The Curtain Rises on the First Gameplay Video and Screenshots for Popular Heartwarming Simulation RPG Series
Torrance, Calif. – September 17, 2020 – XSEED Games, the independent-minded publishing brand of Marvelous USA, Inc., today announced that Rune Factory 5, the long-awaited sequel in the beloved simulation RPG series, will launch in 2021 on the Nintendo Switch™ system in North America. Most recently, Rune Factory 4 Special released in February 2020 to high critical praise with a Metacritic score of 81. In-game footage of Rune Factory 5 was revealed for the first time in today’s Nintendo Direct mini, showing off a brand new look at the game’s stylized and vibrant art.
About Rune Factory 5
Set off on a grand adventure in a fantasy world with the latest entry in the Rune Factory simulation RPG series. After losing their memory, the hero lands in a small town blessed by nature. There, they are recruited into a band of peacekeeping rangers, and their new life begins. In addition to their normal duties, the hero can farm the land, cast a line into the nearby river, and so much more! Team up with townsfolk to battle monsters and unleash powerful combination attacks—just one of the features new to the series. The stage is set, and the curtain rises on an exciting new adventure in Rune Factory 5!
Key features:
Tame monsters or team up with townsfolk to explore a massive world
Defend the frontier and support your community as a peacekeeping ranger
Unleash uniquely powerful combo attacks with your teammates
Cultivate crops in the fields
Find friendship, love, and family with a colorful cast of character
Developed by Marvelous Inc. and published in North America by XSEED Games and Europe by Marvelous Europe, Rune Factory 5 is scheduled to launch in 2021 on the Nintendo Switch. The game will launch in Spring 2021 in Japan. This game has not yet been rated by the ESRB.
XSEED Games is the independent-minded publishing brand of Marvelous USA, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Marvelous Inc., which is a publicly traded company listed in the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Formed in 2004 and located in Torrance, California, XSEED Games publishes interactive entertainment content for PC and consoles from the Marvelous portfolio as well as from a wide variety of third-party partners. Whether it’s Marvelous properties such as STORY OF SEASONS (Bokujo Monogatari), SENRAN KAGURA, and Rune Factory, or third-party titles such as the Corpse Party and AKIBA’S TRIP series or the recently released Granblue Fantasy: Versus, XSEED Games has grown its reputation among gamers with its critically acclaimed localizations and commitment to fans, remaining ever dedicated to its “indie spirit, player-first” approach.
Retail Pre-Orders Now Available for Little Nightmares II
BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. has announced that the macabre and mysterious Little Nightmares II is available now for preorder in the Americas for PlayStation®4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PCs via STEAM®. Players who pre-order Little Nightmares II will receive the TEKKEN-inspired Mokujin Mask headgear for protagonist Mono, a mask carved from a 2000-year-old tree. The mask charm will add visual flourish to Mono’s look, but its power won’t protect him from the horrors that await him in the Pale City. More information regarding digital pre-orders and editions will be available at a later date.
Produced in partnership with Tarsier Studios, Little Nightmares II follows the story of Mono, a young boy trapped in a world distorted by the humming transmission of a distant Signal Tower. With Six, the girl in a yellow raincoat, together they set out to discover the grim secrets of the world whilst fleeing from the monstrous residents out to capture them.
Little Nightmares II will be available starting February 11, 2021 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PCs via STEAM, and later in 2021 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X with a free upgrade for owners of the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One version.
THE CHIMERA ANT KING JOINS THE FIGHT IN JUMP FORCE AS A MERUEM GAMEPLAY TRAILER IS REVEALED
BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. today released a new gameplay trailer for the Chimera Ant King Meruem, who is set to join the star-studded JUMP FORCE roster this fall as part of Character Pass 2. To see how Meruem blends his tremendous physicality and Nen abilities to generate an entirely unique new playstyle, head over to the following YouTube trailer below:
In addition to Meruem, JUMP FORCE Character Pass 2 also features the now-available Shoto Todoroki, the recently revealed Hiei, and two currently unannounced characters from Bleach and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. By purchasing Character Pass 2 for $17.99, players will immediately obtain Todoroki, as well as gain early access to Meruem, Hiei and each subsequent DLC character upon their release; characters may also be purchased individually for $3.99.
