WWE 2K24

Developer: Visual Concepts
Publisher: 2K
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 (Reviewed), Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Release Date: Available Now
Price: $69.99 USD – Available Here – $119.95 AUD – Available Here

Overview

WWE Games have been on a bit of a streak with consistency the past few years, ever since they relaunched their 2K series of popular wrestling titles a couple years back. While far from perfect, the franchise has seen the community return with record numbers, and all have been waiting for WWE 2K24 to launch for yet another yearly dose. With a few improvements, does this title have what it takes to continue the climb back up, or does 2K24 gas out before it gets started? Let’s find out!

Story

This year’s WWE 2K24 starts players off with a familiar feel. From Cody Rhodes’ own “Finish the Story” arc weaved into the branding and modes, to menus which look sleek and tight, with a phenomenal presentation, there is an awfully warm feeling a fan will get when booting up the game. When it comes to narrative, there is a lot to chew on, but not a lot of flavor being offered for the dishes provided. Showcase mode is back with the theme of “40 Years of Wrestlemania”. Sure, it sounds grand, but the end product is anything but. Packaged in this mode are twenty matches, cherry-picked and “retold by Corey Graves as he recounts history. To Graves’ credit, he does an excellent job with this, as his contributions are the ultimate highlight for the mode. The issue with this mode comes with several factors diminishing the excitement and grandiose affair that Wrestlemania truly is.

For a long-time fan like myself, a lot of the biggest problems found here are the rules of Showcase mode itself. Players still have to go through match after match, unlocking content by participating in tasks while the story plays out in the ring. The issue is that the pacing never allows the player to go in and have fun, or even make the experience their own. The game forces you to run a linear path and when you veer outside that, you are punished by not progressing correctly. Its the same frustrations I have had year after year with this concept, and now being strung along for 20 matches just makes it even more tedious. To add salt to the wound, faces of staples like Earl Hebner are blurred, along with Mean Gene and others who are mainstays of this illustrious history we are supposedly celebrating. I think this would be due to residuals and contracts, but this is the biggest wrestling game in the history of the industry, and we can’t pay to include a likeness? I personally have no argument with the matches included, as I would have been happy with anything if the mode was enjoyable, but regardless of the match, trying to check boxes and get the match to end will never be a good time for anyone involved.

MyRise thankfully has improved a lot. Now broken up into two narratives, this allows the player to create a Superstar and take one of two paths to stardom.”Unleashed” has the player take on the indie circuit, where they attempt to rise up the ranks. WWE get involved and they must battle new foes while trying to remain true to their roots. “Undisputed” sees Reigns quitting WWE and abandoning the belt after the longest reign in decades, where the player gets an opportunity to take that ball and run with it as they participate in some very over-the-top story elements. Both modes are solid, and have gotten rid of a lot of currency fluff that plagued past story modes in the past. Universe Mode is back, but other than maybe a few minor additions, it felt pasted straight from last year’s experience, which really wasn’t much of a highlight. There is a lot of content there, but it feels a little like an afterthought in this year’s entry. There are a lot of stories being told here in the full package, but results certainly may vary on one’s levels of enjoyment with these modes as a whole.

Gameplay

It took Visual Concepts a moment to come out of the hole that WWE 2K20 dug for this brand, and by far, this is the finest entry since then in terms of quality control. While there are still some wonky bugs, the game feels more polished and refined this time around, as players have the same options but with ultimately smoother results. Yep, punching, grappling, finishers – all are here and function the same, but a few new mechanics attempt to mix things up in the smallest ways – with impressive results. 

Its really all in the details this year. Superstars now can hold a submission and risk disqualification by staying in a hold past a count. Rest holds can drain momentum. Tag matches now feature less interference from AI through limitations, making the events more enjoyable and fluid. There are so many minor additions to add a realistic flare that I really have to give credit to the team here, as you can tell they really attempted to give this game a unique feel all to its own. There are a few misses in all of the changes as well, such as a punch mini-game that has players trade blows randomly with another meter-driven obstacle that is just as intrusive as it sounds. The pros do outweigh the cons however, and what we get is another step in the right direction for the series.

Casket and Ambulance matches have risen yet again to flesh out a lot of the match types, and those matches act as a decent distraction from the standard exhibition fare. That said, the rest just feels like last year’s game. The AI has also improved a good bit, with managers and non-playable participants becoming more (or less) involved based on their role. This works for normal matches, but in things like Showcase where players are imposed with checklists, it can be really annoying having a manager constantly argue with the ref while you try to relive some famous moment of the past. 

On paper, it sounds like there is a lot to complain about, but personally, I really enjoyed the gameplay engine this time around. WWE 2K24 has a following of creators and those who just want to make their favorite wrestlers, go in, and play matches with friends. We get that here, and I genuinely think the core audience will love the product here. Sure, past games were better by miles in some ways. For instance, GM Mode is still just a one-note track to obliterate your opponents in ratings, as once you figure out the formula – there really isn’t any creativity needed (or celebrated for that matter) when picking match cards. Matches still veer a little too close to simulation to be imaginative, and that will always make our childhood titles feel more special as this entry is another one that just wants to look pretty. After so many years however and as someone who has now purchased every year’s entry for 25 years solid (man, I am getting old), I just concede. I accept this direction,I just wish it could reach its full potential and find a clearer identity. You ever hear that phrase “too many cooks”? That is where we are. There just is too much change year to year to drive consistency, and too many bugs and mishaps with new features to not move into more change. This franchise is still stuck in that cycle, but at least there is still a lot of fun to be had with the core wrestling buried in the center of the experience.

Audio

Well, there is at least a soundtrack? I am not a fan of Post Malone personally, but those who are fans will have his personal setlist here, trickled in with other random tunes. Of course you can shuffle this with WWE themes, which all sound great for the most part. Its funny, Showcase mode actually features some really fun tunes in its menu that are callbacks to past Wrestlemania events, but instead of capitalizing on those tunes, the plastered soundtrack is what we ended up with here. Odd choice, but not something to gripe too much about due to the ability to customize slightly as you play. Other than that, the voice acting is here, but Superstars in MyRise either sound disinterested in reading their lines or like they recorded in a closet. Commentary however is excellent, and the best it has ever been. My first match was Liv Morgan going against Rhea Ripley, and hearing Cole run down the history between these two as we traded blows was really special and a huge highlight of my time with the game.

Visuals

In some ways, this is the best looking wrestling game to date. Sure, that is now the appeal of this franchise, but the models (mostly) look superb, outside of the usual hair issues that struggle with animating during specific situations. There are a ton of new animations that do well to add to the experience, such as new weapon animations and all the moves you could want to see, looking as fluid as ever. The mini-games still plague a lot of this fluidity, but again, this will come down to personal preference on how it hinders your own experience. Presentation is certainly a strong suit, and the creation suite along with all of its thousands of options will allow you make this ring your own.

Overall

Modern wrestling titles for someone who grew up cherishing the genre are difficult to review. There has been so much change and growth that one should be excited to dive in and explore it all. WWE 2K24 is a great wrestling game. It has functional features, improvements that offer needed refinement, and can be a lot of fun to play. That said, this is a game stuck in a cycle of repetition, weighed down with bad ideas and an identity crisis that feels never-ending. This is the spectacle that is WWE, and for now, there is no other way to celebrate the current product in its truest form than this entry. Just like its main “Wrestlemania” Showcase, WWE 2K24 has everything you want to celebrate, the Superstars you tune in to see, yet still manages to not tie it all together to let the player suspend disbelief all over again. I will still give credit where credit is due for all of the good here, but there are still a few bumps in this mat that need to be flattened out.

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