OS Weekly Wrap Up, Getting You Caught Up on Sports Gaming News (Nov 15 - Nov 21, 2020)

Well it took about a whole day of processing on YouTube, but our 4K Ultra HD next-gen NBA 2K21 graphics comparison is now live. We show off NBA 2K21 in three different ways, and do a little example of HDR color correction as well.

We did our NBA 2K21 next-gen graphical comparison yesterday, but one other sports game that has had some buzz to it was MLB The Show 20. Even though it’s not “next gen” yet, The Show has received some performance and load time boosts on the PS5. Our buddy Samit Sarkar over at Polygon showed this off in a 4K full-game video that showcased the HDR, improved load times and 60 FPS upgrades on the PS5. Our MLB The Show 20 graphics comparison sets out to do a couple very basic things to fill in the gaps remaining.

We’ve been talking about how much we like next-gen NBA 2K21 so far, and we’ve also tried to show off the graphical upgrades on the new consoles. On top of that, Prince is here to show off some of the new NBA 2K21 next-gen crowd interactions.

The first of three planned upgrades to Madden 21‘s franchise mode was included in a November 12 title update in an attempt to provide the vocal contingent of the Madden community some of the necessary improvements that they have long been seeking for a mode that’s been largely ignored or — at best — re-painted for years now. It’s worth remembering that these changes only came about thanks to a public outcry following Madden 21‘s release that eventually saw #FixMaddenFranchise trending on Twitter. EA was forced to acknowledge their shortcomings in the franchise department and committed to meaningful changes in Madden 21 and beyond. This leads up to the Madden 21 franchise mode patch I’m now discussing.

For years I ducked reviewing Football Manager for OS. I did not do this out of fear that Football Manager would suck. Actually, it’s quite the opposite. I knew that Football Manager would suck me in and spit out a sleep-deprived footy control freak that looked down on our console games with utter disgust. Well, a week into Football Manager 2021, and I can say that I’ve found myself daydreaming at work about potentially switching up my base formation while simultaneously contemplating a back-room shuffle. So yeah, there may or may not be an extra cup of coffee in the morning.

In addition to the lack of depth and details on the sidelines, fictional players were often seen and the graphical quality of the players standing there was almost comical. While this has never had an impact on what was taking place on the field, it always had a disturbing effect on the level of immersion for me. On top of that, some of us on OS like to play from the broadcast cam, and the unrealistic sidelines are one of the few things that really drag down that experience from a realism and graphics perspective.

What makes this title unique compared to other racing games is its focus, which centers entirely around huge explosions, huge crashes and the ability to leave one’s driving etiquette back in the garage. While the idea and premise sound interesting, the execution is extremely important as the experience on the track must outweigh the lack of licensing or multiple varieties of vehicles to choose from.

Even with the kickstand down, the art and feel for this game remains simply unmatched. A year ago, I compared the experience to playing a time trials game whilst listening to the soundtrack of Flower in the background and that remains true to this day. It’s beautiful blend of polygonal claymation and depth that’s appealing to the eye. It’s simple. The color palette is pastel in nature, but muted to the point where gameplay always takes center stage. In the Eldfjall Island DLC, birds are bigger, the ocean is louder and the landscapes have never looked better. Hell, this time you’ll find yourself careening over lava flows. The stakes feel bigger.

For this second article (again, you can find Anchoring here), we’re going to tackle the advanced instructions menu. For those unaware of what advanced instructions are, they are a set of preset tactics found on the “gameplan” screen. These preset tactics help to execute strategies on both attack and defense. With roughly 15 options to choose from, you can select up to four at a time (two for both attack and defense) while also mapping them to the D-pad. Activating these in the match is as simple as pressing “L2 + D-pad direction,” and by doing so you’ll see a small text notification when they’re activated.