JUMP FORCE is currently available in the Americas for PlayStation®4, Xbox One and PCs via STEAM®. The JUMP FORCE Deluxe Editionis also currently available for Nintendo Switch.
BANDAI NAMCO ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA INC. KEEPS THE GOOD TIMES ROLLING AS KATAMARI DAMACY REROLL ROLLS ONTO THE PLAYSTATION 4 AND XBOX ONE
One of BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc.’s Most Unique and Beloved Video Game Franchises is Set to Launch for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on November 20, 2020
SANTA CLARA, Calif., (September 17, 2020) – Leading video game developer and publisher BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. today announced that The Dashing Prince and King of All Cosmos make their grand entry onto the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and Xbox One in the Americas on November 20, 2020. Featuring truly unique gameplay that’s easy to pick-up and play and backed by a whimsical soundtrack, Katamari Damacy REROLL will transport players to a magical world of delight and fun where anything and everything can be rolled up into a Katamari ball.
The King of All Cosmos has knocked out all the stars in the sky after a particularly rambunctious night of fun. Realizing his mistake, The King has tasked his young son, The Prince, to go to Earth and roll up as many things as possible to recreate the missing celestial bodies. Paper clips, books, cars, buildings, mountains, and continents, nothing is too big or too small for The Prince and his adhesive Katamari ball. For players looking to challenge their friends to a “roll-off”, Katamari Damacy REROLL will feature a head-to-head local multiplayer mode where the player who rolls up the biggest Katamari ball wins praise from the King of the Cosmos.
“The Katamari Damacy series embodies pure joy and whimsy. The combination of its out-of-this-world story, colorful art style, cute characters, and delightful J-pop soundtrack, the game personifies light-hearted fun.” said Abelina Villegas, Associate Brand Manager for BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. “2020 has been a trying year and we hope the arrival of Katamari Damacy REROLL on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One will deliver smiles and laughter to households around the globe.”
For more information regarding Katamari Damacy REROLL and other titles from BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. please visithttps://www.bandainamcoent.com, follow us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/BandaiNamcoUS, or join the conversation on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/BandaiNamcoUS.
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About BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc.
BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc., part of BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc., is a leading global publisher and developer of interactive entertainment for all major video game consoles, iOS, Android, and online platforms. The company is known for creating and publishing many of the industry’s top video game franchises including PAC-MAN®, GALAGA®, TEKKEN®, SOULCALIBUR®, and ACE COMBAT®. BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. is the premier publisher in the Western hemisphere for anime based video games including NARUTO SHIPPUDEN™, DRAGON BALL Z®, and ONE PIECE®. More information about the company and its products can be found at http://www.bandainamcoent.com or www.facebook.com/BandaiNamcoUS
Customers can Order an ORIGIN PC Desktop Powered by an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 at ORIGINPC.com
Miami, FL – September 17th, 2020, 9:00 A.M. EDT— ORIGIN PC announced today the availability of the new NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3080 GPU on its award-winning line of gaming and professional workstation desktops for gamers, content creators, streamers, enthusiasts, artists, and professionals around the world. Customers can now order an ORIGIN PC desktop featuring the GeForce RTX 3080 for the best next-gen gaming experience at ORIGINPC.com.
The new NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series GPUs, the 2nd generation of RTX, feature new RT Cores, Tensor Cores and streaming multiprocessors, bringing stunning visuals, amazingly fast frame rates, and AI acceleration to games and creative applications. Powered by the NVIDIA Ampere architecture, which delivers increases of up to 1.9X performance-per-watt over the previous generation, the RTX 30 Series effortlessly powers graphics experiences at all resolutions.
