It’s all about the WarGames (and how you play it)

Even the most tolerant WWE fan will admit that WWE 2K20 was a colossal disaster. Being the first to be fully developed by Visual Concepts, which took over from experienced wrestling game studio Yuke’s, some of the superstar character models look more like molten wax figures than their real-life counterparts and are bug-free. was occurring frequently. This led to both publisher 2K Games and the developer itself taking inventory, delaying and effectively resuming the annual series updates.

This is a big reason why WWE 2K22 is once again a step in the right direction. We got the basics right and the visual aspect improved a lot. In fact, it’s arguably the best WWE game since his Smackdown vs Raw title in the mid-2000s. There were a few minor issues and the gameplay still felt a bit spongy at times, but it’s a game we’ve continued to enjoy over the last year.

Now that exchange is almost here and I had to play 3 modes in my ongoing build. Here are our first thoughts.

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all modes

Hands-on sessions allowed players to play 1v1 matches on Raw Arena, a Royal Rumble featuring some superstars, and a new match type for Game of the Year, WarGames. This latter mode mimics his match Classic, first updated for his NXT and most recently used as the main event for Survivor Series. The preview build allowed us to experience WarGames in both the current NXT Arena (located at WWE’s Performance Center) and the arena used for the last Survivor Series.

WarGames can be set up as single or multiplayer 3v3 or (like the event itself) 4v4 matches. We had to play him 3 on 3. I chose an all-female line-up with Leah Ripley, Shayna Baszler and Bailey on one side and Becky Lynch, Bianca Blair and Charlotte Flair on the other. Similar to the Royal Rumble, he of the stars can control one, while the others happily use her AI to beat it. However, you can change which character you control in the settings (although some match stars up to that point will be lost).

Matchups work just like the real thing. Surrounded by a steel cage, he fights across two rings. As new superstars are introduced, weapons (chairs, tables, etc.) are introduced and the match isn’t over until all the competitors from the two teams are inside. In practice, like Royal Rumble and other game modes with multiple participants, it can be a little chaotic, but it’s also a lot of fun. You can climb the walls of the cage, but you couldn’t go above to see if you could do the same crazy spots we’ve witnessed over the years. It’s been shortened compared to the event and new members are joining fast (at least in preview builds). And you won’t see them come out of their little cage on the main stage to do so. We’ve had enough playtime to tell you it’s going to be a popular new feature, especially in online and local multiplayer.

The Royal Rumble hasn’t changed much over the years, but the one-on-one matches are what you’d expect. However, everything seems to flow better, and this is due to enhanced character animations and smoother transitions between movements.

The only other mode offered during our session was one match from the new showcase. This time, it features the career of John Cena.

immortal showcase

Showcase modes have been staples of the series for some time, by focusing on specific superstars or groups and putting them in control of some of the most iconic matches. , meaning you have to complete the actual match by completing certain objectives, thus progressing into a chronological storyline.

Considering John Cena is the star this time around, that means you get plenty of big main events and moments. The 2006 pay-per-view saw the now WWE-owned brand return to the Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan, New York. Fuller. Well, until WWE brought it back again as an ill-fated offshoot, effectively killing the name anyway.

The interesting thing about this match in the game is that you can actually play as RVD instead of Cena herself. This surprisingly doesn’t take into account that Van Dam won (spoiler alert). The arena looks great, especially since it’s decked out in classic ECW outfits. And the spots you need to pull off are great.

The showcase also has Cena speaking between each match, which works well given how good he is as a presenter and actor these days. Maybe, but I can’t fault his charisma.

body building

Aside from the different modes, what stood out during the gameplay session was the graphics inside and outside the ring. Each superstar character model we’ve played and observed has improved significantly over the years. They are much more similar to their real-world counterparts. He opened the game with his one-on-one match between American Nightmares’ Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre. The texture of clothes and skin is beautifully expressed. Avatar moves naturally.

This continues in the ring as the animation appears ten times stronger. Switching from one move to another is more intuitive thanks to the more responsive character. There are still some lengthy move sequences that don’t feel particularly in control, especially between signature and finishing moves, but not between the meat and bones of the match. It’s supposed to be locked to the degree, but I found it easier to counter the movement than before.

One particular gameplay addition we noticed was a new way to escape pings. At the right time flick the right thumbstick up to reveal a bar in the green zone where you need to stop the slide line. As it gets harder to stand up (if you receive more penalties or finishers), the green zone gets smaller and harder to stop. It’s a little different than the previous one, but it feels smooth enough. Apart from that, many of the gameplay innovations introduced in 2K22 are back and play very similarly.

First impression

Honestly, an hour or so of play isn’t enough to understand all the nuances of the game. But from what I’ve played so far, it’s clear that WWE 2K23 is a better looking, more moving upgrade than last year’s installment. However, it looks like an iterative update rather than something revolutionary.

That’s probably due to the fact that WWE 2K22 was a huge leap over the previous game with added bugs, and there wasn’t much reason to rewrite the book. There should be some additional announcements between now and the mid-March release date.

As it stands, WWE 2K23 looks like it’s going to have plenty to satisfy a fan’s appetite, especially during the WrestleMania season. It’s interesting how. It’s certainly a main event we can’t wait to experience.