NBA 2K21, the next gen preview: here's what we know about the PS5 and Xbox Series X version
Shooting and dribbling
One of the most discussed novelties of NBA 2K21 in the current gen version was the new management of the shot through the right stick, destined to find confirmation in the next gen edition of game. On the new consoles, however, the shot will take into account additional parameters in the use of the controller, giving the player the possibility of having greater control over the aim and the dish of the ball. The latter will be determined by the movement speed of the Pro Stick: a slow movement will lead to high parabolas, while a fast movement will allow you to make direct shots. Taking a shot with the right dish will offer a bonus on its success, thus making this aspect also a fundamental element to be taken into consideration in order to hit the basket. In a similar way it should also be possible to choose to aim the shots towards the scoreboard, possibly specializing also in this aspect.Still speaking of shots, Visual Concepts promises greater clarity regarding the indicator and its "readability" during the game. In addition to greater contrast with the various parquet floors, the shot indicator will always be clearly visible while maintaining an adequate size even with different cameras, adding an arrow to quickly view the status of the aim and timing indicators. As for the shooting movements, the developers anticipate the arrival of news related to the most important players, for which there will be customized animation packages. The new generation hardware should also allow you to be able to better identify the 3-point shot line, intelligently positioning yourself outside of it to try to place the triple instead of assisting, as happened in the past, a 2-point shot. from long distance.
The dynamics just indicated for the shots will also partly concern dribbling. Even in this case, in fact, the speed of the movements made with the Pro Stick will define the speed with which the moves are performed by the player on the field, thus allowing the most skilled setters to manage speed changes in a refined way. As for shooting, dribbling will also be able to count on a series of movements designed specifically for the various players, thus being able to immediately recognize the movements of people like LeBron James or James Harden. The dynamics related to the speed of the Pro Stick will also be applied to the triple threat position, thus making it potentially even more relevant in play with the use of hesitations and sudden starts.
Movement and contact
A second part of the Visual Concepts diary was devoted to the movement of players. According to the developers, for the next gen version of NBA 2K21, particular attention was paid to the way in which the protagonists on the field move with and without the ball. Returning to the dribble and the way players behave in this phase, the development team promises a general review of all the movements that should guarantee a smoother flow of the actions on the field on the card. According to game director Mike Wang it will no longer be possible to witness accidental or unwanted moves, or in any case unrealistic.On the front of the movement without the ball, however, Visual Concepts claims to have equipped players with greater ability to read the game situations, thus better contextualizing their movements. In general, the responsiveness and realism of stops and cuts will be improved, thus avoiding some slipping effects that occurred in the past. Just the limitation of the slip was at the top of the priorities of the developers, always forced to accept this element in the past due to the limits imposed by the technology. With the next gen, NBA 2K21 will be able to better position the feet of the players, for example by making them take small steps to improve their position. According to the promises, there should be a fairly clear break in the generational leap in this respect.
The new availability in terms of hardware will allow in a similar way to better manage the blocks, giving the player the necessary weapons to circumvent them in a correct way but at the same time adding realism to the blocks made by long players on other weaker ones. When attackers and defenders come into contact, the so-called Impact Engine will come into play: this is the name given to the technology that promises to determine the outcome of mid-air collisions in real time, making sure that the players finish. then to land on the court in a more realistic way.
PlayStation 5 and DualSense
The last part of Visual Concepts' focus dedicated to the features of the new NBA 2K21 was focused on adaptive triggers and on the haptic feedback of the PlayStation 5 and its DualSense controller. These elements will become part of the new gameplay after a series of experiments conducted internally, to allow in the case of the pad triggers to make sure that the players on the field communicate their level of fatigue. With the DualSense in hand we will in fact feel an increasing resistance on the trigger of the release as the energy of the controlled player decreases. Similarly, the use of L2 in post will offer less resistance in dealing with weaker players, instead requiring more pressure if the defender is more skilled.As for haptic feedback. , the programmers have associated the various situations related to the collision system to the vibration of the Playstation 5 controller. When the players undergo an important contact, the vibration will start working at various intensities, relying on the strength of the athletes involved and the vigor of the impact itself to determine their level.
From the words of Visual Concepts to about NBA 2K21 next gen, a picture emerges that on the whole puts a certain desire to touch what the basketball game will be for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X / S, even if then it will naturally be necessary to evaluate these promises in practice. they will translate into tangible elements. We'll see, by now it's just a little bit!