“ORIGIN PC has remained an outstanding partner on major GeForce launches, and the GeForce RTX 30 Series is no different,” said Matt Wuebbling, vice president of global GeForce marketing at NVIDIA. “We’re excited to be working with ORIGIN PC on bringing to market their latest GeForce RTX 30 Series powered PCs that will no doubt deliver exceptional gaming experiences.”
“21 years of bringing gamers incredible graphics performance culminates with the release of the GeForce RTX 30 Series on ORIGIN PC desktops. Unprecedented speeds, and benchmark setting performance easily makes the GeForce RTX 30 Series a must-buy for gamers, professionals, and enthusiasts seeking the best possible PC gaming graphics performance on the planet,” said Kevin Wasielewski, ORIGIN PC CEO and co-founder. “We’re proud to launch these GPUs in our award-winning desktops such as the ORIGIN PC NEURON and MILLENNIUM. Combined with our 24/7 support team, an ORIGIN PC powered by an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series GPU is the true next-gen experience in 2020 and beyond.”
For more information about NVIDIA GeForce 30 Series GPUs in ORIGIN PC desktops please visit: https://www.originpc.com/landing/2020/nvidia-30-series/
Customers interested in customizing and ordering an ORIGIN PC desktop with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 can visit: https://www.originpc.com/gaming/desktops/
ORIGIN PC builds custom, high-performance desktops, workstations, and laptops for hardware enthusiasts, digital/graphics artists, professionals, government agencies, and gamers. ORIGIN PCs are hand built, tested, and serviced by knowledgeable gaming enthusiasts, industry veterans, and award-winning system integrators. Every ORIGIN PC comes with free lifetime 24/7 support based in the United States. The ORIGIN PC staff is comprised of award-winning enthusiasts, experienced in the gaming and PC markets who want to share their passion with others. ORIGIN PC is located in Miami, FL and ships worldwide. For more information, please visit www.ORIGINPC.com or call 1-877-ORIGIN-Ø. (674-4460)
Discover Dormant Ruins and Unlock Exciting New Abilities for Ryza!
Hertfordshire, 17th September 2020 – Today, KOEI TECMO Europe and developer GUST Studios revealed further details for the latest entry in their heart-warming Atelier series, Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy. Set to launch this Winter for the Nintendo Switch™, PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, and Windows PC via Steam®, players will reunite with a familiar face as they set off on a journey to solve the lost legends of the land.
In Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy, Ryza embarks on a quest to explore the mysterious ruins that lay dormant around the Royal Capital in the hopes of uncovering the truth behind the bygone legends of the land. These ruins offer players unique puzzles to overcome, while discoveries made in the ruins unlock exciting new field actions, including the ability to ride monsters across the land! Ryza will have to rely on her exploration skills, and her capable companions, to guide her way to the ruins and spring her investigation into action.
Throughout Ryza’s adventure, her Exploration Diary will be pivotal when venturing throughout the various ruins, as it organises all of the player’s discoveries, allowing them to form their own theories and solve every mystery they encounter. As they explore every inch of the ruins, and complete their Research List while collecting ‘Ruin Fragments’ and “Memory Fragments”, they will unlock clues which will then be stored in the diary. Uncovering clues can be challenging, but thanks to the incredibly useful ‘Compass of Recollection’, players will be able to evoke memories from the ruins that allows them to see the general location of where Ruin Fragments are located. By successfully piecing together the clues, the mysteries of the ruins will become clearer. By solving these puzzles, players will be able to unlock special alchemy recipes to aid them on their quest, along with helping Ryza grow.
Luckily for our heroine, Ryza will not be alone as she explores the mysterious ruins! Joining her party is her old childhood friend, Lent Marslink. After their adventures on Kurken Island, Lent set off on a journey to improve his skills in combat. Over the years, his once cheerful demeanour has faded, and he’s not happy to reunite with his friends.
Gamers who purchase a physical or digital copy of Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy during the first two weeks of release will receive an Early Purchase Bonus code for the Summer Fashion Costume Set. In addition, gamers who have save data from Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout will be able to unlock the Classic Costume Set, including outfits for Ryza and her friends from the previous title.
