I'm GamesRadar+'s NBA 2K MT sports editor, obsessed with NFL, WWE, MLB -- and very occasionally things that don't possess a three-letter acronym. I've got two children that aren't really old enough to perform Madden yet. Shortly, thoug...

NBA 2K21 is officially available today, but I just got my entire review copy yesterday , so this review in progress will spill into next week (after the Labor Day weekend). But I was able to devote a decent number of hours yesterday, and at that time NBA 2K21 has made it clear that it has claimed the franchise's listing of leading on-court gameplay. The majority of the updates are relatively small, such as loose rebounds looking and feeling far more realistic, but they help add to an already strong foundation. Regrettably, updates to the encompassing game modes seem pretty barebones.

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

That said, there are a couple annoying gameplay problems I have come across, too. Fastbreaks seem slightly improved, but player spacing continues to be 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 finding space in the corner. In general, it feels like NBA 2K21 has not completely adapted to the emphasis modern NBA basketball has put on the three-point line. Quick catch-and-shoots aren't as common as they should be, and closing out remains Buy NBA 2K21 MT far too easy on defense.