded controller which allows people to hit green lights consistently. So if you go up against a Zen user, you are much more likely to lose, and that is not fun. It is not worth the 60 dollars you spent, so the 2K community members are hoping the 2K development team can resolve this situation quickly. 

With the new trailer that NBA2K released, consumers saw a teaser of the gameplay and a sneak peak of the new affiliations of 2k21 on the new Playstation 5: it was amazing. So if you are deciding to buy NBA2K21, you should wait for the Playstation 5.