mobanmarketEvery time a new WWE 2K game is released, I keep finding myself asking the question: is it fun? It’s important for a video game to be fun, after all, and the 2K series has had its share of ups and…very well known downs in recent years. The good news is that yes, I had fun with WWE 2K23. The new additions this year are positive, and cosmetically it’s one of the best looking WWE games to date. There are issues here and there, but 2K23 is proof that the series is heading in a much more positive direction.
One of the major additions to this year’s game is the WarGames match, where eight wrestlers do battle in WWE’s version of the NWA/WCW staple. It’s a ton of fun, and actually manages to create the energy of those old WCW WarGames matches better than WWE has since reviving the concept several years ago. Current-day WarGames make up for the lack of blood by featuring a ton of weapons, diminishing the intensity. While there were also weapons in the video game, the AI didn’t spend half the match setting up weapons spots, meaning a lot of the match was straight up brawling. Great! That’s what made the WCW matches fun, just seeing a pile of people beating each other up inside two rings. That makes WarGames of the best new matches added to the series in years.
MyRise, the game's story mode, has two different storylines to choose from: The Lock, which focuses on an renown international male star trying to make it within the confines of WWE, and The Legacy, where a female star attempts to make her own name while in the shadow of her WWE Hall of Famer aunt. It works much like recent MyRise stories where you’re given branching storyline objectives to pass while interacting with a mix of actual WWE stars and created characters from 2K’s own world. Both stories are fine, though neither blew me away. The most interesting thing about both of these stories is that both deal with the trials and tribulations of dealing with WWE backstage management, which want to be in control of every aspect of your career. That seems terribly on the nose for a licensed WWE game.
I really got into the MyGM mode this year. The goal is to garner the most fans against other GMs you play against, which include the likes of Adam Pearce, Xavier Woods, Tyler Breeze, and Eric Bischoff, among others. A lot of this mode focuses on getting power cards that do everything from helping prevent your roster from getting injured, to recovering wrestler's stamina, to even allowing you to sabotage your rivals’ shows. Shake-ups, which take place after premium live events, are also a fun mechanic where you choose scenarios that can have a major effect on the season itself. This one of the stronger modes the game has, and is very fun to replay over and over.
I can't say the same thing about Showcase mode this year, however. The focus is on John Cena’s biggest losses, at least the ones allowed by current WWE politics. Two big problems become evident early on. One, in order to fully clear this mode and unlock everything from it, you have to follow all the objectives given in each match. It's tedious to be playing matches where you have to do this or do that. Cena, who narrates in between matches, also doesn't have much to say about these supposedly big moments in his career, which is odd for someone that's such a strong promo.
Secondly, it becomes obvious rather quickly that WWE did NOT want to pay royalties to those who are no longer under WWE contract. Matches in Showcase blend gameplay with real life footage of the match, which sounds cool on paper. In execution, you can plainly see that referees, former ringside announcers, brand logos, and much more are all blurred out. Even fan reactions and commentary from those matches are muted, pretty much destroying the point of showing the footage. A big miss this year overall.
The other two major modes include MyFaction, the mobile/online mode that’s kind of hard to explain. It’s card-based, where the goal is to collect high-tier cards and upgrade your collection to battle others, whether it be in the tower-based modes the game provides or online. Checking in each day gives you rewards and in-game currency, and a 2K account is required to log in and play. This is fine for those that want more of a service-like experience, but it didn’t really appeal to me. Universe mode also returns this year, but there’s not much to talk about. You can fully edit your own roster and either sim your own cards or choose a wrestler to sim a career with. This mode is fine if you want to fully create your own universe and focus more on gameplay than story or objectives.
WWE 2K23 is the most fun I’ve had with the series in years. The presentation is better than ever, with fantastic graphics and a largely bug-free experience. The new additions to existing modes are fun, and WarGames is a blast. Showcase mode wasn’t particularly fun, and there are still core things about the gameplay I’ll never like, such as the reversal system. But 2K23 does a good job of making sure that the series has learned lessons from it's recently troubled past.
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WWE 2K23 is out now for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC, Xbox Series X, and Xbox One.