2K21 MT is officially out now, but I just got my entire review copy yesterday morning, so this inspection in advance will trickle into next week (following the Labor Day weekend). But I was able to put in a good number of hours yesterday, and in that time NBA 2K21 has made it crystal clear that it has claimed the franchise's record of leading on-court gameplay. The majority of the upgrades are relatively small, such as loose rebounds looking and feeling far more realistic, however they also help add to an already strong foundation. The best part of NBA 2K21 so much is the control tweaks, such as the new aim meter, make for an all-new learning curve. Unfortunately, upgrades to the surrounding game modes seem fairly barebones.

The aim-meter mechanic is actually hard to grasp, but has already led to some really satisfying one-on-one isolation victories. It is nice being able to use the ideal stick exclusively as a dribbling tool until I'm ready to pull back for a shot. The ability to size-up, which can be tied to unique dribbling animations for lots of the best players in the league, and isolate is far better than ever. I spent a couple of hours experimenting with different playstyles, like facilitating the pick-and-roll using Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis. It's tremendously rewarding to use Doncic's size and footwork to create area - something that I could not replicate with other guards on the group, such as Seth Curry. While it is not entirely new, NBA 2K21's capability to entertain gamers' playstyles is outstanding this season.

Nevertheless, there are already a few frustrating gameplay issues I've come across, too. Fastbreaks seem slightly enhanced, but participant spacing is still clearly off. For example, even my finest three-point shooters will track inside the three-point lineup on fast breaks when they'd be better off locating space in the corner. In general, it seems like NBA 2K21 hasn't fully adapted to the emphasis modern NBA basketball has set on the three-point line. Quick catch-and-shoots are not as common as they should be, and final out is still far too easy on defense.

Likewise frustrating is that the CPU's capacity to create problems for itself. It functioned as a jarring reminder I was not, in actuality, experiencing a true game of NBA basketball.

From a cursory glance, MyLeague appears to have received nearly zero upgrades. The mode has a decent set of features built into it already, but that is the second year in a row without striking improvements. As someone who loves to deep-dive into franchise building, it's really disappointing that Cheap MT 2K21 there is so little effort being placed into the manner.