KOEI TECMO EUROPE LTD. is a publisher of interactive entertainment software for current generation consoles, handhelds and digital download content based in Letchworth, Hertfordshire, UK. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of KOEI TECMO HOLDINGS CO., LTD., headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. KOEI TECMO’s best known for their signature ‘one versus thousands’ Warriors series, the fan-favourite Ninja Gaiden and fighting entertainment title Dead or Alive. Through collaboration with strong existing franchises, such as A.O.T. Wings of Freedom (Attack on Titan), has brought fan-favourite shows to life in video game form. The company’s desire for innovation and diversity has seen the creation of the critically acclaimed dark-samurai action title Nioh, which takes on new and unique gameplay styles. The company’s acquisition of GUST, developer of a variety of heart-warming titles, has seen their flagship Atelier series span generations of consoles and fans alike. More information about KOEI TECMO EUROPE LTD and its products can be found at www.koeitecmoeurope.com
Hong Kong – September 17th, 2020 – In a joint collaboration, independent developer and publisher eastasiasoft and online retailer Playasia, are happy to announce that Compile Heart and Idea Factory’s sexy dungeon crawling comedy Moero Crystal H is out now on the eShop for Nintendo Switch, available at $39.99/€39.99/£34.99, with a launch discount of 15%. The Playasia exclusive physical edition is also shipping today.
Moero Crystal H is a dungeon-crawling RPG telling the tale of Zenox the “Lucky Pervert” and his harem of monster girls as they reclaim the stolen “Bra of Darkness”, an object of great power needed to save the world. Guided with the legendary “Panties of Light”, our heroes embark on their mythical quest.
Moero Crystal H features a deep turn-based combat system as players navigate their way through a series of grid-based dungeons towards their ultimate goal. Along the way players will fight and recruit more than 80 monster girls, then change their outfit combinations to spice up their appearance and enhance their skills. Climb aboard the “Funyaton-Go” for shoot’em up sections and discover secret stages hidden within the monster girls. Upgrade your team’s humble abode and join up monster girls as roommates. With its delightfully quirky fantasies and offbeat humor, Moero Crystal H is the ultimate hedonistic romp!
“We at eastasiasoft pride ourselves in bringing the best unique Japanese games to western audiences. In collaboration with Playasia, we’re finally able to bring the third entry in the Genkai Tokki series, Moero Crystal H, to Nintendo Switch,” said Joshua M French, Community Manager at eastasiasoft. “We hope Moero Crystal H’s brand of tongue and cheek humour, engaging gameplay and new polished visuals will entice a new generation of fans while still appealing to veterans of the genre.”
This upcoming release will be the first time western audiences will have a chance to play the third entry in the Genkai Tokki series. The original Moero Crystal was a 2015 PlayStation Vita game, but it never saw a release outside of Asia. While a follow-up to Monster Monpiece and Moero Chronicle, Moero Crystal H is a standalone story featuring all new characters. This remastered edition features an upgraded HD presentation, all previous DLC characters, English language subtitles, and the new “Double Scratch” feature, which updates the “Loving Scratch” mode so players can interact with and raise the affection of two monster girls at once! (now featuring HD rumble support).
Officially licensed merchandise is now available to celebrate the physical launch of Moero Crystal H on the Nintendo Switch! High quality long and short sleeve t-shirts as well as hats will be available, celebrating everyone’s favorite panty hunter! Beautiful printed canvas art pieces will also be available to purchase, featuring character and scene illustrations from character designer Katsuyuki Hirano. 30cm x 45cm and 13cm x 18cm versions are available now Playasia.com.
Visit the Moero Crystal H website: https://www.eastasiasoft.com/moero/ Follow eastasiasoft on Twitter: @eastasiasoft For more on eastasiasoft check out: http://www.eastasiasoft.com/ For more on Compile Heart check out: https://www.compileheart.com/
About Eastasiasoft Limited Eastasiasoft Limited is an independent, Hong Kong–based developer and publisher of interactive entertainment specializing in video games and related media. Founded in 2007, eastasiasoft has published a diverse variety of titles in digital and physical format. Eastasiasoft is a licensed PlayStation, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One publisher. Some of eastasiasoft’s recently licensed and published games are Moero Crystal H, Ghost Blade HD, Gunlord X, Sword & Fairy 6, Rainbow Skies, Rainbow Moon, and the Söldner-X franchise.
