WWE 2K24
- Franchise:
- WWE 2K
- Platform(s):
- Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PS5, PS4, PC
- Released:
- 2024-03-08
- Developer(s):
- Visual Concepts
- Developer:
- Visual Concepts
- Publisher(s):
- 2K
- Publisher:
- 2K
- ESRB:
- Teen
- Platforms:
- PS5, PS4, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
- Publishers:
- 2K
- Release Date :
- March 8, 2024
- Genre:
- Fighting
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When firing up WWE 2K24 for the first time, I did what has become a tradition at this point when playing the newest installment in the series. I went straight to the jukebox and checked all, ensuring every wrestling entrance theme in the game is added to what plays as you peruse the menu. I appreciate the effort put into curating a soundtrack every year, but come on, all we really want to hear when playing a wrestling game is the library of entrance music WWE has at its disposal.
Now that’s out of the way, let’s review this game. The third title since 2K hit pause on its wrestling games in 2020, WWE 2K24 continues to further a new era for the series. The release window alone is a huge plus, having the games’ arrivals coincide with WrestleMania season. WWE 2K24 is another step in the right direction for more than just its release date, though. It can be difficult for any series that demands a new game every 12 months to feel new, or at least different, every single year. Unlike titles such as FIFA and Madden which can do little more than update the rosters and somehow try to make their almost photo-realisitic graphics look even better, WWE 2K has the benefit of pulling from wrestling’s extensive and still-growing history. This year, it has pulled four new match types out of that particular bag.
There Are Four New Match Types In WWE 2K24
Ambulances And Caskets And Referees, Oh My
The headliners of that quartet during the build to 2K24 were the ambulance and casket matches, and having now played them both, I can see why. The two match types are effectively reskinned versions of the same thing. Get your opponent into this thing and then try to close it to win the match. Ambulance wins out over casket for me, the need to shut both doors, the ability to climb on top of the vehicle, and the lack of awkwardness surrounding getting your opponent in there and activating the mini-game all play into what makes it the best new addition this year.
CM Punk And Jade Cargill Part Of WWE 2K24's Full DLC Reveal
More than 20 Superstars that will be added to the game throughout 2024 have been confirmed.The return of special guest referee matches was hyped quite a bit ahead of 2K24’s release, but the novelty wears thin pretty fast. Putting your favorite Superstar in a ref shirt and then counting slowly on purpose is amusing to begin with, but not for long. The meter that accompanies the matches needs some work too. On multiple occasions when calling the action right down the middle, I was accused of counting too slowly, or too quickly. I’m not sure which, the game just let me know it was ‘awful’. Gauntlet matches round out the new matches added and are a lit of fun if you want to run through some easy opponents with someone untouchable like Hulk Hogan (seriously, the guy feels almost unbeatable in this game).
40 Years Of WrestleMania Isn't All It's Cracked Up To Be
Showcase Mode Is In Need Of Some Freshening Up
No new modes in 2K24, but some of the existing ones have been built on enough that there doesn't need to be. This year's showcase celebrates 40 Years Of WrestleMania, reminding long-time WWE gamers of WWE 2K14’s WrestleMania showcase. Unfortunately, this one doesn’t live up to the hype. Things start great as players are given the chance to play through some of the very best matches from the first ten WrestleManias. Stepping in there with Andre the Giant at WrestleMania 3 is special, and my unexpected favorite to play through in those early matches was Bret Hart vs. Roddy Piper at WrestleMania 8.
The 20 Best WrestleMania Matches In History, According To Cagematch.net
What are the best matches in WrestleMania history? Let's take a look at the legendary WWE bouts that shaped the biggest show of the year.I won't go into more detail regarding matches included later as you progress, but about halfway through the Showcase, large chunks of WrestleMania history are skipped. I get that some iconic matches can’t be included due to wrestlers being signed elsewhere, but this list could have been a better balance of all WrestleMania history even with that hurdle in place. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still worth playing through and, as always, due to it spelling out how to do certain moves, it’s a great way to further your knowledge of the game once you’ve picked up the basics. It just didn't reignite the feeling I had playing 2K14's showcase like I hoped it would.
The usual year over year problems with this mode also still exist. Despite the game's push for completing match objectives to follow how the real life match played out, the AI will often times go against your wishes which is fine for regular gameplay, but makes Showcase mode more frustrating than it should in key moments. After hitting Andre The Giant with the body slam and the big leg drop at WrestleMania 3, the last thing you want to happen is for the AI to kick out using their Resilience Payback, but that's exactly what happened to me.
As well, the presentation itself of the actual mode still leaves a lot to be desired. For whatever reason, key background players in WWE history such as Mean Gene Okerlund will have their faces blurred out, leaving the mode feel cheap. Corey Graves being the host for such matches like Ultimate Warrior vs Rick Rude feels out of place, it feels like they should have had rotating hosts depending on the era of WrestleMania in question. Finally, the lack of commentary during Showcase matches makes the whole thing feel so lifeless and depressing at times to play though.
