Pro Wrestling has always held a special place in my heart. I was lucky enough to live through the Attitude era of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE, or as it was called back then, pre-lawsuit, WWF). Watching larger than life characters like “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, The Rock and The Undertaker go to war in the middle of a ring (often also outside of it!) – these guys became my heroes. I was absolutely obsessed.
As I grew older, the storylines and characters became a little too tame for my taste and I took a hiatus from my WWE fandom. That was until last year when I was able to get my hands on a copy of WWE 2K23, arguably one of the best wrestling games ever made… I was back, baby.
This past year, I have re-immersed myself back into the WWE universe, making sure to watch every show in anticipation of Royal Rumble and WrestleMania.
Needless to say, I have been on the edge with excitement as I awaited the release of WWE 2K24. It’s out now, available on PlayStation, Xbox and PC, but how does it stack up? What’s new compared to last year’s game?
WITH EVERYBODY SAYIN’ – A Mega Roster
Not unlike previous instalments, WWE 2K24 boasts a MASSIVE roster of WWE Superstars, ranging from legends like Hulk Hogan to the current locker room’s stock of talent.
I like that 2K Games has still made it accessible to casual fans like me who aren’t up to date with the modern roster. I can stick to the wrestlers I knew from my childhood and still have a fun time.
But now that I’m up-to-date with the WWE world and its wrestlers, I am actually in awe at the depth they have gone to in bringing the virtual superstars to life.
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Not only are the likenesses on point, but their mannerisms and facial expressions are close to the real things — exactly as you would see them on an episode of Raw or Smackdown! In WWE 2K24, over 90% of facial reactions have been updated since the previous game, and it shows.
While controlling the Superstar Asuka, I kicked rival Iyo Sky in the face, which looked great. But it was Iyo’s look of horror as the boot entered her face that really sold it for me — just impressive. You can truly tell who someone is by the way they move around the ring and hold themselves.
ACKNOWLEDGE ME – Showcase Mode
WWE 2K24’s crowning jewel is its WrestleMania showcase mode; the Superbowl of wrestling events. In this game mode you can play through some of the most iconic matches in WrestleMania’s 40-year history.
After taking on a historical persona, you’re tasked with completing the actual moves orchestrated in these classic bouts, seamlessly transitioning between gameplay and real-life footage from the time. It serves as an incredible insight as to how important each of these matchups were, with a full documentary-style commentary laying out the road to the fight and the stories behind these rivalries.
To top it all off, there’s a vintage colour wash over the already beautiful graphics. It all matches the archival footage perfectly, immersing you even further.
A-TOWN DOWN – Moments of Frustration
I did find it frustrating trying to pull off some of the particular moves in the Showcase mode. Often your wrestler needs to be in a very specific position to perform a certain action.
I take my hat off to 2K for the way they’ve implemented the control scheme, complying with wrestling mechanics, but at times it can get in the way when trying to pull off a very distinct move.
Reversals are a very big part of the battle system, as they are in real wrestling. A match can turn on a dime at any time, which generally can be fine. But when I’m trying to perform a special move as a part of the showcase checklist, these reversals can get annoying fast.
One example, I had just pulled off the legendary body slam that Hulk Hogan executed on Andrea The Giant, back in WrestleMania III. I was then prompted to simply pin the behemoth and cap off the victory. But he kicked out…
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I hadn’t caused enough damage to finish him, but Andrea went on to reverse a bunch of my moves which extended the match and I lost all hype.
The rest was just a slog.
I did the body slam AGAIN, which took all the weight of the original body slam away. The whole point was that Andre was un-body-slamable!
Now, this mostly comes down to me being rubbish at the game and not perfecting my own reversals, but you’d think in these showcase modes they’d move things along to keep that immersion, rather than slow it down with gameplay mechanics.
AND THAT’S THE BOTTOM LINE
Unfortunately, the weakest part of WWE 2K24 is the actual wrestling.
Though, there are all manner of epic matches to take part in: from cage matches to exhibitions where your goal is to send somebody home in an ambulance — this doesn’t hide the fact that the game can get really irritating.
The moves look good, but to get to the point where you can achieve the action you want, feels so mechanical.
Hopefully, future entries will incorporate more fluid combat.
FINISH THE STORY – More Game Modes
Thankfully, there is more than enough to do outside of wrestling in this wrestling game!
In terms of bang for your buck, you really can’t go past a sporting game like WWE 2K24. If you’re a super fan, this could be the only wrestling game you need for the foreseeable future.
There’s a career mode in the form of “MyRISE”. Here you take control of a custom-created superstar and work your way up the ranks; getting tutelage from legends of sports entertainment and knocking opponents out of your way.
“MyFACTION” features deck-building elements. Players need to purchase and collect cards to build their own team (or faction) in the WWE Universe and compete with other players around the world.
Then there is my personal favourite: “MyGM”.
In WWE 2K23, I spent a stupid amount of hours in this mode, and fully intend on doing it again over the next year.
You are put in the shoes of a WWE Brand General Manager with the goal of making your show the most popular. To do this, you must draft a strong roster of Superstars and Legends and then coordinate rivalries, epic matches and the egos of your talent. It’s super addictive.
This new iteration of “MyGM” has been fine-tuned to offer an even greater experience. Now, up to four players can take part, allowing you and your mates to role-play through the roof. There’s also new character promos and a Superstar Journey system, enabling you to earn experience points and level up your Superstars.
But the best part about all of these modes is you can skip the matches if you want, and focus solely on the management sim elements!
REST. IN. PEACE. – Is WWE 2K24 Worth The Upgrade?
For big fans of WWE, such as myself, 2K24 stands as a pinnacle in the realm of wrestling gaming.
While some may perceive the gameplay as slightly cumbersome, the dazzling visuals, seamlessly fluid animations, and immersive game modes serve to compensate and elevate the overall experience.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve gotta go lay the Smackdown on some candy asses.
Quest Daily scores WWE 2K24:
8/10
A copy of WWE 2K24 was supplied to Quest Daily for the purpose of this review.