About Compile Heart Compile Heart is a subsidiary of Idea Factory founded in 2006. Specializing in role-playing games, Compile Heart is best known for its Hyperdimension Neptunia, Record of Agarest War, and Genkai Tokki series.
About Playasia Playasia was established in 2002 and is proud to be the leading independent import and export retailer, specializing in Japanese & Asian video games. By providing outstanding customer experience, a large variety of genuine products, and global fulfillment Playasia has been sending products across the globe for over 15 years.
Many game modes to unleash your motocross passion.
Sydney, Australia – September 17th, 2020 – Milestone is proud to announce MXGP 2020, new release of the beloved series of the official FIM Motocross World Championship, available from December 10thon PlayStation®4, PlayStation®5, Xbox One and Windows PC®/STEAM.
With MXGP 2020 you can fully experience the excitementof the current MXGP season, competing with 68 riders from both MXGP and MX2 categories on the 19 circuits of the 2020 season. Starting as a rookie, players can choose their path to glory: joining an official team or creating their own.
Official MXGP tracks aren’t enough? The Track Editor is back with some great features added in. Thanks to the new Heightmaps feature, players can replicate the real MX tracks configurations, often built on hills and mountains, adding realism and all the challenges that real riders face during races. There will be 4 different terrain types that players can choose and customize – Plain, Quarry, Vineyard and Forest – to create the track of their dream. All new tracks created, can be shared online with friends.
To enjoy free-roam riding, alone or with friends*, in MXGP 2020 returns one of the most beloved features, the Playground. Players can test their riding skills in the new setting inspired to Norwegian fjords terrains, and this year they can also free ride together with other 3 friends*. And to create more fun in the Playground, the beloved Waypoint mode returns, now allowing races up to 4 players.
MXGP 2020 Multiplayer Mode will be boosted with Dedicated Servers for a lag-free gameplay experience, and Race Director Mode* to create amazing Online tournaments, deciding starting positions, assigning penalties or choosing the cameras to focus on.
Last but not least, MXGP 2020 make feel every rider unique, with more than 10,000 items, all officially licensed from more than 110 brands of the Motocross world. Not only cosmetic customisations: bike performances can be also improved with real life replica of different bike parts.
MXGP 2020 will beavailable from December 10thon PlayStation®4, PlayStation®5, Xbox One and Windows PC®/STEAM.
*feature available after Day 1
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About Milestone
Founded in Milan in 1996, Milestone S.r.l. is one of the leading and longest established racing game developer in the world. The 200+ people team is responsible for hit series like MotoGP™ and MXGP – The Official Motocross Videogame, Monster Energy Supercross – The Official Videogame series as well as own IPs Ride and Gravel. Milestone is fully privately owned and independently self-funded. For more information please visit www.milestone.it
Science, Technology and Logic are Your Best Allies to solve more than 30 puzzles and succeed in the adventure; Playable on PC, Mac, Mobile Devices and Tablets
Paris, France – September 17th, 2020 — The CEA, a French public scientific research organisation, have announced The Quantum Prisoner, an absolutely free browser-based puzzle adventure already popular in France, will be launching in English on October 5th, bringing the fun world of science and technology to a global audience. Featuring 10-12 hours of gameplay, The Quantum Prisoner is designed to make science accessible and fun for everyone, from 12 years old and over and can be played on any sufficiently recent browser with an internet connection – or by offline download or via the Android App, which will be available through the game website on October 5th.
