NBA 2K21: New next-gen trailer features Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard, Zion Williamson and more
As the gaming world prepares for a new era of next-gen consoles, 2K released a trailer to give fans a sense of what NBA 2K21 will look like on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.
A little more than a month after the initial release of NBA 2K21 on current-gen consoles like the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC, 2K brought gamers’ jaws to the floor as they showcased stellar new graphics and gameplay in a two-minute preview on October 6, 2020.
While the video had a disclaimer telling fans that the footage was “captured from a work in progress build of NBA 2K21 on PlayStation 5,” it served its purpose perfectly by sending fans into a frenzy with just one month to go until the next-gen release.
The clip opens with two of this year’s cover athletes, New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson and Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard, both looking about as close to their real-life selves as they possibly could in a video game.
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A sweaty Williamson stares down the camera to start off the trailer, before Lillard soars through the air during a game between the Trail Blazers and Golden State Warriors in Portland.
Fans then get their first close-up of a player in the midst of the game, with Lillard ferociously screaming in one of the most realistic stills the 2K franchise has ever seen.
In one of the cooler snippets of the trailer, gamers see a full walkout from an arena hallway out to the court, as Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic runs out onto the hardwood for warmups, even fist-bumping Mavericks owner Mark Cuban along the way.
From there, the clips move quickly, showcasing a back-and-forth game between the Mavericks and Warriors.
Warriors stars Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson warm up in front of fans before a game against the Mavericks, and Thompson drills a three-pointer for the first time since the 2019 NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors.
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Warriors big man Marquese Chriss gets posterized by Mavericks guard Tim Hardaway Jr., before Curry shows off his handles and works his way past his brother Seth en route to a layup.
Finally, Doncic nails a three-pointer in Curry’s face, before the trailer shifts to looks at the benches and the Mavericks’ court as a whole.
The in-game action brings basketball fans right into the game, between the smooth animations and the overall atmosphere created by the graphics throughout the arena itself.
Overall, the trailer is one of the best ever produced from a gameplay perspective, and bodes well for the NBA 2K franchise if it even comes close to the feel that gamers will get when they turn on their PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X in November.
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While developers have gotten its fair share of criticism over the years for the lack of gameplay improvements and their focus on graphics, this year’s installment looks strong as the NBA 2K team prepares for its first next-gen release on November 10.
The game will release globally on the new Xbox consoles on November 10, followed by the PlayStation 5 in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea on November 12. The rest of the world will be able to play the game on PlayStation 5 on November 15.
NBA 2K21 can currently be played on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC and Nintendo Switch.
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