Ready for 40 Years Of Wrestlemania?
Email: John.Betts@Gamehype.co.uk
This year’s release celebrates the upcoming wrestle extravaganza with a tribute to some of the finest Wrestlemania moments ranging from the face-off of the mega powers Randy Savage & Hulk Hogan way back at WrestleMania V to the more recent and fittingly, Roman Reigns vs Cody Rhodes at last years Wrestlemania 39.
The video game has an obvious tie-in with its real-life counterpart, the fundamental being the “finish your story” tagline which is synonymous with Cody Rhodes and his journey to the upcoming WM 40 main event for the World title. 2K/Visual Concepts is trying to capture this vibe with the latest release. As evidenced in not only the narrative of the showcase mode, where more often than not, some of the matches pit you as the disadvantaged underdog. This is also touched on in the story mode of MyRise.
WWE 2k24 isn’t going to blow your mind in terms of radical changes and new features. What it does do is provide a tidy update on an already polished engine and improve on it quite considerably. The small touches of improvement WWE 2k24 has seen include the likes of a nearly up-to-date roster in terms of presentation/appearance. Throwing weapons at opponents, new weapons, new paybacks, the releasing of shoulder straps, a punch/slap-off mini-game, A.I improvement, (most notably in tag matches) and a new in-game, game-changer known as the super finisher. The super finisher requires three stored finishers for one mighty strong blow which nearly always guarantees the win. Another new aspect of this year’s release is the photo-realistic referee officials, giving the game that added feeling of authenticity not seen in previous releases. (That said, its a shame referees are flawed with how slow they get down for pin counts). These are hardly groundbreaking additions it must be said, but very welcome and give the game a nice feeling of freshness which can be difficult to achieve with yearly releases.
MyRise
During my playthrough of the story-driven MyRise, I opted to start the Undisputed playthrough of storylines which has long-lasting storytelling, affected by choices and paths taken throughout the mode with a system that rewards partaking in the optional challenges and side stories with attire unlocks and attribute points used to boost the strength/OVR of your wrestler.
I started with my male wrestler known as Ace Shot and soon realized the mode is focused on usurping (the on holiday) Roman Reigns, maintaining your title, and constantly defying the odds. (All three brands of WWE are intertwined with the story depending on your narrative path.) The mode has plenty of superstar and legend cameos with some smooth voice acting and interesting plots to get your teeth into.
As i started my story, Ace Shot had entered into the newly announced battle tournament for the vacated universal championship, and soon after he was mocked and labeled the dark horse. Talent regularly approach you, with some offering support and others verbally calling you out. Tip, check your phone folks, some important inbox messages and trash talk can impact the story.
One such instance, sees a prank on the WWE social handle tricking you into thinking an appearance at the performance center was requested to honor your title-winning run. Only to then get ridiculed as fellow wrestlers at the center mock your ego for turning up.
MyRise mode lets you edit your entrance, appearance and more throughout the mode for those of you who fancy a look that suits your change in persona. Your personality can flip flop from heel to babyface depending on your approach to the backstage narrative. My Rise Its effectively a story of defying the odds, proving Roman wrong and holding on to power with some intriguing twists, turns, and cameos along the way. It’s a neat, realistic, fun mode, full of content that feels compelling enough to replay and experience the other narrative paths that impact your journey. (It’s a massive step up from the lacklustre efforts of just a few short years back)
Showcase
As previously touched on, this mode is focused around 40 years of Wrestlemania. Players start from the early years leading to the modern day. WWE legends such as Kurt Angle, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and Hollywood Hulk Hogan add context and discuss their moments of glory under the bright lights of WM. WWE commentator Corey Graves offers plenty of insight and works hard to tap into the drama and capture the magic of these matches to make the players feel like they are reliving the highs and lows of these historic moments. Kudos for effort as the mode is superbly presented but the actual gameplay effectively holds your hand, with the checkbox in the top corner of the screen instructing players on how to progress the match, I found this distracting and takes away from the actual build-up of hype pre-match, but at least its not required to adhere to if players wish to get a quick finish and move on. To just further add, the switch between real-time gameplay and live footage of the match flows nicely and I enjoyed seeing footage of some great matches of yesteryear.
My GM/Universe Mode
Fancy managing your roster? Own weekly shows and PPV events? (Of course you do) Then these modes should hit that sweet spot. Universe mode feels and looks pretty similar to last year, which isn’t meant as a negative, the mode remains enjoyable and offers some fun features to play around with. Whether that’s focusing on a select few on the roster or taking charge of booking the whole show. This can be somewhat entertaining with some new stipulations to add to the drama of your booking.
GM mode sees players strive to have the most prestigious brand in WWE. Power cards impact the perks of choosing said manager which then influence your show. Ted Dibiase offers a week of free booking or should you pick Mick Foley you can sabotage the health of two competitors on the rival brand. Select your brand, roster (with the help of talent scouts), and organize the show logistics, (unlocking higher tiers of assets as you progress). With the ultimate goal of being the most prestigious brand in WWE. In fairness to 2k, it’s a mode that whilst doesn’t sound too exciting on paper, is packed with features and depth.
Online/Gameplay
General gameplay online is solid and fun, stacked with all the matches and modes from last year. This year’s release sees the inclusion of new matches including casket, ambulance, and the enjoyable special guest referee. Out of the three matches I found myself leaning much more toward the guest referee, followed by the ambulance match, and lastly the casket. This is largely in part due to how dull the casket match felt besides the button-bashing finale to the closing of the casket, it offers no real thrills and seems to be lacking innovation. The Ambulance match provides numerous ways of using the environment to your advantage, such as fighting on top of the ambulance, setting up a table below and tossing your opponent off the ambulance, through the table, and then into the vehicle to win the match. Guest Referee is incredibly fun, giving players the chance to make their own calls and dictate the match how they see fit.
Summary
Online performance whilst solid for the large part does have the same niggling issue from last year which is occasional server disconnects. This impacts the whole lobby and usually results in all the players leaving the match. Sadly the top spots on the leaderboards look like the usual hacks have got a grip on that aspect of the game. With some players already clocking up over 7000 matches….(I’m not the only one finding that hard to believe right?) No eSportes support is also a blow for those of us looking to compete in fair, competitive matches with default wrestlers only.
Visually the game looks crisp and sharp, textures and animations have been beautifully implemented and combat mechanics flow nicely, leading to a satisfying, enjoyable in-ring experience that continues to enhance the quality of the 2k WWE series.
WWE 2k24 is a superb wrestling simulation. Offering incredible production values with its detailed, true to life presentation. Game modes provide plenty of depth, customisation and replayability with a large roster of modern wrestlers & legends. Plus, an abundance of matches to enjoy. However, most importantly, you get to defy Roman and have the opportunity to finish Cody’s story ;).
Many Thanks to 2k games for the review code on Xbox Series X.