Play as Zoe, traveling to all four corners of the globe on the trail of Artus Cropp, a physician who mysteriously disappeared in the 1960s, to uncover the discovery that may have led to his disappearance – a discovery that will change the world. To progress in your investigation and escape perilous situations, you must solve more than 30 puzzles involving technology (such as operating particle accelerators, fuel cells and robots), and various other branches of science, including environmental and life sciences, physics, chemistry, and maybe even a bit of quantum physics!
“We made The Quantum Prisoner with the help of our fellow CEA scientists and researchers with the sole purpose of making science fun and showcasing scientific and technical culture to a younger demographic,” said Roland Lehoucq, astrophysicist at CEA and scientific adviser of the game. “Don’t worry, you don’t need to be a scientist to solve these puzzles! You learn as you play along, in line with the scientific approach. You will be able to move forward thanks to informative videos and facts along the way, as well as assistance from our researchers if you get stuck”.
The Quantum Prisoner is a browser-based game created by the CEA with the sole purpose of making science fun and more accessible. The game is completely free with no registration required, no ads, and can be played on any browser without the need of downloading a plug-in, unless you desire to play offline. The Quantum Prisoner is designed for players in the 12/13 age range and over but can be enjoyed by players as young as 8 with the help of an adult on some of the more difficult puzzles. Featuring 10-12 hours of gameplay, The Quantum Prisoner takes players around the world on a point and click adventure that walks the line between science and science fiction, with retro graphics and a dose of humour. First released in October, 2019 in France (only in French), The Quantum Prisoner received praise at Paris Games Week and has attracted more than 100,000 gamers across the country, receiving positive feedback from the players. Given this success, the CEA is now developing the game in English for a wider audience and will release the game to global markets on October 5th.
About the CEA
The CEA is a French public research organisation serving industry, specialising in four main areas: energy transition and low-carbon energies, digital transformation, health and biotechnologies, defence and security. With its 20,000 employees and 9 research centres equipped with very large infrastructures, the CEA relies on fundamental research of excellence. It is involved in national, European and international projects with a wide range of academic and industrial partners. For more information: http://www.cea.fr/english
Sports as a whole have been in a rather odd place this year thanks to the current pandemic and while nearly every sport has managed to figure things out and get started back up, basketball was one of the first to get things moving again. As such it only makes sense that NBA 2K21 would continue to come out right on schedule with an attempt at trying to add some improvements even while last year’s season still runs its course. That being said, with an annualized sport game such as this one, especially one that won’t even feature an altered roster due to the delayed season, has NBA 2K21 made enough improvements to be worthwhile?
Story
First things first, players will still find that there is a fairly meaty story presented through the MyCareer mode that allows players to create their very own potential basketball star and bring them up from high school, through college, and eventually to the NBA. This time around players undertake “The Long Shadow” story that involves creating their own character that will be dubbed as “Junior” who hasn’t played basketball in years despite his father being a legendary player that could have made it big but never went to the NBA out of college. This made Junior hesitate to try and step into his father’s shadow but with a little nudging he manages to step foot onto the court and begin his journey.
There is some solid ground and storytelling to be had through most of The Long Shadow as seeing Junior step into his own makes for some great moments but too often the story veers randomly to try and develop odd connections to Junior’s past love interests and other things. These random interactions end up having no real bearing on the story as a whole and feel a bit forced at times. That being said, there are a few decisions to be made throughout the story that will play a bit of a factor in how various parts of MyCareer will play out. Unfortunately once Junior makes it to the NBA draft, the story comes to a complete end with no fanfare or even an attempt at trying to allow the player to have some semblance of interaction with their team outside of taking their homegrown player into the newly located Neighborhood.
Gameplay
When it comes to annualized sports games, everyone wonders just what improvements to the gameplay have been made to make things a bit more challenging or lifelike compared to the real thing and for the most part NBA 2K21 remains the same game as last year once the player gets on the court outside of one significant change (that can be opted out of) to the shooting system. Players will now need to take their shots using the right stick as the “Advanced Pro Stick” to properly aim and time their shots for the basket. Outside of slam dunks, no matter what style of shot the player is making will make use of an accuracy meter that will now appear and must be lined up within a certain target area to try and sink the basket. Easier shots such as lay-ups and free throws can be a bit more forgiving when it comes to making an error in aiming but be prepared to throw plenty of bricks into the air until the new system becomes second nature.
