(Photo by David Wyngard)
After an atrocious outing last time when 2K20 was released, WWE and 2K Studios decided to break their annual streak of releasing a new instalment in the series so that they can work on correcting the horrible mistakes of the last game. After a long time of hearing virtually nothing, it was announced that the WWE 2K series would indeed be returning in 2022, with a lot of fans sceptical about whether they would be able to finally return to the heights that the WWE games had in the late 90’s and throughout the 2000’s. 2K20 was practically unplayable. With so many glitches and bugs it had update after update and was still broken. I feel especially bad for those with the Nintendo Switch ports as those were an absolute joke with a massively reduced roster and frame rate issues that made the game run slower and clunkier than watching Nia Jax wrestle. The game received terrible reviews and forced the company to halt progress on 2K21 entirely. With a whole year out have WWE and 2K produced something wrestling and gaming fans can be proud of? Or have they slipped back into terrible habits and let us all down again. Let’s find out.
First Impressions:
Now after 2K20, I was firmly in the camp of not even entertaining the thought of buying the game. The last WWE game I had played was 2K16 and that was… eh. Very slow and clunky, realistic wrestling that bored me to tears. A lacklustre number of modes that had me playing a couple matches and then leaving the game for a few months. The roster and graphics were the only saving grace, and even then, they weren’t that incredible. So, I was ready to shun 2K22 from existence. And then I saw the trailers. And then I saw the graphics. And then I saw reviews. Suddenly I had to have this game. On next gen consoles, the game looks about the closest thing to real life wrestling as you can possibly get on a games console. Everything from the models to the details on fabrics, even to the more realistic camera movements on entrances. It looks and feels like WWE, which for me a game hasn’t done in a long, long time. I am glad to confirm that the slow and realistic gameplay that 2K has strived for since they took over the WWE games has been abandoned to an extent, with much more focus on having a simple set of controls that nearly anyone can pick up and play. Resulting in more ‘arcadey’ style matches and allowing you to chain moves and strikes seamlessly without it looking really awkward and clunky. I had lots of fun figuring out the controls whilst working through the Showcase Mode, a perfect place to practice your skills and get a really satisfying result out of it as you unlock more wrestlers, arenas, and outfits.
Game Modes:
Upon booting the game up, you are given a plethora of options in how to experience this game. From the incredible Rey Mysterio Showcase Mode to the return of the fan beloved GM Mode, to the incredibly charming and engaging My Rise, there is always something to keep you busy in this game. And that’s not even everything this game has to offer. The Showcase Mode has been a staple of the WWE games since 2K took over as developers, even featuring in a couple of the last few games that Yuke’s and THQ produced (my favourite being the Attitude Era Showcase in WWE13). This mode has you play through some of the most crucial and epic matches of a superstar’s career, or through a particular time in the company’s history, with legendary luchador Rey Mysterio being the focus for this yearns showcase. The mode is made even more incredible with the blend between interview segments with Mysterio, actual footage provided by WWE, and the gorgeous graphics and gameplay provided by 2K. The mode tells incredible stories about some of the biggest matches and rivalries in his career, such as his relationship with Eddie Guerrero, Shawn Michaels, Kane, and ending with a lovely chapter about his son Dominic who made his wrestling debut recently as he talks about his hopes for his son in the future. The matches have several goals to achieve to try and play out the key moments from each matchup as they blend from real footage into gameplay (unfortunately you don’t get to play through the ladder match with the stipulation of Dominic’s custody being on the line however). I wish the mode was a little bit longer like the previously mentioned Attitude Era showcase in WWE13, however, I’d rather be left wanting more than feel like I have to grind my way through it for the sake of it. Overall, a very enjoyable experience.
The next mode I’d like to talk about is the much-anticipated return of GM mode that was featured in Smackdown vs Raw 2007. A mode where you are the general manager of one of WWE’s separate brands, either Raw, Smackdown, NXT, or NXT UK (if you really want to play as NXT UK that is). You oversee assembling a roster, choosing your champions, starting and ending feuds, and trying to outdo the opposing brand in terms of earning money and fans for your show. A very cool concept that I’m surprised has taken so long to be implemented back into these games. The mode is pretty fun as you struggle to handle the egos of certain superstars, matching superstars up comparing their strengths and weaknesses and having the other brand try and sabotage your progress. However, the mode is rather bare compared to its previous appearance as you cannot have any secondary champions, tag team champions or any special events like the Royal Rumble or Elimination chamber. The amount of match types is very limited, having only 1v1 or 2v2 matches that are either normal, tables, extreme rules, TLC and Hell in a Cell. Meaning that the ways to book your show are basic. Whilst I am hoping that a future update will fix these issues, I am more inclined to think they will save these until the next game comes out. But hey, I’m just happy that it’s back.
Universe Mode returns and fills in the blanks where the GM Mode lacks, allowing very detailed management of shows, feuds, cards, and the entire roster. I find this mode quite overwhelming in terms of figuring out where to start and where to develop, but as I play more, I’m sure it will allow me to create some incredible shows.
MyRise is the career mode of this game, taking you through an engaging and very entertaining career as you choose your route into the WWE and try to leave a lasting legacy on Sports Entertainment. Now I will admit, I am only a tiny bit into this mode so I cannot give an expansive insight into what this mode has to fully offer, but from what I have seen so far, I am very impressed. A lot of the old career modes had a very plain way of progressing, just having you wrestle people to become a contender for a title and then winning the title, rinse, and repeat. But there seems to be actual story lines and feuds leading to character development for your created wrester and the people they interact with. And from what I’ve seen, this doesn’t just limit you to being just a singles wrestler, you can join factions and form alliances with other wrestlers whether you are a heel or face.
Online:
The online is a lot better than previous iterations, as I am finding limited issues once I’m in the games, only experiencing the tiniest bits of lag or input delay in most noticeably those big multi man matches. You can choose a vast array of matches to participate in and they are all a blast. Lobbies can be created with custom wrestlers enabled or disabled (oh don’t worry, we will get to those custom wrestlers later), with the only issue sometimes being finding people to fill some lobbies. The most incredible online feature however as always is the creation centre and community uploads. You people are beyond talented. Think of anybody at all. Celebrity, wrestler in another company, anime character or even a giant baby. They’re on the game. And someone has made them. I’ve never laughed as hard as playing an 8-man TLC match with Spongebob, Mr Krabs, Squidward, God, Beetlejuice, some guy’s corny created wrestler, Jurgen Klopp and Peter Griffin. It is insanely fun.
Overall Summary:
This game is a well needed reboot into a franchise that many thought was dead and buried after the atrocity they put out last time. The gameplay and graphics carry themselves so well that I have friends who don’t even watch wrestling that have bought the game and are really enjoying it. I’d say if you enjoy wrestling it’s well worth picking up, and even if you don’t, the community downloads and fast paced gameplay are enough to get you hooked and playing in no time at all.
Overall score 8/10
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