MyRise's Undisputed And Unleashed Story Modes Are Great This Year
WWE 2K24's Best Mode Got The Least Amount Of Hype
MyRise also returns, and 2K24’s take on the mode is the best it has ever been. There are two tracks to choose from - Undisputed for male stars, and Unleashed for women. Tasked with winning a relinquished Undisputed Title in the men’s story after Roman Reigns seeks fame in Hollywood, I went with that one first figuring it would be the most interesting. It was pretty good, and a scenario I'd love to see unfold in real life, but Unleashed is better.
The Unleased track in MyRise will be far more appealing to those who have knowledge of how the wrestling business works, and I’m assuming since you’re reading a review of a wrestling game on a wrestling website, that’s you. Start your journey in an indie promotion called TBD that has clearly been designed by someone who knows their stuff. After stumbling into a WWE tryout, you impress the brass and your journey really begins. It’s fantastic and already has me excited for what the writers of this mode might come up with next. Maybe have them work a real Raw sometime soon and see what happens. Just a thought.
MyGM Mode Gets Some Great Improvements
Thank You Xavier Woods For Pushing For This Mode's Return
MyGM is where the lion’s share of my attention to WWE 2K23 has gone, and the additions to this still-growing mode strongly suggest that will be the same in 2K24. The return of a GM mode two years ago was great to see, but it was very bare bones. Two games later, I’m relieved not only because it has remained, but 2K is clearly eager to make MyGM as in-depth as possible. There’s still work to be done, but there’s enough here to comfortably get lost in this mode for the better part of the next 12 months.
The biggest change is the ability to trade with other brands. You’ll be presented with the option to trade after every PLE, and once you’re done, other GMs will offer you trades in return. My only issue so far is that the offers the AI GMs make are downright terrible. One example being less than the cost of putting on a single show in exchange for my North American Champion. Try to lowball me like that again Steph and I’ll steal away your top guy.
Other minor changes that improve the MyGM experience that won’t get as much attention in the coming weeks include assigning your champions before the season begins, XP which plays a role in the pulling power of your Superstars, and gradually unlocking higher levels of arenas, ad campaigns, and pyro rather than having to pay big bucks for them every time you use them. Not to mention scouting wrestlers and signing them for a single week if money's tight and you're in a pinch.
Universe Mode And MyFaction Get Some Minor Buffs
Slight Tweaks To Stuff That Just Works
Universe mode returns again, of course, and that remains more or less the same as always. There will be new cutscenes and paths waiting to be discovered, I’m sure, but as a sandbox in which you can build your own WWE Universe goes, it’s as great as ever. I’d recommend trying out the Superstar version of Universe mode where you control the fate of one person rather than an entire brand. It’s not new to 2K24, but it’s the closest thing to the season experience of the original SmackDown games I’ve experienced since Here Comes The Pain.
MyFaction is back too, and while it’s not a mode that has ever succeeded in pulling me in, everything those of you who love it want from it is there again, and then some. Some of the cards you unlock also transfer to other modes. For example, the Sheamus ‘09 I unlocked while playing is also now playable elsewhere, so worth taking the mode for a spin if you want different versions of wrestlers that can only be unlocked by attaining those cards.
Outside of tweaking modes, adding wrestlers, and digging up match types, it’s difficult to change something about a wrestling game series that has been under the 2K banner for a decade now. The studio has managed to add one thing to change up your matches though - a punching minigame. Recreating the moments when WWE Superstars trade shots back and forth in a real-life ring, having heard about it ahead of trying it out, I wasn’t too confident about how much it would lend itself to the flow of WWE 2K’s gameplay.
Turns out I was right about ruining the flow, but wrong about thinking it would ruin the experience. Suddenly being thrown into this minigame, often unexpectedly, is a lot of fun. Hold the corresponding button, depending on your platform, and release it once you’re in the green. Sounds easy, but it’s not. It also looks makes the wrestlers look ridiculous but in the best possible way. It sounds like a bad thing, I know, but trust me, it’s a lot of fun.
Final Verdict On WWE 2K24
Focus On The Fun
My biggest takeaway from WWE 2K24 as a whole is that it feels like there has been a bigger focus on making sure the game is fun to play. Between the punching minigame, the ambulance matches, and the MyRise storylines, there’s a far better balance between making sure both fans who are going to buy the new game every year no matter what are happy, and including things that make WWE 2K look like a game that is fun to play rather than just a simulation of what we see on Raw every week.
That said, some people will look at this and see it as little more than WWE 2K23+. That’s hard to avoid when you frame new Superstars, additional match types, and a fresh coat of paint for MyGM as something that could have feasibly been added via DLC. That’s not how sports games that get a new title every year work, unfortunately. Unfair or not, they are held to a different set of standards, and by those standards, 2K24 holds up. It’s worth the price of entry whether you come back every year or are about to buy your first wrestling game. Even by sports game standards though, you can’t keep adding to and painting over the old game forever. Every few years, there needs to be a significant change, and I think WWE 2K will be hitting that threshold sometime in the next year or two.
WWE 2K24 Rating: 4/5
A review code was provided to TheSportster by 2K for the purposes of this review. The game was played on PlayStation 5 but is also available on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
