I have been a wrestling fan my whole life and will be 40 next month so it has been a while. I still remember moments like the Montreal Screwjob with Bret Hart & Shawn Michaels or Wrestlemania 6 with Hogan vs The Ultimate Warrior my favourite mania.
So when I was given the chance to review WWE 2k24 that was my chance to relive my youth and play as the stars I watched growing up. Now WWE 2K has been an annual release and wrestling fans lick their lips every year this game is dropped apart from 2K20 but the less said about that game the better. Since then 2K has been looking for ways to make this game even better and first impressions its better in most ways and small adjustments from previous versions instead of taking a massive risk seem to have paid off.
First Impressions
WWE 2K24 has made the right improvements fewer wrestlers with outdated gimmicks well almost. The graphics of the stars look just like how they do in real life from the wrestling gear and even tattoos like on Roman Reigns.
They have even included announcers with special touches like any name Samantha Irving says. They seem to have even got the referees right they feel more like what you see on TV than a generic stand-in. This might not feel like a massive deal but it’s a welcomed change as they are a recurring character.
I bought last year’s version of the game just to compare and the main difference is the super finisher which allows you to use three finisher stocks for a bolder version of your star’s finisher. When used, you know you’re getting that 3 count and the win. Doing this will take more work to build up the finisher stocks and as you know a match can change tides in a heartbeat.
Additional changes include a new trading blows minigame that is unprompted and normally at the early stages of the match. How this works is you take turns attempting to fill a gauge at increasing speeds and whoever loses will be open to a big attack. This might feel a bit unfair if you are on the losing side but playing the game regularly for a few weeks now it only happened a handful of times.
There are also a few other additions such as new weapons to use, and non-legal tag partners can only run in to break up a pin which I found helpful in the Universe mode as it prevented getting cheesed by the aggressive CPU team. Managers act more noticeably in favour of their clients to help them win matches. You know am picking Paul Heyman as who does not want a Wiseman in their corner?
Overall I found WWE 2K24 to be even better than previous versions but let’s take a deeper dive into the game.
Match Types
Regarding match types, expect the normal matches here: 1on1, tag team, battle royal, The Royal Rumble, etc. WWE2K24 has also included a few new options such as:
Special Guest Referee Match – If you are playing with multiple players this can be great fun. One player can control the ref and either enforce the rules like Earl Hebner or skew things up for the other players. The ref by default will count pins, acknowledge submissions and disqualify for chatting. However, if you mess around too much a new referee will be sent to take over I found this to be great fun.
The Casket Match or Ambulance Match- The goal of either match is the same get your opponent inside a box they don’t want to be in. The ambulance match allows you to get on top of the ambulance and throw your opponent off it. The casket match feels more like just a standard match with just a different way to win as the coffin just sits by the side of the ring waiting for you to place your opponent inside.
Gauntlet Match – These come in three options – You can select a pool of stars who are randomly selected to battle each other, battle royal style or a team for a single wrestler to run through one at a time. Whichever option you select gauntlets are fun and challenging tasks it’s just a shame you are limited to just 4 wrestlers.
MyRise – This is WWE 2K’s story mode and I just love this! The story mode comes with two different stories of glorious victory or crushing defeat for your created character to embark on. First up is the Unleashed story this is your big star in the indies who starts at the bottom of the WWE umbrella.
The second story to select from is called Undisputed this revolves around a position left at the top of the men’s division when Roman Reigns gives up the title after a 1200-day reign to pursue Hollywood. This story feels more like WWE programming as you face evil authority figures and rote wrestling contrivances that will keep the star from the ultimate goal. If you are looking for a mode packed with content, some truly bonkers events make this sports entertainment.
Showcase Mode – This takes on a trip down memory lane to look back on WrestleMania. There are 20 bouts across the 40 years of WrestleMania I just felt some of the matches could have been more special in terms of how they are presented. Corey Graves does a lot of the storytelling in between matches to explain the context around them which if you’re new to wrestling or just have not been watching it as long as I have is nice to have. Taking control of these moments in history felt more like a box-ticking exercise than winning the contest. You can treat every match like a regular battle and pin or submit the opponent as fast as you like then move on. What I liked the best about this mode was the transitions from real match footage to a wrestling game. You do notice once you complete a task this would start a cutscene then return to combat then jump back into footage a move a two later. It’s not perfect with edited crowd noise and blurred-out faces of old refs in the vintage footage but I guess this is simply due to licencing so it’s understandable.
