WWE 2K22’s long road to release is a redemption story as dramatic as any of the TV storylines. It took the series a few years to regroup after 2K20’s train wreck in 2019, and the time allowed it to learn some useful new moves. While it doesn’t propel the franchise to bold new heights, an overhauled gameplay engine and a renewed focus on accessibility make it the most entertaining — and most importantly, playable — WWE game in a long time.
The new engine removes some of the complicated mechanics that made previous 2K games a chore. Instead, it takes a more arcade-like approach. 2K22 isn’t the second installment in the popular Smackdown series, but the simplified grappling feels more intuitive and allows for faster matches. The grappling is focused on light and heavy moves mapped to two buttons that I found easier to remember and execute. Melee combos reward big hits by chaining simple inputs and giving button mashes a viable form of attack. Speaking of which, I love that Pins and Submissions ditch the annoying “stop the needle” mini-games and return to the more fun intensity of slamming buttons to break free.
To reduce the non-stop countering that often occurs between advanced players, a new counter called Breaker forces you to predict incoming moves by hitting the same button you think your opponent will. Breakers only apply to strikes and grab attacks; A universal inversion still exists for everything else, but I have mixed feelings about this new addition. The element of randomness means I’ve taken on a number of attacks for guessing the wrong input, regardless of my reversal timing, which has frustrated me at times. On the other hand, it allows both players to actually make moves against each other instead of just finding cheap ways to interrupt lengthy counter-holds. Also, I rarely lost, although I was often beaten. The more experienced player will still win the day regardless of how many powerbombs they eat on their way to victory. Breakers aren’t the perfect solution, but I’m more inclined towards them.
2K22 feels easier to play overall, but executing certain maneuvers still feels complicated. For example, the command differences between different springboard and ramp attacks could be simpler. A nice tutorial at the start of the game walks players through the basics, but I wish it went further as I still had to look up key mechanics like positioning enemies or entering/exiting the ring. Picking up objects can still feel unresponsive, and some actions retain the sluggish, over-animated feel that 2K games have suffered from for years.
Overall, 2K22 looks great. Character models appear largely accurate to their real-life counterparts, smoother animations replicate Superstar-specific nuances, and improved cinematography and lighting make each one look better than ever. I especially love the time-specific lighting for historical arenas like Halloween Havoc ’97. The roster is terribly dated thanks to the addition of numerous Superstars who left WWE in 2021, but that works in 2K22’s favor. Names like Jeff Hardy, Keith Lee, and Ember Moon may appear elsewhere now, but to use them anyway, it’s better to have a more realistic thinner list.
Best of all, I haven’t encountered any catastrophic glitches. Minor hiccups can still occur, like the occasional spaghetti rope or a character snagging or distorting geometry, but these fall in the harmless (and humorous) camp. They didn’t come up often enough to spoil the experience. Unfortunately, at the time of publication, online play feels unstable. I was having trouble connecting to matches and the ones I got into suffered severe lag at times. Hopefully this gets fixed sooner or later, but you might want to avoid online mode in the near future.
2K22 has no shortage of modes, Showcase being the most well-known. In this interactive documentary, players can follow the legendary career of cover star Rey Mysterio by playing a selection of 12 games. Previous showcases have done a great job of covering their respective themes, but 2K22’s falls short. While the presentation rocks as always – the in-game transitions to actual footage of the fight you’re playing are remarkably radical – most of the fights selected left me scratching my head.
The vast stretch of Rey’s career from 1997 to 2005 focuses solely on Eddie Guerrero, in which you wrestle him twice, and one of those is the mode’s only WCW offering. Rey’s WrestleMania 22 World Title win is missing as Kurt Angle is not in the game. Big feuds against the likes of Chavo Guerrero, Chris Jericho, CM Punk and Cody Rhodes also don’t make it because the names listed work for competing organizations. They are replaced by less memorable matches, like Mysterio’s SummerSlam 2009 Intercontinental title defense against Dolph Ziggler or a random Raw match against Gran Metalik. I don’t expect Showcase to hit every milestone in Rey’s career, but this feels like an abridged summary of his run, which has plucked out most of the really great stuff.
Following Rey’s career might not have been the best, but I’ve had a better time building my own Superstar’s legacy in MyRise. Creating a wrestler from scratch, including choosing his background RPG style, hooked me into my star’s fate from the start, and the mode is comfortably dense. From training at the Performance Center to NXT to mainline roster, I’ve enjoyed leading my arrogant Hollywood graft to the top of the company through decision-driven scenarios, many of which are delightfully cheesy. I won a match to force my opponent to wrestle in a chicken suit for a month and battled big stars on social media to get them in the ring. Is the writing often silly and/or affected? Yes, but the same is usually true of the real product. At least that made me smile instead of touching my hand.
Simple side quests, like beating up MVPs for enforcing a dress code, can be tackled at will for extra stat points, but what I enjoyed most was how seemingly mundane stories spiraled into huge nooks. I decide to make a name for myself by attacking a visiting Mayor Kane backstage, which exploded into a multi-game side story that ended in a Hell in a Cell match against The Undertaker. Depending on your choices and the alignment of the face and heel, there are different story paths that add a nice element of replayability. I don’t know if I’m forced enough to do another full run, but MyRise got me thinking about what titles to chase and what shenanigans I’d whip up when I’m not in the mode. I’ve always been itching to go back to that.
The Creation Suite isn’t significantly better than what’s been offered before, but it remains an enjoyable time sink. I’ve spent hours making superstars, championships, arenas, titantron videos and more. Universe mode offers more options to play Vince McMahon while booking shows, matches, rivalries and more. You can now pursue an individual career as well, but Universe is about making your own fun and doesn’t offer enough tangible rewards to keep me interested for long.
Universe mode feels particularly shallow compared to MyGM, giving you direct control over a single brand, including drafting superstars, booking shows and appeasing personalities to win a ratings war against rival brands. This destination satisfied the fantasy booker in me. I’ve had a great time creating quality rivalries and competitions, strategically matching superstar in-ring styles and managing my budget to put on killer shows. MyGM offers a granular data layer but provides regular guidance to keep me informed and inform my decisions. Like MyRise, MyGM caught my attention unexpectedly, often leaving me outside of the game thinking about how to build the next show, what talent to sign next, and how to sabotage my competitor.
MyFaction is another new objective that feels like a standalone game. Fans of WWE mobile games like Supercard can feel right at home by purchasing card packs (using real and in-game currency) to create a “faction” of the best cards based on their stats and other benefits. You fight other factions, but the combat unfolds in the ring rather than as pure TCG. There’s not much more than that. There are various daily, weekly, and tower challenges, but it boils down to playing games, filling achievement bars, and buying cards. Packs are inexpensive and you make enough money to buy a pack by playing a small amount of games, but you’ll keep getting better with this stuff if you use your wallet according to the norm. MyFaction adds the satisfaction of watching the meters fill up as you play random matches, but it’s not my favorite mode and worth ignoring if the card aspect doesn’t speak to you.
Is 2K22 the next No Mercy or Here Comes the Pain? No, but it’s a vastly improved comeback that’s more fun than WWE games have felt in ages. Plus, the sheer volume of modes, all of which are at least decent, means there’s something pleasant to gnaw on outside of casual exhibition play or online play. There’s still work to be done, but like a retired veteran returning to put on a surprisingly solid match, WWE 2K22 manages to shake off the ring rust and perform better than the naysayers expected.
