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NBA 2K21 next-gen gameplay revealed

We've got an extended look at what gameplay will look like in NBA 2K21.

Donovan Erskine

October 28, 2020 2:40 PM

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NBA 2K21 released back in September on PC and modern consoles but is set to get a re-release next month on the new generation of systems. The basketball sim is being built to be a brand new experience on the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5, taking advantage of the powerful hardware. We’ve already seen what the players will look like, and now the developers are showing off full gameplay of 2K21 on next-gen consoles. 

The new gameplay video was posted to the NBA 2K YouTube channel and features commentary from Visual Concepts Executive Producer Erick Boenisch and Gameplay Director Mike Wang. We see the team select screen, pre-game introduction, and then unedited gameplay of a match between the Golden State Warriors and New Orleans Pelicans. During the video, the developers talk about what’s new in the next-gen version of the game. 

NBA 2K21 on next-gen alters the default camera angle, bringing it closer to the ground and zooming in further on the action. This was inspired by what we saw used during the NBA bubble games in the restart of the 2019-2020 season. The camera is one of several presentation changes we see in the basketball sim. There are more people on the court during warm-ups, new on-court commentators, and a redesigned scoreboard. 

As mentioned in the video, the presentation is just a slice of the new changes in NBA 2K21’s next-gen version. There’s better lighting and graphics, and the devs have been able to create more realistic and unique player movements. As for gameplay, we see star rookie Zion Williamson catch a lob from Lonzo Ball, slamming it down over Stephen Curry. The devs mention that these new contact alley-oops were achievable thanks to the new impact engine.

NBA 2K21 looks to be quite different from its current-gen predecessor, which didn’t fare too well in our Shacknews review. NBA 2K21 will arrive on next-gen consoles when they launch on November 10 and November 12 respectfully. Come back to Shacknews tomorrow for more news on NBA 2K21.

Donovan Erskine

News Editor

Donovan is a young journalist from Maryland, who likes to game. His oldest gaming memory is playing Pajama Sam on his mom's desktop during weekends. Pokémon Emerald, Halo 2, and the original Star Wars Battlefront 2 were some of the most influential titles in awakening his love for video games. After interning for Shacknews throughout college, Donovan graduated from Bowie State University in 2020 with a major in broadcast journalism and joined the team full-time. He is a huge Scream nerd and film fanatic that will talk with you about movies and games all day. You can follow him on twitter @Donimals_