WWE games have had a rocky past but nothing quite so jagged as the last few years. The transition from traditional developer Yuke’s to today’s Visual Concepts was far from smooth, leading to arguably the worst, most bugged outing in the history of the franchise. WWE 2K20 was about as poorly received as fake Razor Ramon and Diesel during the Monday Night Wars. And, like that mind-boggling, mid-90s decision by Vince McMahon, it almost took the franchise down.
However, after an extra year of development and a lot of soul-searching, the series returned last March with a bang and conversely the best WWE game for close to a decade. Not only did WWE 2K22 add a whole load of fun new modes and gloss, it got the basics right. It was a huge, positive step back in the right direction.
Because of that, we weren’t expecting its successor to be as ground-breaking – and it isn’t. But it does tweak and improve on certain areas, while continuing down the path of reinforcing the brand in gaming terms. In many ways, WWE 2K23 is Visual Concept’s FIFA. It’s evolved but very much sings from the same hymn sheet and although less original both in and out of the ring, there’s just enough for fans to see it as a worthwhile upgrade.
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WWE 2K23
4/5
WWE 2K23 takes the huge improvements made with last year’s game and adds all manner of polish and tweaks. The game modes are each enhanced, while superstar and custom wrestler models look better than they ever have before. You won’t find as many changes in the ring itself, but the sheer amount of content and the addition of the WarGames match should prove more than enough for fans.
Pros
- Huge upgrade in character models
- Arenas look more realistic
- Superstar entrances are superb
- Gameplay feels smoother and more fluid
- Every game mode has been enhanced
Cons
- An iterative upgrade with largely familiar gameplay
- Long hair still animates weirdly
Pretty Deadly
Part of that is down to the presentation. As with last year’s effort, WWE 2K23 is crammed to the rafters with playable Superstars and managers. There are close to 200 stars on the roster, without those added by the different premium versions of the game or future DLC. Some of them need to be unlocked through the different game modes before becoming accessible, but it’s an impressive list.
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It’s made all the more impressive due to the fact that most of them are still with the real-life organisation. WWE 2K22’s roster was severely hampered by the company releasing scores of wrestlers from WWE’s employ in the year preceding – it meant many were no longer part of Raw, Smackdown nor NXT, and worse, some were at rival AEW by the time the game came out. That’s not so much a problem this time around.
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There are some victims of the development cycle. For example, several superstars have gone through name and/or gimmick changes. The likes of Piper Niven, Nikky Cross, Dabba-Kato, and Baron Corbin are still listed as Doudrop, Nikky A.S.H., Commander Azeez, and Happy Corbin, with their original entrance music and effects to match. There’s also a nod or two to the now defunct NXT UK.
However, considering the lead-in time and amount of work put in, that can’t be helped. And, at least Sami Zayn now sports his latest, post-Bloodline T-shirt. Plus, with the amount of content available to the several game modes, we can excuse any minor caveats. At least the stars (mainly) look more like their real-world equivalents this time around.
The character models seem to have been upgraded significantly. That includes animation, which is much smoother than even last year’s impressive effort, and better definition in muscle groups and faces than before (on the PS5 version tested, anyway). There are some notable exceptions and dodgy hair movement is back – we’re looking at you Cameron Grimes – but this is a more visually accomplished game all-round.
The arenas too seem better defined and there’s certainly a lot of them. The healthy selection includes the staples – Raw, Smackdown, NXT (old school and new), etc – but there’s also a whole tonne of WCW pay-per-view arenas to go alongside WWE’s. There are a few surprises to unlock too, and you can create your own for good measure.
Speaking of which, while it offers tools and options that are largely similar to those in previous games, the create a superstar mode finally results in a wrestler that doesn’t look at odds with the existing roster. We’ve always felt like our previous CAS (or CAW) characters looked cartoony in comparison with their body-scanned opponents, but not this time. It’s far easier to create something that actually looks like he, she or they fit in with their surroundings.
The creation section also allows you to make your own entrance or victory celebrations from scratch, a move-set, a championship belt, Money in the Bank briefcase, show, custom matches, image and even entrance video for your new superstar. It’s thorough and we suspect it’ll continue to be well served by the community.
Showcase of the immortals
As for the actual game modes, you shouldn’t expect anything too radical. However, each of them has been enhanced sufficiently to improve on WWE 2K22.
The Showcase is, perhaps, the biggest considering this year it focuses on none-other than John Cena, although the twist is that you get to play his opponents during some of the most memorable matches in his illustrious career, rather than the great man himself. That starts with his infamous title match against Rob Van Dam at ECW One Night Stand – the 2006 pay-per-view that saw the now WWE-owned brand return to the Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan, New York for one last, proper hurrah.
