8Bit/Digi

These Are My Stories

The Rock has informed me that “Pro wrestling is exciting once again,” and he isn’t wrong, especially when fans get to feel how amazing it can be with a gamepad in their hands, controlling the action. Some are still reeling from the disaster that was WWE 2K20, but recent entries have proven developer Visual Concepts can still cook, and WWE 2K24 is another rung up the ladder for the evolution of this franchise.

Most people have played some version of a WWE game before and if it has been within the last few years, this entry will feel quite familiar. No need to reinvent the wheel, this iteration is about refinement, fine-tuning what was already under the hood, and expanding the experience. For many people, it’s all about the updated roster, which is stacked. There are over two hundred superstars from NXT, SmackDown, and RAW, as well as numerous legends of yesterday to choose from and a couple of genuine surprises like Muhammad Ali and even an action figure. There are a few notable absences from the current lineup, but many of those are individuals who have re-joined the company or debuted recently and will be coming in with the DLC, a choice that is likely to keep some playing the game longer.

Make Your Own Moves

The gameplay feels excellent. Movement isn’t always perfectly responsive and not all of the animations are as fluid as they could be, but taking control of these wrestling gods and goddesses is weighty and satisfying, making many of the hits and higher profile moves crunch with enthusiasm. The game isn’t necessarily easy to pick up, but there are extensive tutorials and once most players get going with the basics, everything else starts falling into place and combat becomes intuitive, but give it a little time. Things get more complicated when weapons are involved, or the action spills outside of the ring, but there are plenty of prompts to help guide players toward making some iconic moments. There are so many moves to execute, positions to try, and maneuvers to chain together, with most resulting in thrilling outcomes that keep me playing match after match.

Returning players will fall right back into the familiar beatings, but there are new aspects that have changed the flow slightly. Sometimes finishers aren’t enough, so there’s the next level – a Super Finisher. What’s better than your favorite superstar’s big move, why, doing it from the top turnbuckle or just hitting it multiple times in a row, of course. Now, not everyone has these and they are tricky, as the player needs to save up multiple finishers and still risk the big one being countered, but who is here to play things safe? 

There’s also a new punching mini-game, like when two fan-favorite fighters are slugging it out and the crowd is cheering for both, but now we hold a button down and release it at the right time to see whose hits land better, and again, there is a riskier goal that can end things in one solid blow. This new addition fits with the matches we see on television and is less annoying than many of the other little button-mashing gimmicks, but I’d rather not deal with it overall. Another new move in the arsenal is the ability to throw weapons, which is spectacular and makes me feel completely in control of my opponent when I use it more as an insult. Okay, throwing many of the objects looks ridiculous and a bit comical sometimes, especially at certain distances, but I’m still here for it.

Chaos on the Mat

Multi-man matches are chaotic, the look function to determine which wrestler the player is targeting is still troublesome, but it does seem like the developers are trying to cut back on problems in other ways. Tag Team contests can’t have as much interference this time around and many maneuvers line up better, like rebounds. Irish whips in general seem tighter and less likely a controlled character will randomly forget about the opponent they threw, while corner moves connect quite well also. Most of these matches don’t take forever to do now and feel more winnable, but Elimination Chamber will always be my favorite.

Everyone always wants to know what match types the game will have, as many aren’t included each year. The impressive gimmicks this time are Casket Matches, or the more impressive version, where we get to do the same concept, but with an ambulance. Jumping off the top of that emergency vehicle and slamming someone into the back of it is just too sweet. There are also several variations on the Gauntlet Match, which can be used to test players’ survival skills, facing off against multiple foes one after the other. 

The Special Guest Referee Match may be one of the more unique additions, where a player takes on the role of the official, but be warned, the company is watching, judging, and they will replace anyone who hasn’t been following the manual. Don’t worry, that meter can be turned off. It’s a tough job though and there’s little respect in it, as it’s easy to make bad calls, but if things go too sour, we can always attack the other participants. I felt like it wasn’t for me at first, but did it again to get better. I also bet this mode is hilarious with friends. Even if this ends up being disliked overall, I’m so glad the developers tried it.

