IGN Review - NBA 2K21 [Next-Gen]

[ksuttonjr76]

Re: IGN Review - NBA 2K21 [Next-Gen]

I mean, to be fair, any game that has predatory microtransactions like 2K should be scored less. I'm pretty sure that I've seen many people talk about microtransactions in their reviews, as well. It is a part of the game now, but that doesn't mean that people should accept ***** microtransactions. And I think that is the difference as to why you can't just give every game with microtransactions a maximum score.


The game is great, but from the review, for me at least, they made it pretty clear that microtransactions in this game, in particular, reduced the overall enjoyment. Most other games don't have microtransactions that affect gameplay, with most games these days relying on cosmetics, or things that you can easily, reasonably get with a decent time commitment. I played 2k MyTeam for months last gen, and I didn't get a Galaxy Opal until 2 months before 2k21 came out, when they started selling the guaranteed Opal packs. Outside of PNO (and maybe MyLeague? I don't play, so idk), VC is used in every mode for some reason or another. So at this point, 2K is one of the few games where microtransactions are embedded into the very fabric of the game, to the point where you can't even play half of the modes if you're offline.

And I think that's what ruffles people's feathers with this game. Most games with microtransactions don't release once a year, every year. I can boot up Fortnite right now and find everything that I've ever earned in there. Many games leave microtransactions in areas that don't give a player an advantage over another (hence the pay to win aspects). Games that do are typically called out.

If 2K didn't charge 70 dollars for a game that only people who play 2K exclusively could have the time to enjoy, then I could see that score being higher. But considering that being able to fully experience both MyTeam and MyPlayer, without spending a dime on VC, is impossible without putting in more hours in the game than one would a full-time job... And that whatever progress you do make is going to been pointless in a year... I can see why it got that low.

To me, I really don't believe the video game industry, as a whole, will reverse course on microtransactions. As long as people "can't control themselves", microtransactions are here to stay.

Maybe because I'm an older gamer (been playing videogames since the early 80's), but I appreciate and understand the grind to achieve items in videogames. I don't want or care about the instant gratification that microtransactions give people. I don't care about owning the coolest weapon/accessories the game has to to offer. I don't care about chasing clout or being on the top of the leaderboards. These are probably the reason why microtransactions don't bother me or eat at my soul.

It's a videogame. Nothing more, nothing less. I pick up the controller with the intentions of escaping reality for a few hours. I don't have these super high expectations of the perfect game design either. Videogames is my main way of unwinding, but it's not my life's blood. I take it for what it is...entertainment. How can anyone enjoy something when they're always so quick to trash it and take any "imperfection" as a personal attack against the "culture"? It's not that deep.

[zhouprodigy92]

Re: IGN Review - NBA 2K21 [Next-Gen]

To me, I really don't believe the video game industry, as a whole, will reverse course on microtransactions. As long as people "can't control themselves", microtransactions are here to stay.

Maybe because I'm an older gamer (been playing videogames since the early 80's), but I appreciate and understand the grind to achieve items in videogames. I don't want or care about the instant gratification that microtransactions give people. I don't care about owning the coolest weapon/accessories the game has to to offer. I don't care about chasing clout or being on the top of the leaderboards. These are probably the reason why microtransactions don't bother me or eat at my soul.

It's a videogame. Nothing more, nothing less. I pick up the controller with the intentions of escaping reality for a few hours. I don't have these super high expectations of the perfect game design either. Videogames is my main way of unwinding, but it's not my life's blood. I take it for what it is...entertainment. How can anyone enjoy something when they're always so quick to trash it and take any "imperfection" as a personal attack against the "culture"? It's not that deep.

I don't care about any of that stuff, either. My replies get too long-winded lol, so my apologies, I'll try and keep this one short.

The fact that you can spend money on just opening packs just so you can get your favorite player, and use him in a game mode that markets itself off of building a team of your favorite players, and still not get him (or a player that is still kinda decent) isn't very entertaining for a videogame.

I feel like entertainment is the perfect word. Because entertainment can take many forms. Entertainment can be a 2 hour night at the movies. But if a movie theater, after selling you a $10 ticket, proceeded to cut the A/C off, and charged you 10 dollars for a fan that "may cut on, maybe not", and then charged you 10 dollars for a bucket that might contain popcorn, that might be salted/buttered, and then charged you 2 dollars to enter a door that might have a bathroom behind it.... See how, at that point, even a person who loves going to movie theaters would hate going to one now?

Entertainment still costs money, and any other industry, in a review, is going to talk about the cost of that entertainment, as well as the value that you get for your money.

Maybe I'm young and spoiled ('92 baby), but money is something that is already scarce to me, as well as time. And if a game that I spent 60 bucks on is going to make design decisions to make my experience in their main game modes more frustrating than entertaining, I would hope that there is a review that is going to let me know to go see a movie, instead.

This might still be long, but my bad

[JA8891]

Re: IGN Review - NBA 2K21 [Next-Gen]

Can anyone confirm if other older nba 2k games can be played on next gen? Disc or digital? Even last gen 2ks if not the others? I want to know the facts about this backwards compatibility.

Thank you all and sorry this is out of the blue... just cant find this information anywhere!

[Dione2014]

Re: IGN Review - NBA 2K21 [Next-Gen]

Yes you can play all of them. Even the PS4 version of 2K21

Can anyone confirm if other older nba 2k games can be played on next gen? Disc or digital? Even last gen 2ks if not the others? I want to know the facts about this backwards compatibility.

Thank you all and sorry this is out of the blue... just cant find this information anywhere!

Sent from my SM-N986U1 using Operation Sports mobile app

[JA8891]

Re: IGN Review - NBA 2K21 [Next-Gen]

Is that disc only? For instance not seeing nba 2k11 anywhere in the online stores for digital purchase.

[zhouprodigy92]

Re: IGN Review - NBA 2K21 [Next-Gen]

Is that disc only? For instance not seeing nba 2k11 anywhere in the online stores for digital purchase.

Only PS4 games are backwards compatible, so 2k11 wouldn't be included in this.

For the most part, only a small amount of PS4 games aren't playable on PS5. If you have the PS4 version, you can play it on the PS5 (of course, you can't play the disc version if you have a digital PS5).

But anything before PS4 can't be played, unless there is an actual PS4 version.

[JA8891]

Re: IGN Review - NBA 2K21 [Next-Gen]

How about Xbox Series X or S? Does NBA 2k11 play on it? Disc & Digital version?

Has anyone personally seen this work?