MyGM Mode – When you compare either to last year’s version of the game it’s not a massive change. You select your roaster and then have the option for post-paper-view event trades allowing you the wheel and deal with rival brands to boost your roaster for the next stretch of the campaign, The superstars have ring levels that can be increased through training and regular booking which helps them gain points. I was also impressed with the selection of GMs to pick from and the big list of power cards at your disposal to make it fun each week.
Universe Mode- This mode compared to last year did not feel much different. The mode allows you to take a view of the booking across the entire WWE Universe or you can focus on one wrestle in particular. There are new rivalry actions and run-ins and you can even do a loser leaves town match. Apart from that it’s a fun mode but I still feel it’s an area for 2K to improve.
GamePlay
I have been playing this game for a few weeks now and I love the fact you can throw weapons, and use super finishers such as the top-rope manhandle slam if you’re playing as Becky Lynch. You get an outrageous level of authenticity from this game such as 240 roaster members, three different ring announcers, and seven real refs.
The gameplay of WWE 2K24 is also outstanding wrestlers behave according to their attributes, bouts unfold differently depending on factors such as weight, move-sets and player skill. You can select the Moster among Men Braun Strowman to the technical excellence of a Chad Gable.
You also get countless new animations and a greater sense of fluidity such as new paybacks such as rage which immediately fills your finisher meter. Fresh camera angles during entrances and pin attempts enhance realism. You can provide tag partner instructions such as Ludwig Kaiser removing a turnbuckle to help Gunther unprompted.
MyGM mode is now my favourite mode is detailed and the mode sees you at the helm of one of 4 brands – Raw, Smackdown, NXT & ECW. The mode runs over a series of 25-week seasons allowing you to book matches, draft wrestlers and even hone in on management areas such as arena sizes & pyro effects. Matches can be watched, simmed or you can play yourself. The competitive element is great while building up lesser-known wrestlers towards getting that brass bell increasingly engaging.
There is also MyFaction mode and in this mode, you get the addition of persona cards, where gimmicks unlocked in MyFaction can be used across the rest of the game. However, there is a big BUT menu and wrestler select screens contain blanked-out faces and names for those cards, effectively reminding you that you need to play MyFaction to complete the roaster. The mode featuring paid-for currency is garish and sullies all these wonderful improvements found across the rest of the game.
Something I am glad they have done is give us five different versions of Bray Wyatt since he passed away in August 2023. This shows 2K have been listening to the fans.
The Deluxe Edition
Now we were lucky that when this game was sent to us to try it was the deluxe edition and thank you 2K for this. What you get with this version is a season pass, the Nightmare Family pack this includes Dusty Rhodes, Billy Graham, some previous Cody iterations, MYFACTION cards, stats for MyRise and some unlockables right from the start. It’s a great option to have and if you were going to purchase all the DLC character packs through the year it is worth spending the extra upfront as it will be cheaper than buying each pack individually.
Verdict
WWE 2K24 while not massively different from previous versions there is enough new features added to every inch of this game to make it well worth climbing into the squared circle for.
2K & Visual Concepts have done a great job with WWE2k24 if you have played the previous versions of the game the controls and gameplay remain unchanged. Especially with that simple combo system to more complex controls on offer for those who want to have more of a direct influence on the match.
I was also impressed with the lighting engine that continues to make this large roaster of stars look great well most of them. Some superstars have a number of visual inconsistencies Bayley being the prime example.
Some other stars look a little too beige and look more like action figures. I guess it’s the price you pay for over 240 superstars. Overall, gone are the days of that shockingly bad 2K20 what you have with 2K24 is a crazy amount of content that offers over 240 superstars to pick from and many new matches and game modes 2K24 is a big hit with me as a wrestling fan. Could they improve sure fix a few of the visuals on some of the stars that look a little questionable and I would also improve the Showcase Mode as it feels a bit rushed with too many cutscenes
That aside this is an excellent game for the Wrestling fan and is available on Xbox, PS4 & PS5 prices start from £21.
Product Rating
Overall ranking: 4.5 out of 5.0 stars – 4.5 stars
WWE 2K24 is available via Amazon from £21
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