Luckily, the more time I spent with all the brand new shot-stick mechanic, the more NBA 2K21 began to separate itself. The brand new shot meter, which necessitates preparing shots rather than just time them, is used entirely with the 2K21 MT right analog stick. It needs a straight pull downward (or upward, when driving toward the basket) and then centering the stick inside of the sweet spot on the meter. Not only did I find this brand new shot meter vastly more challenging, in addition, it fixed a handful of other issues I have had with NBA 2K for ages.

First and foremost, I never have to worry about accidentally throwing up a shot when I am attempting to generate a dribble move. Pulling directly back on the analog stick and holding it there will lead to a shot, while any flicks or other faster motions will end in a rotational movement. The new shot meter opens up the right-stick to be used completely for dribbling moves, which includes the ability to size-up or utilize escape dribbles. Everything feels a lot cleaner, and it is a nice change for a series where matters were starting to feel overly cluttered to restrain.

The shot-stick mechanic also feels like a direct answer to problems with latency online. Even though the demo doesn't feature the capability to play online matches, it's easy to find a future where many online players will be using the targeted shot meter rather than the old timed meter (which is still available via the square or X button). Instead of attempting to figure how much latency there will be with every jump shot, it ought to be a great deal more efficient to pull back on the analog stick and aim the shot instead.

Still, aiming shots is certainly the harder of the two choices as things currently stand. I'm excited to have a brand-new skill to master, but it's good to have options available.

In only five matches (the maximum the demonstration allows), it is hard to get a feel for exactly how much things have changed. It does seem clear to me that the new aim-meter mechanic is going to be divisive and could potentially alter the online experience in major ways. A few smaller problems have seen some improvement, but most of the heritage gameplay issues stay current. It is clear that this is nowhere near the franchise's largest step forward, but the shot-stick alone is sufficient to open the door for tons of possibilities.

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