In our WWE 2K23 review content, which is the only representative of American Wrestling, we return to the ring and look at the dynamics of the game.
WWE 2K23 review: Although WWE 2K games are an annual series, the feedback was so bad with 2K20 that the company took a 1 year break from the game and used this time to correct mistakes. The resulting WWE 2K22 was free from the problems of the previous game, and made the fans of the series happy with its improved combat system and various game modes.
WWE 2K23 review / PS5
It was not a perfect game, in our review for the PC version (WWE 2K22 review), Murat Abi also mentioned that there were a lot of problems in this version. I had a better experience since I played on PlayStation 5 and did not have any technical problems (except for graphics and loading time problems). I wonder what innovations 2K23 has brought, which we reviewed on PlayStation 5 this year.
With WWE 2K23, we are witnessing the self-development of the series, which managed to recover itself last year. Developed by Visual Concepts and 2K Games, WWE 2K23 has brought both wrestling fans and players who want to have fun with their friends at the console, what has brought to the fun series, whether it is a more advanced game or a simple annual update, let’s examine together.
Have You Seen John Cena?
The variety of mods, one of my favorite things over the past year, is present in 2K23 without disappointing me. It has two different stories, MyRise, the manager mode MyGM added last year, the WWE Universe where you can organize fights according to your heart, Showcase focused on this year’s star John Cena, and multiplayer options where you can play with other players.
Showcase mode, which presents the history of our cover star John Cena in a documentary taste, allows us to experience the big defeats in Cena’s career. Moreover, we do this not as John Cena, but by controlling The Rock, Edge and other opponents who beat him. Actually, the mod is very enjoyable, moreover, we can listen to Cena’s comments and the lessons he learned from this defeat. Only after a while he stops talking and leaves one alone with an awkward silence. I don’t understand why. The music playing in this mode is also very bad and we cannot turn it off. If you’re a Cena fan (I think it’s Cenaation), the content of the rewards from the challenges presented is pretty good.
The main story content of the game comes with MyRise, moreover, it contains two different stories. In stories where you have the character of a rookie who has just started his career and a second generation wrestler, you also have the chance to determine your character’s personality (such as annoying – funny) according to the choices you make. Apart from the main quests, there are also side quests, and you also have the chance to meet the stars of this world.
MyGM returned to the series last year, after a long hiatus. I don’t have much to do with management games, except for the period I played Championship Manager 98 for 2 years. Besides, I’m not very familiar with the world of wrestling. Despite this, I had a very enjoyable time with MyGM. More GMs have been added this year, offering the chance to make various changes throughout the season. It’s not a huge improvement, but it’s a mod that can keep you busy for a long time on its own.
I should also mention the WarGames mod added to the game. With WarGames, which was added to the series for the first time, we can fight 3v3 or 4v4 in the arena consisting of two rings placed in a cage. If you’ve ever had the chance to watch this fight in a match, you can imagine how chaotic and fun it was. Moreover, it is possible to team up with John Cena characters from different periods and form funny teams. It will be very enjoyable when playing with friends. It can also be played online.
Apart from that, there are not many big changes in the game modes we have. Whatever was last year is back this year, strengthened with a revamped roster and a few improvements. We continue to play the teams we established with the cards in the MyFaction mode, but the online competitive mode has also been added. When we bring the system of swapping cards and strengthening our hand to the competitive arena, I think of the games and micro-payment options (such as FUT mode), which may turn out to be a bad situation in future games.
Build Your Own Universe
WWE 2K23 hasn’t changed much in terms of controls. I felt like it had more fluid gameplay than last year, but I’m not in a position to compare. It has a control scheme that is not too difficult to learn, which I quickly grabbed with DualSense.
Sometimes the keys I need to press to escape may change, sometimes I can try to do the moves by pressing the keys randomly, I can deal with timing-based mini-games to get rid of the opponent, but at the end of the match, I always end up having fun. The combat often results in QTA moves, which is a bit annoying but it seems like it’s made for everyone to play comfortably. (Anxiety for those who can’t do QTA events)
Character and Arena creation options are the highlights of the game. You can create your own star in the character creation section and you have a lot of options. If you find it difficult to create new character faces with your hands, you can easily do it through the photos you have uploaded. You can also see the characters made by the community and download them for yourself. There is not much innovation on the arena side, but now you can use the arenas you have prepared in online modes.
Speaking of the online side, let me tell you that I didn’t get a chance to experience much of the online gameplay in the game. In early access (Deluxe and Icon edition owners started playing 3 days early) I had problems with most of the matches I tried to play, and as a result I played against the AI instead of the player. The game has put such a nice helper that you can continue to play against artificial intelligence instead of being kicked out of the match when the opponent is out of the game. The online game will be fun once the server issues are fixed.
Speaking of artificial intelligence, I would like to say that the artificial intelligence, which was bad last year, is now fixed, it has not happened. The opponents can still manage, but the artificial intelligence of our teammates is bad. I can’t tell you how much fun it is to play with a crazy artificial intelligence in chaotic environments like WarGames. Funny but now, let me admit it.
Image and Performance
The game is visually similar to last year, but various updates have been made. Character models look better, animations are smoother. Sometimes character animations can go astray, their arms are tangled, long hair makes strange movements (I saw it go past my opponent’s leg), resulting in interesting scenes. It’s not bad, but it distracts you a lot, especially in female wrestlers. By the way, there are situations where the rope is not only tied to the hair, but also to the characters. There’s something weird about the physics engine, but anyway, it’s not too much of a problem.
The game works fine on PlayStation 5, visually beautiful, no in-game stutters, almost problem-free. Almost part of it here is in load times. There is a loading time problem in MyRise mode, which is especially noticeable but also felt throughout the game. It was there last year, I thought it would be done this year, but no, we’re still waiting for the upload times. If the PlayStation 5 loads in such a long time, I wonder what happens to the other consoles. I hesitate to do character customization because of the upload.
Conclusion
WWE 2K23 is a game that will please wrestling lovers, and it has become better with the improvements made on 2K22. Even though some of the deficiencies have not been fixed, some parts have not been touched except for simple improvements, it is a game that will satisfy the players even as it is. It is easy and fast to learn, the entertainment it offers is quite large and the content it has is good enough to keep the player busy for a long time. Not only is the MyFaction mode worrisome, after all, the WWE 2K series is the only game released by 2K that almost doesn’t force the player to micropayment, so it would be a pity for that to change.
WWE 2K23 has been released on both Playstation 5 – Xbox Series S/X consoles, both previous generation consoles and PC. PlayStation 5 standard version is offered to users with a price tag of 1300 TL, other versions of the game and prices on different consoles. Via 2K Store you can see. If you’re a big fan of the series, add more content on 2K22 and play them, you won’t regret it. If you’re out of this, it may be more beneficial to wait for a discount. If you have it, you can practice with 2K22 and enter the new game by purchasing it at a discount.