TLDR: Few improvements, few downgrades, overall though it is slightly better than last year.
Picked this game up recently when it went on a good sale. Below are the Pros/Cons I see with the game so far:
Pro
- Running around on the court feels a lot smoother.
- Hitting screens is a lot more fun. The collision between the screen setter and the screen-ee looks more natural when considering player momentum and impact.
- MyPlayer builder is a lot less restrictive. I like the new badge system, the pie charts, pretty much everything. The UI when creating your character isn't broken and deceptive like 2k19.
- Choosing player body types great.
Cons
- Still getting in-game advertisements - I thought you listened to the community last year 2k. I'm not talking about signing shoe endorsements, I'm talking promotion of websites/companies that are not directly involved in basketball. I don't want to know that the guest you had on owns a clothing brand and I can get some special offer and stuff by visiting his website being presented overtop of my game.
- Dribbling to shooting animations are wacky. The ball will teleport from one hand to the other, the ball will levitate off the ground (no it's not bouncing), I've seen the ball get glued to a players back.
- Defensive assignments, defensive breakdown and teammate chemistry. I've been penalized multiple times after an AI teammate comes over to guard my assignment (I wasn't holding L1 to call him over), leaving his man wide open. The AI then passes to the open man and my defensive assignment switches to him as he takes the shot, if he makes the bucket, I get left defensive assignment, negative teammate chemistry and defensive breakdown.
- The helicopters in MyPark are pretty loud.
- Same old grind to 99. 2k, stop trying to draw either a players life or cash out of them to achieve 99 overall, just to expect them to do the same next year, and the next, and the next blah blah blah.
That's all so far, I will update this as I progress. I have also noticed 2k lost Foot Locker now.
Edit: Replayed MyCareer story, noticed players playing on the court in their cutscenes were still in their hoodie and pants when they are on the bench.
Dribbling is a bit glitchy, I'll swipe for a steal and the ball stop mid-air and change direction, going back to the ball handlers hand - as if he has a magnet.
Edit 2: Getting advertisements on things that aren't really basketball related on the game. Dropped the game to 3/10