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As with the additional rounds in this mode, you have to pull off spots – specific moves – to further the match and reach the desired outcome. Do so and the next match unlocks, along with some digital bonuses to use in other parts of the game – be it relevant superstars, clothing and/or an arena.
It’s fun and has very professionally put together commentary from Cena himself, both during and between matches. We also particularly like the transitions between real footage of the historical bout and gameplay – proving just how accurate and realistic the new graphics can be.
Universe mode returns too, but this time allows you to take an individual superstar – real or custom – through a never-ending cycle of shows booked by the computer. There’s still a version of Universe where you have a more generic view of each show, and can even edit matches, but we find that MyGM is a better option for that sort of thing.
That’s because the latest MyGM mode builds on last year’s reintroduction massively. It puts you in the shoes of the general manager of a brand of your choosing and pits you against rivals who work towards getting their own shows to the top of the pile. There are more GMs to choose to play as this time, including Xavier Woods, Tyler Breeze and Eric Bishoff, plus the ability to take over WCW, while others control Raw, Smackdown and/or NXT.
Each brand and GM has their own bonuses that you start the game with, but they end up very similar. It really comes down to who you choose for your roster, how you book the matches, and whether you can control your budget. Still, it’s a great mode to whip through as you don’t have to play each match (although you can), you can just simulate them to speed through the weeks.
The campaign mode – MyRise – features two separate stories this time, one for male wrestlers, the other for females. You again get to create a superstar, although you now also get the option to import one that’s been previously made, and must take them through a series of fights tied together with decent scripting. Both stories are made all the better with having decent voice acting from the genuine WWE cast.
MyFaction returns also, which is essentially the Ultimate Team of WWE games. Open packs, collect wrestlers to create a faction, pit them against others, and upgrade where you can. There are many challenges to put your collection up against and, if you win, you earn more rewards to use in the game. It’s certainly expansive although, like similar game modes in other sports titles, the freemium model is a little offputting. Still, there are plenty of bonuses to be earned when playing the game to largely avoid spending any real cash.
The last couple of gameplay modes are more basic. You can just play a match within any of your unlocked arenas, with your choice of superstar or combinations, and an online section lets you make another player your opponent. In all, there are plenty of ways to play WWE 2K23 and, on the whole, they each have great merits.
It’s all about the game, and how you play it
There are fewer changes when you get into the ring. Gameplay is largely untouched, although the smoother animations make for more playable, controllable matches. Switching from one move to another, for example, is more intuitive thanks to the characters feeling more responsive. There are still some long-winded move sequences where you don’t feel particularly in control, especially during signature and finishing moves, but less so during the meat and bones of the match.
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We also found it easier to counter moves than before, although we do suggest you change the difficulty settings to “hard” or even “legend” if you’re an experienced player – the default “normal” mode is far too easy.
One specific gameplay addition is a new way to escape a pin. If you choose the option, you get a bar with a green zone in which you must stop a sliding line by flicking the right thumbstick upwards at the right time. As it becomes harder to get up (if you’ve taken a lot of punishment or a finisher) the green zone is smaller and harder to stop within. It’s a small change to what’s gone before but feels slick enough. Apart from that, much of the gameplay innovations introduced with 2K22 return and the game plays in a familiar fashion.
Where you do get a more significant extra is in the match types as WarGames is now available. The match was made most famous by being at the centre of NXT events over the years but actually dates back a lot longer. It was actually created by the late Dusty Rhodes (Cody and Dustin’s father) and used in the late 80s, but its most recent public airing was during last year’s SummerSlam and so it makes its way into the game.
You can play in a 3v3 or 4v4 WarGames match with either male or female wrestlers making up the teams. It starts as a 1v1 fight across two interconnected rings surrounded by a steel cage, with additional superstars entering in intervals. Only when all of the superstars are inside the cage does the match officially start. In real life, these matches invariably present some of the best spots you’ll see each year, and often horrendous, genuine injuries.
WWE 2K23 does a very decent job of conveying the madness of them well. It’s a little chaotic and matches can seemingly go on a long time as they only finish with a pinfall or submission, but it’s a worthy addition to an already jam-packed game.
Verdict
And that’s where WWE 2K23 most excels. It is absolutely crammed with content – scores of superstars to play with and in plenty of match types and modes. Each of the stories are interesting and worth a playthrough, while MyGM mode offers a different experience whereby you can feel involved without even having to enter the ring at all.
The game feels more polished this year too, with better, more fluid character models and animations. Even the menu system has been tweaked to get you to the right area more quickly.
Sure, the game feels similar to its immediate predecessor when it comes to the actual gameplay, but everything has been refined to make it better in just about all areas. Visual Concepts has done a great job in putting its ghosts to rest and, with a rival game expected from AEW and Yuke’s soon, it couldn’t have come at a better time.