That being said, this style of mechanic is still a bit rough around the edges as players who should easily be able to make shots at even the worst of times can completely miss shots that are aimed accurately with no coverage. This can of course be chalked up to chance but happens far more often than one would think and generally makes for aggressive plays to be the more rewarding options as playing outside the paint is far more difficult than ever before and not in a good way as the AI on the player’s team generally neglects to successfully field rebounds or set up for more complicated plays without the player taking things into their own hands. This isn’t to say that the AI is bad, as it can handle itself as well as ever, but players should be ready to be aggressive this time around. Thankfully one other element that this Advanced Pro Stick brings with it are a variety of new moves that can be used both on offense to try and fake out or slip around a defender as well as on defense to intercept passes or block shots.
Off the court is where things become a bit more complicated and not for a good reason. MyLeague mode remains basically entirely untouched from last year and while this isn’t too bad as it still offers an extensive amount of freedom for players to take advantage of while the Neighborhood also features most of the same mechanics as before, only this time it is now located on Venice Beach in California, with plenty of little side activities to sink time into as well as courts to take part in pick-up games with others online in 3v3 or 5v5 matches using everyone’s created character from MyCareer.
It is in MyCareer and MyTeam that things become rather rough in regards to a certain issue that has been plaguing the 2K basketball games for years and that happens to be microtransactions through the use of VC. Almost everything that the player wants to do in either of these two modes requires some use of VC and the grind to obtain it. Leveling your personal character’s various stats to improve their abilities and make them more viable, simple customization options such as clothing, haircuts, and tattoos, all require VC. MyTeam similarly features a number of mechanics that encourage players to pick up card packs to try and improve their teams as fast as possible. Seasons have been implemented to offer players rewards for playing often and daily challenges also can boost the ability of the player’s team for a time but often these challenges cannot even be completed due to the player not even having a required card set, encouraging them to purchase more. This doesn’t even touch upon the numerous pop-ups that appear whenever the game is launched encouraging players to check out the latest things added to the shop.
As for the online play itself, as mentioned before it often runs at its best when used for pick-up games in the Neighborhood or through the delightful NBA Threes mode as larger scale games often suffer from bad lag to flat out disconnects on wired connections and considering the new shooting mechanics that require more precise timing, this generally leads to a bad time all around when things get rough.
Visuals & Audio
One thing that continues to impress year after year happens to be how detailed the players look in these games and NBA 2K21 is no exception. Fans of each team will immediately be able to recognize their favorite players and the various nuances a few of them have while shooting or performing drives up the court and while none of the “bubble” arenas are playable the recreation of every hometown stadium is once again impressive with a shout out to the neon Triple Threat court. It is worth noting that it is still very clear that nearly all of the opening animations and half-times are recycled from last year and that basically all of the standard animations also remain recycled and, in some cases, shockingly stiff at times.
The soundtrack features mostly new tracks that generally fall into the rap genre though a few surprising pieces of music do mix things up occasionally and as far as the voice work is concerned all of the story content features some impressive acting. The commentary team during the game’s remain mostly the same though there are references to current events that help make things feel a bit more updated from time to time and it is a nice touch that the WNBA side of things features a different pair of commentators.
Overall
By offering a new style of shooting NBA 2K21 helps make things far more interesting and provides players some new tools to their arsenal on both offense and defense on the court. That being said, even when executed properly this new style of shooting can be far too inconsistent at times with even star players missing perfectly set shots. Outside of these new shooting mechanics, NBA 2K21 plays the same as last year’s entry and when it works, it is an outstanding presentation of sports that can have someone thinking it is a real game at a glance, but between a story mode that comes to an abrupt end and the only real updated modes of MyCareer and MyTeam feel more like ways to extract more microtransaction money from the player’s accounts than anything else.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
