WWE 2K23 Review – GETTING AHEAD OF THE COMPETITION!
After the success of WWE 2K22, which did a lot to compensate for 2K’s previous blunders, WWE 2K23 jumps into the ring to fight for the right to be the best 2K wrestling simulator to date. But does it do enough to be worthy of that title?
WWE continues to build off the successful gameplay style of WWE 2K22. It only makes minor changes to the mechanics to make the game feel that little bit more immersive. One of the most noticeable improvements is the upgrade to the pin minigame. Not only has the input been changed to be a flick of the thumbstick to kick out, but it is now also much easier to grab the ropes to break the count. Aside from this though, the rest of the gameplay seems very similar to its 2022 counterpart, just noticeably smoother.
The rest of the gameplay seems very similar to its 2022 counterpart, just noticeably smoother.
However, it seems as though this 2K wrestling sim is much more difficult than previous iterations. That is at least on legendary difficulty. The timing of reversals in particular seem to have a much smaller window. Now you have to be near perfect with your inputs to be able to get it right. This was a bit frustrating, especially when playing against high level superstars! They seemed to be able to reverse everything, without any of their moves being able to be countered. At the same time, it does make it feel extra satisfying when you get one over on your opponent, especially if it is the Dr. of Thuganomics.
WWE 2K23 Has Something For Everyone
Talking about the man that nobody can seem to see, this year’s Showcase is all about Big Match John! However, instead of putting you in the boots of ‘The Face that Runs the Place’, you get to take control of some of his toughest opponents as they beat him down and secure the ‘1,2,3’. This unique take on the Showcase game mode makes it one of the best versions of what has become one of 2K’s standout features.
This unique take on the Showcase game mode makes it one of the best versions of what has become one of 2K’s standout features.
“The Legacy” and “The Lock” feature as the two ‘story modes’ for a created superstar that make up 2K23’s MyRise game mode. There is a serviceable story in “The Legacy”, but there just really isn’t much more to it than what we’ve already seen from 2K22. This was a bit of a disappointment, because it would have been nice to see this popular mode taken to the next level. But unfortunately, the dialogue and some of the narrative can fall a little flat from time to time. MyRise is still good fun to playthrough, though it would be nice for the rivalries to feel a bit more organic, rather than just ‘select the rivalry to enter into’ feeling that this year’s MyRise gives.
Taking Your Own Brand to the Top in 2K23
MyGM is the next game mode that has seen some improvement since its last outing. The most notable upgrade can be seen the moment you jump in. Now, you can compete against 3 other brands instead of just having one rival. This definitely makes the gamemode feel more like you are actually part of WWE. It also means that more of the roster is being utilised throughout the season. You can now also have superstars fight it out in a larger variety of match stipulations, rather than just the limited set that we saw in 2K22.
The Faces of WWE
One of the main criticisms that 2K’s run of WWE games has received is the inconsistency of its superstar likenesses. Thankfully, in 2K23, it seems as though a lot more time and attention has been put to making each superstar look almost indistinguishable from their real life counterparts. It is also cool to see that there are quite a lot of varieties to the arenas that you can select for your matches, my personal favourite being the 2002 Smackdown arena. There is still the occasional glitch to be found here, but it never really takes away from the gameplay experience. This is easily one of 2K’s more polished wrestling simulators.
Decision
WWE 2K23 is a standout entry in 2K’s wrestling sim series. It builds upon the foundations of 2K22, to become one of the smoothest feeling WWE titles to date. Whilst there is the occasional glitch and a slight lack of innovation in MyRise, that doesn’t take away from the fact that this is still an absolutely solid 2K title that boasts many hours of addictive gameplay, and a decent variety of game modes to explore. 2K23 is definitely worth picking up, especially for all the ‘rastling’ fans out there.
By Samuel Incze – Reviewed on PlayStation 5
Great
WWE 2K23 is a fun and exciting wrestling sim; boasting a decent variety of game modes with most seeing at least a few improvements. By far the standout is Showcase mode, putting you into the boots of some of John Cena’s most significant opponents. Overall, 2K23 definitely does enough to be worth picking up, even if more significant improvements could have been made.
This game was reviewed using a download code provided by Visual Concepts and 2K Games. The Beta Network uses affiliate partnerships, however, this does not influence reviews or any other content published. The Beta Network may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links that are on the website.
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