The next-gen version of NBA 2K21’s MyTeam is looking strong.
This had been a bit of a down year for me as it pertains to NBA 2K’s MyTeam. It’s not that the mode isn’t good this year. To the contrary, it’s as fleshed-out as ever, and the shift to a live service has been an overall plus.
However, the lack of a salary cap mode has remained a deterrent for me as having to keep up with the stipulations for MyTeam Limited are a bit more than I want to be concerned with–especially when you consider you still have to maintain a decent level of knowledge on new cards, etc.
That said, the recent ads for the Possessed series are using next-gen footage to push the newest cards. The renders, arenas and lighting mostly look amazing. Take a gander:
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The Vince Carter, James Harden and LeBron James renders are phenomenal. I’m finally seeing some appropriate heft on Harden’s frame, though that midsection should still be a little wider.
Also, the LeBron block animation is stellar as he reaches some pretty insane heights with his swat of Steve Nash in the short video. I also love the courts which appear to be exclusive to next-gen MyTeam. With just 10 days remaining before the launch on Xbox Series X|S, I’d expect to hear about all of the features on next-gen hardware in the coming week.
The only one of these videos that isn’t attractive is the last one featuring Tracy McGrady. This looks far too much like NBA Live, and that’s a bad thing.
It’s not about copying, it’s more about the fact that 2K’s visuals were always more impressive than Live’s, so it makes no sense to take the artistic style in that direction. This is the second look that I’ve seen that has conjured up thoughts of EA’s fledgling hoops series.
2K would be wise to stay far away from anything related to the artistic design for that series. There are a couple of things from the NBA Live series that might be cool to emulate or to be inspired by, but player renders isn’t one of them.
Still, these previews did stir my interest a bit in the mode again. Without salary cap, I’m not sure how long I’ll stay interested, but there is a pulse.
