WWE 2K23 REVIEW

Release Date: 17th March 2023 (14th March 2023 for Deluxe and Icon editions)

Developer: Visual Concepts

Publisher: 2k

Platforms : PS5, XBOX SERIES X/S, PC, PS4, XBOX ONE

WWE 2k games have had a good reputation over the years for being solid and fun experiences.

Sadly that changed due to the disastrous release of WWE 2k20 which was full of bugs and glitches making it unplayable at times. However, skipping a year of their annual release helped with the next game 2k22.

WWE 2K22 brought the franchise back to where people expected it to be.

2k23 has not only continued that to provide solid gameplay, customisation, and a generally fun experience but in some cases improved upon it.

I will highlight these in the pros and cons section later on in the piece.

First of all, let's talk about what the newest installment in the franchise has to offer.

WWE 2K23 has a roster of 129 wrestlers to get you started.

You can unlock more by completing objectives in the various modes in the game and by buying all downloadable content which takes the total to 246 including eight unique managers.

There are six main game modes within the game Play, Showcase, Universe, MyGM, MyFaction, and MyRise.

Play is basically the quick play option that allows you to play against up to 7 COM controlled players at one time or you can play against 3 friends locally in a variety of different match types from standard matches to Royal Rumbles and even a new edition this year WarGames which I will talk more about later.

The Showcase mode is a themed experience changing yearly to allow you to take control of a WWE Superstar or legend in matches throughout their career.

This year the showcase mode focused on the career of John Cena who is arguably one of the most famous and successful WWE superstars.

However, this year differed from previous installments as you took control of John Cena’s opponents in each of the matches.

Within the matches, you are tasked with completing objectives corresponding to moments that happened in those matches.

Universe mode is a staple of WWE 2k games and allows you to choose between two different paths.

The first is taking control of the career of a WWE or created superstar, choosing a brand whether that be Raw, Smackdown, or NXT, and winning championships.

The second option is the more traditional route, a sandbox mode allowing you to customise everything from the days of shows down to which superstars team together or are rivals who may or may not be chasing the same championship.

My GM is a management mode allowing the player to take control of a brand and competes against 3 other brands controlled by COM or other players.

In this mode, you are tasked with creating the most successful brand to win 10 Hall of Fame trophies acquired from being the best-rated brand throughout the duration of your chosen playthrough.

MyFaction is a newer edition added in 2k23’s predecessor 2k22 is a card-based mode with representations of WWE superstars.

The aim is to build a deck or faction in this case which will give you the best chance of beating your opponent.

MyRise is a mode in which you take control of a created superstar and take them to the top of the industry.

This year there are two paths the player can take a Legacy and the lock.

In the Legacy career, you take control of the niece of a former WWE Women’s champion and Hall of Famer. You aim to get to the very top of the industry and become a Hall of Famer yourself.

The Lock career path allows you to take control of a Male superstar who made their name on the independent scene and joins WWE with the hopes of one day becoming the WWE champion.

Whichever career the player chooses to do you will be given choices determining the path your superstar's career will take.

The player is given the option to import a created WWE superstar if they’ve previously created one on 2k23 or create a fresh one for MyRise which can be exported and used in other modes once they’ve finished their chosen MyRise career.

In addition to the modes above WWE 2k23 has an online mode allowing the player to play against friends or people all over the world in different match types similar to the Play option which allows them to play against their friends locally.

WWE 2k23 also has a variety of different ways for you to be creative whether that is making a superstar and giving them a custom move-set and entrance or creating your own wrestling brand which you can be done through creating an arena and show and even your own Money in the Bank briefcases and championship belts.

However, if you want a customised experience but don’t feel up to creating items yourself there is a dedicated in-game community creations tab allowing you to download other people’s creations, everything from superstars to arenas to logos which can be used in different areas of the game.

After outlining what WWE 2k23 offers let them talk about the pros, and cons of the game, my experiences with it, and whether I recommend the game.

Pros

There are many pros of WWE 2K23 including easy-to-learn controls, a variety of tutorials for new players, improved character models, a large roster to choose from without additional content being purchased, the creative tools, the options menu including being able to change the Pin and submission systems, Showcase mode, a small change in universe mode, War Games as a match type and the big changes made to the MyRise mode.

The small change made to universe mode is the graying out names of the superstars not on a chosen brand when creating a match or changing the participants.

The new match-type War Games I mentioned sees two teams of 3 or 4 superstars compete against one another. Pictured below is the rules of the match.

The changes made to the MyRise mode vastly improve the experience from previous installments.

The option of whether to create or import a superstar and take them down the path of breaking out of the shadow of a former WWE women’s champion and Hall of Famer or starting in the company as someone who made it big on the independent scene and trying to break into the WWE is a great addition.

Your decisions having consequences in MyRise while not being new have more of an effect on the twist and turns on your superstars' path to the top of the company giving MYRise replayability.

Cons

The Cons are the MyFaction mode, the new scenario system in universe mode, Microtransactions, expensive additional content, rare glitchy character animations, and voice and mouth not syncing in interviews in my rise patch 1.08), breaking a move not being consistent and being able to accidentally knock who you are controlling mid-match in tag team match ups (on PS5 using the touchpad).

A specific con is the new scenario system in the universe mode.

The new system works by having two rival superstars in a match and before you go into the match there will be two options both with a percentage chance of happening.

The chosen scenario can vary and lead to a rival superstar attacking their opponent after the match or a rival superstar will be swapped out for another superstar on the brand leading to that same rival superstar turning up mid-match to prevent their rival from leaving.

The scenarios are not playable and are just cutscenes and while you can edit which ones occur before entering the match, certain scenarios fit a certain type of superstar.

However, the biggest con of this game is the pricing of the additional content.

You can buy virtual currency or microtransactions to enhance the experience of the MyFaction mode as they enable you to buy more cards to improve your faction.

My issue with this is that MyFaction is a mode specifically made to encourage a player to buy currency to improve their experience similar to FIFA points and packs in FIFA 23 Ulitmate Team.

The season pass and ruthless aggression character pack if purchased separately from the game are expensive for what they are as well. Being priced at £32.99 and £18.99 respectively in the UK is a lot of money for additional content.

The Season pass gives you 5 Post-launch DLC packs, a MyRise mega boost, and unlocks all legends, arenas, and championships unlocked in the base game.

Overall I believe that WWE 2k23 is an excellent wrestling game that can keep you entertained for many hours with its large roster, customisation options, and online mode.

The changes made both large and small, improved the experience from the previous installment 2k22.

However, MyFaction, the Microtransactions (virtual currency), and the cost of the additional content including the season pass and other downloadable content make it hard to recommend purchasing the more expensive versions of the game.

I’d recommend purchasing the base version of the game or waiting until the deluxe and icon editions are heavily discounted.