WWE 2K20 challenged me mentally. It’s one of the worst titles I’ve ever played and it’s riddled with bugs, probably due to WWE’s precarious situation at the time of release where they were losing all the time. The WWE 2K saga needed a change, so the writers decided to skip the 2K21 release. But there’s no evil that doesn’t come to good, both in real life and in video games. The wrestling company had to deal with a scandal that resulted in the CEO, Vince McMahon, leaving his position. As a result of this situation, the position for a new employee became vacant, who was to organize the clashes, which was always his responsibility. Thanks to this came Triple H, which significantly increased the quality of the shows. At the same time, Visual Concepts managed to perfect the game and after a successful WWE 2K22 they come back with an even better WWE 2K23.
I’ve long believed that this was the end of this saga as it also exceeded the expectations of previous games like Smackdown! could never fulfill! (Here comes the pain, recognize your role and shut up). There have been many complaints about bringing back the WWE General Manager game mode, which has been around since Smackdown vs. Raw 2008. It came back last year, but it still wasn’t perfect. It seems that the creators have taken the criticism into account and added numerous improvements: new types of games, creation of intermediate-level championships (with a dedicated title for each show) and the possibility of competing with up to 4 players or general manager. Another great novelty is that at the end of each PPV event or Live Premium Event (as they call it now) there is an opportunity to choose a random bonus from three choices. They can be passive or instant and give your team a huge advantage. Unfortunately, the biggest problem I saw with last year’s game remains: you can only schedule 4 games per show (excluding PPVs), so it’s difficult to schedule all the games and rivalries you want.
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For that we have the universe mode. In this game mode you can plan all the games you want and even influence the results if you want. It’s pretty much the same as last year: you can play a specific fighter or manage as many shows as you want. The rivalry system is new and gives this mode more depth.
Still, not every game mode in the world (there are more that I’ll get into later) can save the title if the in-ring battles aren’t going well. WWE 2K20 didn’t have decent game modes or good wrestling. Terrible images of certain bugs still wake me up screaming in the middle of the night. Luckily, WWE 2K23 is pretty good in all aspects. The game models are very diverse and there is something for every type of player. Inside the ring, the dynamic is a mix of simulation and arcade (and I say that in a positive way). It’s fluid and easy to understand for new players. Press one button for lighter hits, another for heavier hits, and a third for grappling. The type of attack or hit is determined by pressing one of the buttons again and moving the joystick in different directions. Therefore, there are a variety of “moves” that can be done. Still, it seems more difficult to block an attack, and the fights aren’t so much about radically turning the tables, which I think is better. A big improvement in matchups is that you no longer have to bang your fingers to push buttons to try to get out of a win pen case (although you also have the option in settings if you prefer). As the Motörhead song says, what matters is the game and how you want to play it. Also new in this year’s version is that you have to calculate the perfect moment to press the right stick up when the mouse pointer is over a square. The more tired and injured you are, the faster and smaller this square will become. The wrestling itself is fun but has some minor issues. Sometimes the characters will teleport a bit to take the punches, and other times they’ll punch the air for no reason. However, it doesn’t happen very often and doesn’t detract from the overall experience.
John Cena has always been the biggest draw in WWE. Personally, I’ve never been his fan (in the world of wrestling) and never will be. It’s probably because of the character that was created and not who he really is, but I’ve always been more in the dinner sucks camp than the you can, Cena camp. This year I can enjoy the Showcase game mode whose protagonist is precisely Cena. Instead of him always winning straight away (which is the most common thing in his career), they focus on his big losses. It’s a bit of everything from his debut when he faced Kurt Angle to his ECW match against Rob Van Dam or The Undertaker at Wrestlemania. In my opinion, some defeats are missing. CM Punk doesn’t show up for obvious reasons, but none of his long races against JBL, for example. Also, the matches are not in order, but rather jump back and forth in time. The special thing about this mode is that we don’t play as Cena, but against him. Unexpected, I know, but the idea of being able to beat up different versions of Cena excites me. It combines a good dose of video game and cinematic sequences, but while it’s a fun mode, it doesn’t reach the level of last year’s version starring Rey Mysterio, in my opinion.
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Something that reaches last year’s level is the best game mode: MyRise. This is the career mode that remains similar to the previous title: it allows you to talk to people behind the scenes and continue or deviate from the main story. This year there are two different stories, one for the male character and one for the female character. The male version is called “The Lock” and is about a character who competes in the independent scene worldwide and has just joined WWE. There they give him the character of The Lock, which he doesn’t like at all. The story is about choosing between doing what managers want from you or breaking the norm. The female version is called The Legacy and in it the protagonist came to WWE because her aunt was a Superstar and is in the Hall of Fame. This girl is disliked by the people who worked hard to get to the top because she is there thanks to the influence of her family. You have the choice to follow in the footsteps of your relatives or make a name for yourself. Both stories are entertaining and there are many subplots that can be unlocked through mobile messaging or by talking to people. Some conversations also unlock content, like the old WCW version of Triple H named Jean-Paul Levesque. The only problem I see with this mode is that the female voice actress didn’t quite convince me.
Another thing I don’t really like is the (rather unnecessary) attempt to add a definitive teamplay mode: MyFaction mode, where you can buy map packs and unlock fighters. Last year you couldn’t even play against other real players. This year you can, but only in friendlies. I don’t quite understand who this game mode is for, other than card collectors.
Overall, it feels like the WWE 2K saga is truly back. This year’s version is light years away from WWE 2K20’s disaster, and it’s also an improvement over last year’s. Extremely entertaining, WWE 2K23 combines different game modes with fantastic in-ring action. Wrestling fans have got what they have been waiting for.
