After the infamous blunder of WWE 2K20, the wildly popular WWE 2K22 came out last year, correcting the course of the series and revolutionizing the way square-circle simulations are played. Building on that momentum, this year it’s his WWE 2K23 that looks to capitalize on the revolution of its predecessor. But from what I’ve played so far, it feels like it’s cautiously peaking rather than standing on the shoulders of giants.
Naturally, WWE 2K23 comes with all the bells, whistles, and powerbombs you’d expect from a new WWE game. There’s an all-new roster featuring the returning Cody Rhodes and his up-and-coming NXT Champion, Bron Breakker, and more. There are also yearly upgrades to the wrestler’s attire, music, and general presentation. It’s been kept as up-to-date as possible, but other than those upgrades, it didn’t shake the feeling that it’s essentially the same game as before.
Much like how many sports games iterate on established winning formulas, everything about WWE 2K23’s gameplay carries over from its predecessor. Even though the game only took him an hour to play, he quickly got used to the breaker system, combos, reversals, and all the fighting intricacies. If you’re familiar with 2K22, you know exactly what to expect.
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That’s not to say there aren’t some neat new additions, though. The first thing that stands out is the long-awaited and much-requested match type. war game. For the first time in the series, WWE 2K23 expands the canvas by adding additional rings. In WarGames, there are two rings side by side, both caged, with participants from teams of three or he four, spaced apart. At first glance, this might look like a repurposed version of his other 6 or 8 man specialty match like Hell in a Cell, but it only helps to separate this one from the pack. not stand out on its own.
Similar to real-world matches, WarGames matches have interesting swings that favor either team. At this point, the handicapped team must fend off their rivals, taking their time until one of his teammates is available for action. However, that teammate can choose to grab a weapon (or weapons) to not only even the odds, but perhaps reverse the advantage.
Unlike Hell in a Cell and Elimination Chamber, WarGames’ two-ring setup gives players more space to work in, avoiding the crowding and clutter seen in the aforementioned modes. There’s also some interesting drama as the match ends with his one pinfall. This can easily happen while you’re beating it in another ring. This presents an interesting risk/reward conundrum, forcing you to move away from your teammates and possibly miss important saves, giving you space to deal maximum damage to your opponent. brings an interesting swing to the dynamics of the match, unlike anything you’ve experienced before in a wrestling game. And with WarGames now available as an online mode, we’re excited about the potential for this reciprocating concept to take on other players.
2K Showcase makes a predictable return to the series, but it may have the freshest and most exciting pivot yet. The showcase focuses on John Cena, his star on this year’s cover, but he can’t really play as a 16-time World Champion. Instead, the series of matches focuses on John Cena each time he loses an important match, with the player controlling the superstar who beat him. Not only is it an interesting story to tell in its own right, but it also has the benefit of providing variety to the player by not forcing them to play as one character dozens of times in a row.
While the mode now offers much-needed playable character diversity, I’m still a little cautious about the entertainment value of this showcase. I was only able to experience one match in this series, including the iconic ECW One Night Stand match. However, from what I’ve seen, there are some periods where you’re only watching the actual match for a few minutes at a time, and it seems (albeit impressive) to rely too heavily on switching to real life footage. I found myself wanting to get back into the action and create these moments myself, rather than just watching clips of footage that was burned into my brain. This is a minor issue with a small sample, and I’m still very interested in playing the entire showcase, but I’m a little concerned that it’s not the result I expected.
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Contrary to what we said about gameplay before, there is one advertised change that made a difference to the core mechanics. WWE 2K23 puts the versatility of options for kicking out pin attempts at the forefront, giving players the option of flicking the right stick within a time frame rather than mashing buttons. The Kick Out Zone is a sliding bar that decreases in size and behaves unpredictably as the game progresses and your vitality decreases. I immediately opted for this other option, which took me by surprise myself, but the tactile feel of the flick, his one-to-one representation of the movement, and the nature of the gasp at the end made the movie more dramatic. I was satisfied with the concept of reflecting accurately. WWE match. A quick button press option gives you early notification that you’ve reached the countout, but a new timing window system gives you the elusive chance of kicking out when your button press requests go over the limit is always provided. area of human competence. And is there anything more wrestling than the drama of that shocking kickout?
It could be argued that 2K22 set a new benchmark in terms of grappling gameplay.My personal (and perhaps controversial) opinion is that the series is currently the best yet. But with this comes a struggle for the next game in the series to do more beyond a small iteration, with this year’s game struggling to make its own dramatic statement. From what I’ve seen so far, WWE 2K23 certainly has some worthwhile and fun steps to take, with WarGames fans John Cena and the newest roster. I’m worried that the final game won’t have the impact that my revolutionary brother did.
Dale Driver is IGN’s UK Video Lead and a lifelong WWE fan/apologist who recognizes his Tribal Chief.Follow him on Twitter and be totally bored @_daledriver.
