Released Date: March 14th, 2023
Developed by: Visual Concepts
Published by: 2K Games
Available on: PlayStation, Xbox & PC
Reviewed on: Xbox Series X
▫️ code provided by the publisher ▫️
Last year, 2K’s WWE franchise returned to critical acclaim. Since then, Vince McMahon was ousted from the company, which ushered in a wave of positive momentum. Wrestlers that were previously denied a push and let go returned, matches were given more of a focus and best of all – storylines started to actually make sense. For the first time in a long time, I was excited to watch WWE again. But now he’s back. Just how involved he truly is remains to be seen, but I have a sneaking suspicion that post-WrestleMainia a game where I can recreate dream matches and book promotions may be just what the doctor ordered. Enter WWE 2K23.
GRAPHICS & AUDIO
It may feel a little redundant to say, but this is definitely the best-looking WWE game to date. There are still a few low-card performers who are a little rough around the edges, but gone are the days when only the top stars felt like they had been given special treatment. Female performers now move much more like their real-life counterparts and even hair, while being far from the finished article, is making real strides.
The commentary has been iterated on once again and continues to sound more authentic each year with the added lines leading to less repetition. Entrances feel like the real deal with superstar’s themes blaring out as the crowd reacts in kind. Classic bangers like Evil Doink bring childhood memories flooding back. The only notable absence is that the British Bulldog doesn’t have “Rule Britannia”, which I can only assume must be a rights issue.
PROVING THAT CENA DID LOSE
Showcase mode comes with a twist this year. The focus is John Cena, but instead of playing through some of his most important wins, he challenges you to replicate his most high-profile losses. You’ll play through matches like the infamous bout with Rob Van Dam at ECW One Night Stand 2006 and the WrestleMania 28 showdown with The Rock.
2K has Showcase mode down to a fine art and the way they blend between real match footage and gameplay is a joy to watch. Occasionally objectives can be fiddly to pull off, taking you out of the experience briefly, but the payoff is almost always worth it. The interview footage with Cena in-between bouts is a real highlight as well. I gave him plenty of stick during his career, but in these reflective pieces, you can really see how much each of these moments meant to him.
There are 14 matches in total with some extras thrown in for good measure. Playing through each match will grant you a variety of unlockables, including arenas, alternate outfits and more. It’s a decent carrot to dangle as you’ll want all the extras the game has to offer to use in other modes. It makes Showcase a great starting point on your WWE 2K23 journey.
MyGM INNOVATES
I always liked the idea of MyGM, but I felt the execution in previous years was lacking. I am happy to report that this is another area where WWE 2K23 thrives. The mode can now be enjoyed by up to four people and has expanded to allow more title belts, more managers and more micromanagement of your roster.
Stars will come to you with requests for title matches and suggestions on tag partners. How you handle these requests and manage the roster will affect morale. Listening to fans and keeping HHH happy is key too, and will help you put on shows in bigger arenas, generating more money that can go towards roster upgrades. A few years ago I felt like 2K didn’t have the desire to try and compete with the likes of Extreme Warfare Revenge in terms of depth, but the rise of MyGM shows that they know how much staying power this mode can have if executed well.
BEST OF THE REST
While Universe mode has seen a decent upgrade with the new rivalry system and MyFaction is also lurking in the background for those that don’t mind dealing with the RNG and microtransactions, the other area I suggest you dedicate your time to is MyRise. There are two stories to take your created character through and I had a blast with both. My favourite was ‘The Lock’, which starts with you coming out of a large safe on the ramp to interrupt Sami Zayn for your debut. It had a real hint of SurvivorSeries 1990 about it, thankfully without a man dressed as a turkey.
There are objectives throughout matches that will net you XP to upgrade your character and between bouts you can roam backstage talking to other wrestlers and fleshing out the story. I always enjoyed these curated storyline modes in previous games and this is definitely one of the best examples of the mode for years.
GAMEPLAY
So there are enough modes, and things to do within those modes, to keep you going until Roman Reigns finally loses a match clean, but this would all be a bit pointless if the game wasn’t actually fun to play. Again, this is an area where WWE 2K23 thrives. Matches play out closer to the real thing than ever before, with the pacing a large factor in this. Stamina is a real factor and it stops you from busting out repeated big moves, forcing you to build with lighter attacks and ease into matches.
The payback system lets you perform instant recoveries at times as well as the ability to steal a move or do the old Hulk Hogan kick-out at one. Certain actions can only be done a limited amount of times though, which adds an extra tactical element. All of this combines to make for more realistic matches rather than a round of Street Fighter with a ring as a backdrop.
WARGAMES
One of the headline additions this year is WarGames. Despite the match type being around since 1987, this is its first appearance in a game. This is largely down to Vince repeatedly refusing to bring it back in recent years. When the cat is away, the mice will play though, and HHH is a big fan of the concept. Going in, I was a little apprehensive about how well it would work. Visual Concepts has done a stellar job of bringing the action to life though.
For anyone unaware, the match has two rings side by side, surrounded by a cage. You have the option of 3v3 or 4v4, with one from each team starting in the ring and then a new superstar from alternate teams joining the action every five minutes. 3v3 gives you a little more breathing room and was my preferred option, but the design is such that 4v4 rarely becomes frustrating.
POSSIBLE IMPROVEMENTS
It wouldn’t be a WWE game without a few things feeling off. Wrestler’s stats are all over the place. A few examples include Razor Ramon (84) beside Jim ‘The Anvil’ and Neidhart (86). Then there is Cactus Jack sitting at 82, the same as THE HURRICANE, with Happy Corbin at 83, and BAD BUNNY at 84 ensuring that Mick Foley will never get another decent night’s sleep in his life.
My other gripe is the arenas. Pure Dead Gaming head honcho Craig has spoken about this in the past, but the limitations on arenas continue to be a real disappointment. The likes of RAW, SmackDown, NXT and even the odd old venue like Halloween Havoc 1997 are impressively recreated. But the game suffers from each arena following the same blueprint, meaning that the entrance for the likes of SummerSlam 88, which was held in Madison Square Garden, looks completely off. It is something that many fans, certainly younger ones, won’t even notice. But for the old-school fans it would make such a huge difference.
OVERALL
Last year was a return to form for WWE games. This year has taken that base and improved on it in pretty much every way. Does it feel familiar? Sure. But all of these franchises with yearly entries do. I admire Visual Concepts for continuing to innovate as much as time will allow. There is also an incredible amount of content on offer here. We all have nostalgia for certain wrestling games growing up, but this is objectively one of the best in a long time.
-Mark