mobile app bar

NBA 2k21 Shooting Broken: Why NBA 2k21 is a Big Let Down Compared to 2k20?

Jatin Hasija
Published

NBA 2K21 Rookies : Top three Draft Picks ratings revealed

NBA 2k21 Shooting Broken: The 2K dropped the much anticipated NBA2K21 on 04/09/20 and honestly , it has been a big let down. 

May it be the My Career mode or the gameplay , it is not an upgrade on its predecessor and the 2K studio should have taken more time to work on this. 

NBA 2k21 Broken Shooting

For fifth straight year, the developers have tweaked the shooting mechanics. Why ?? Why to fix something which is not broken ? The NBA2K20 had the best shooting mechanics and shouldn’t have been tweaked with. 

This has changed the whole game. And rightly so. The good thing is you can go to the 2K university mode and practice on your game. 

In the past versions the developers have tried to make the whole experience as realistic as possible and though the graphics can’t get better , the shooting mechanics and ease of play always gets altered. Which changes the whole experience and my takeaway from this version is, not worth the hype. 

The shooting method was simple, it always involved holding the correct button or toggle until a bar beside or under your player filled up. You released once the bar was full, and not too early or too late. There was logic and beauty to it , which is lost in this one. It reminded me more of EA sports Cricket and other such games, where if you dab the keys at wrong point you won’t get the accuracy correctly. 

As explained in my previous article, the shooting in NBA 2K works like , to put the ball in the basket, hold and release the Square button on PS4 or X button on Xbox One, or pull back and release the right thumbstick. That’s the simple aspect of it. 

NBA 2k21 Shot Meter Explained

In the new and the hyped version, when you begin to shoot using the buttons, a Shot Meter will appear above your head like in 2K19. However, the goal is no longer to fill it up entirely. Rather, you’ll want to release once the ‘ticker’ reaches the highlighted yellow section within the bar. It will be in a different spot depending on your player’s skill level, your position on the court and how heavily contested the play is. Nonetheless, you’ll want to release once inside ‘the yellow’. If you time it exactly right, and the circumstances around you are good, you’ll flash green: guaranteed points. A little off and it’s going to be what the Houston Rockets team does mostly, throwing a brick. Tack! 

Important Tip:

The number one key to scoring remains shot selection, as is the case in real life,no matter who you’re playing as or in My career mode. If you’re heavily contested in the paint, you may want to post up (with L2 on PS4 or LT on Xbox One) and then spin or drive a stepback by holding R2/RT and moving the right trigger left or right before quickly releasing. If they won’t give you an opportunity, make one. I have made a living out of this in past editions and in this one, it’s more necessary. So, even if I am playing as Slasher, or a spot up shooter or a Two way player, I go to the paint. 

Also, don’t forget, you can fiddle in the settings to adjust Shot Timing and Aiming, and even the look and feel of the Shot Meter, until you find something that suits you. 

Most importantly, remember to have fun and enjoy the game. 

Also Read: From where to get NBA 2k21 Locker Codes

    About the author

    Share this article