2K finally gets it right with this hell raising, eyebrow raising, jabroni beating, pie eating return to form for wrestling games
Dev: Visual Concepts Publisher: 2K Games
Platforms: Xbox series X/S, PS4/5, Windows
You may be reading this review and thinking, “didn’t this game come out 6 months ago?” and you would be correct, arguably making this review later than the end of N.W.O’s run. But, after grabbing it on sale I can’t help but sing its praises.
As the old school reference may suggest, I haven’t been an avid follower of WWE since the prime of big match John in the early 2000s. In fact. I haven’t even tried a wrestling game since the hell raising, eyebrow raising glory days of Smackdown vs Raw which made the hours of fun I have had with 2K23 all the more surprising.
The staple of every WWE game is its create-a-superstar mode which is as detailed as ever here with the community creating all your favourite wrestlers who may be missing thanks to AEW as well as hilarious pop culture characters from Gengar to Batman all somehow created almost identically to their real life counterparts. That’s not to say the original roster is lacking with names you know and love from past and present from The Rock to Doink the clown to help you create your dream match across all the familiar venues from your childhood .
A real highlight of this years instalment was the My Rise mode, basically the "my career" of this WWE game. This mode sees you choose between a male or female superstar with the former seeing you play the companies “chosen one” before a fall from grace sees you touring the independent circuit, a road we see more and more wrestlers travel, to get another shot, all while inserting characters old and new into your storyline to really make it feel authentic. Although not finishing it, the legacy story of the female superstar seems to be much the same, seeing you attempt to follow in the footsteps of your former women’s champion aunt, much like Charlotte Flair of the current roster.
As is standard with 2K games and sports sims at large we also get an “Ultimate team” mode in the form of My Faction. In a surprising twist this mode isn’t MT-centric, not having any real auction house and rewarding you for growing your collections. All four single player modes are addictive with Mortal Kombat style towers, fatal four way faction wars and proving grounds all providing ample opportunity earn more cards and credits to beef up your collection. And, if you really want to test your team you can take it online against other players in the quick play mode, there are no other online options which is a bit of a bummer as one can only imagine the fun a 30 man online royal rumble would be.
The GM mode is back in all it’s glory, letting you manage the various staples at WWE, arranging matches and PPVs as you bid to become the next Paul Heyman. Although I spent very little time with the mode it seems to have all the classic traits of the original.
And as if all this wasn’t enough we get “Showcase Mode” with the cover star himself: John Cena, talking us through all of his biggest matches as we get the chance to replay them.
For all the praise, the game isn’t perfect. The soundtrack is a mixed bag where it could have so easily been great, come on 2K you have the best roster of entrance music ever. Bugs rear their head on occasion when grappling or striking near the ropes and I fell victim to one crash in the dozens of hours I have poured in.
These small gripes aside, a WWE game, hell even any sports sim hasn’t been this fun since prime FIFA or the WWE golden age of games. So, if you want a healthy dose of nostalgia, this game is a Great One, if not … IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT YOU THINK!
RM RECOMMENDS
Pros : Great Roster, fantastic my career, classic GM mode, engaging My Factions mode
Cons: Occasionally buggy, little MP options and SOUNDTRACK
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