Modes of Fun

If we’re done doing exhibition matches, there are several other modes to play in. Once again we have the stories, one for the male superstars (Undisputed) and a journey for the women’s created wrestler (Unleashed) which is very similar to last year’s, even featuring many of the same characters and beats, but there is more voice over, some neat scenarios, rewarding side missions, and overall it seems like they tried to pick up the pacing and remove a bit of the clutter. I’ll be going back to both soon.

Want to play some matches that actually happened? The focus of Showcase Mode this time is 40 Years of Wrestlemania, which puts players in the boots of multiple stars as they battle on the grandest stage of them all across the years (skipping a couple no one seems to like, I’m looking at you Wrestlemania 2). I think it was smart to let us play as multiple athletes over this decades-long journey instead of focusing on one superstar, similar to previous years, this feels like switching things up in the right way. Reliving history is exciting, but I think what makes this more enjoyable was the streamlined objectives and Corey Graves’ commentary, which helped give me a new appreciation for some of these epic fights. The visuals are stunning and no one will play this mode without mentioning the seamless transitions between gameplay and real footage, it’s just too bad that is marred by blurred objects, missing participants, and obscured faces. Wrestling is truly magnificent, but sometimes being a wrestling fan is tough, especially when we pay attention to what goes on outside of the ring. Recent events have made that even harder to ignore.

Why not take charge and do a better job in GM Mode? This is the type of thing that feels so daunting at first, but once players figure out what the game is looking for, there’s nothing more exciting than crushing all of these other general managers beneath my heel. Excuse me. I’ve been playing this mode a lot more this year and I have a big feud going on with ECW. There’s a lot of micromanaging and a balancing act that seems more like work, but it’s closer to fantasy football, and eventually, the stressful parts fade away and turn into extreme enjoyment while climbing up in the ratings. There is a new trading system, more card advantages, and wrestlers gain XP when used, so this is still a fan-favorite for a lot of people that could probably be its own separate game. My only real complaint is that it’s easy to make mistakes, especially when speaking to the contracted employees, and no way to go back. If that doesn’t sound ideal, give Universe Mode a shot, which is similar to an evolving timeline for the superstars, where players can control one athlete or numerous wrestlers for many hours of simulated matches and gameplay.

Some people truly enjoy MyFaction, a card game mode littered with timed events and micro-transactions, but it is just not for me. This is the second year I’ve tried it out and don’t feel like it’s enjoyable, plus I got stuck in the tutorial and became quite irked the first time I accidentally opened it.

Create, Destroy, and Enjoy

I spent more time with the Creation Suite than I normally do, which remains quite awesome. There are so many options. It might feel a bit static at first, but once players realize how much can be altered, tweaked, and stacked on top of each other, the artistic juices begin flowing and suddenly I’ve spent three hours just on getting my custom Money in the Bank briefcase looking perfect. Allowing people to create signs is a fun idea that can’t possibly go wrong, but I’m really impressed with the idea of sculpting my own referees. So much potential now for people who want to build their personal federations from the ground up. As always, people can upload their creations, and a lot of these are fantastic.

The game looks stunning, as always – I absolutely love how the fire looks when I ignite a table – the soundtrack is solid, even if I know nothing about Post Malone (who produced it), and overall, though there are no major improvements, WWE 2K24 certainly feels like another step in the right direction that is working, for now at least. There are still some issues, I had one major crash and we all know these games have some level of jank no matter what, but other than a little bit of characters floating and rubber-banding, this feels like nothing compared to certain previous entries.

With this much interactivity and all those moving parts, there’s always going to be something poking out. The game features so many modes, engaging gameplay, and a load of positive tweaks that it’s almost impossible not to recommend this one to fans or those who think that wrestling is cool again and want to try their hands at it.

Disclaimer: The publisher through a PR representative provided the game used for this review.

This review is the critique and thoughts of one writer. If you want to see how other critics felt then check it out on OpenCritic.

8Bit/Digi is an independent media outlet that provides insight into the gamer community of the San Francisco Bay Area.

WWE 2K24 (PS5)

9

Excellent

9.0/10

Pros

• Solid and versatile controls
• Stunning visuals
• A stacked roster with more to come and the ability to create your own
• Several engaging modes with hours of enjoyable gameplay

Cons

• Not always easy for new players
• Still has some janky visuals, bugs, and a few nagging issues