“Everything That Fans of WWE Could Want”
Quick Links
- Our Review Score & Final Thoughts
Wrestling video games have been a part of the video landscape for decades, starting with the 1980s all the way through to the modern day, and with good reason. The entertainment that wrestling provides is a great fit for video games as a medium, and games based on WWE form a key part of that. Enter WWE 2K24, the latest in the official series from developer visual concepts.
WWE 2K24 aims to cover off everything that fans of WWE could want. This includes a fantastic roster of current and classic wrestling superstars, a bevy of different game modes, and a superbly strong wrestler creation toolkit. Although recent wrestling games haven’t always been up to par, WWE 2K24 sets things right.
WWE 2K24
WWE 2K24 might be the best wrestling game in quite some time.
- Visuals are immersive and engaging
- Create-a-wrestler is surprisingly deep, with options that could keep you busy for hours
- Gameplay hits a nice balance between reversals/grappling and the big, flashy moments WWE is known for
- Movement is still a little sluggish
- MyFaction isn’t a good look
Keeping It Varied
One of the key successes of WWE 2K24 is the sheer number of gameplay options available to players. The one that will likely get the most discussion is 2K Showcase of the Immortals, a game mode that takes players through various big Wrestlemania moments from WWE’s history. It’s great fun to revisit these matches, and it’s likely to be a game mode that every player dips into to get that Wrestlemania experience.
Beyond that, however, there are also plenty of other options. Alongside championships and custom match creation, the MyRISE game mode acts as a solid career mode, with two different strands for players to pursue. Meanwhile, MyGM takes things down more of a management and tactical approach, as the player runs their own roster of wrestlers, putting on events with the goal of beating the competition and providing the watching fans with the most entertainment possible.
Players may want to dive into the 2K Showcase of the Immortals game mode first, as it also works as quite a nice and breezy step up from the tutorial through a selection of fun and atmospheric matches.
WWE 2K24 isn’t perfect, though, and MyFaction is probably the weakest link of the bunch. With a card-based structure that is clearly taking cues from the likes of FIFA’s Ultimate Team, it’s very much the more predatory video game option from 2K. As such, it seems to be more of a money pit that incentivizes players tapping into its business model rather than something actually entertaining.
Well-Oiled Action
In terms of its moment-to-moment gameplay, WWE 2K24 is plenty of fun. Control is very intuitive, with it feeling natural to pull off moves, dodges, blocks and parries before then letting loose a special when the moment is right. Replicating wrestling in video game form can feel very artificial, but WWE 2K24 does a good job of it feeling nice and authentic.
As a matter of fact, it may be the smoothest-feeling wrestling game of the modern era. Still, wrestling games – since they shifted into 3D in the years of the PS1 and Nintendo 64, at least – have always had that feeling of being stuck in treacle and grease at the same time, and this one hasn’t quite solved that problem yet. However, it’s still extremely good fun to play, and before too long players will get into the groove.
WWE 2K24 is a rather well-polished experience all around. Things feel smooth and there are very few glitches, at least in the review build of the game. There are some minor quibbles, such as the occasional camera issue here and there, but it is rather minor.
The Monsters We Make
One element of WWE 2K24 that is absolutely worth highlighting as a success is the game’s character customization mode, which is both comprehensive and almost as fun as playing the game itself. Players could lose hours perfecting their custom-made wrestler, whether trying to create an authentic wrestler for one of the game’s MyRISE options or instead making strange little guys to unleash in a one-off Royal Rumble scenario.
With options for everything from height and weight to face shape, tattoos, a huge array of clothing options, movesets, walk-on music, and temperament, players really have everything they could want from a wrestler creation tool. As such, they shouldn’t surprised if they open character creation one moment and then notice that hours have passed after perfecting the most recent addition to their roster.
It definitely helps that WWE 2K24 is visually impressive across the board. Each of the wrestling superstars looks the part, which definitely makes game modes like the aforementioned 2K Showcase of the Immortals that much more enticing to play. After all, what better way to appreciate those historic moments than with scenes that both look and feel authentic?
Our Review Score & Final Thoughts
Overall, WWE 2K24 is the best wrestling game in years. It’s not perfect, and once again the predatory business model of a sports game rears its ugly head to sour an otherwise excellent game, but there is so much here for wrestling fans to enjoy.
Screen Rant was provided with a PS5 download code for the purposes of this review.
WWE 2K24
WWE 2K24 is a sports-wrestling game from the developers at Visual Concepts, published by 2K Games. The 2024 installment of the long-running wrestling video game franchise continues with its celebration of 40 Years of WrestleMania – allowing players to relive iconic moments in several legendary wrestler’s careers and play/create several brand new match types, such as Gauntlet and Ambulance.
- Franchise
- WWE 2K
- Released
- March 8, 2024
- Developer(s)
- Visual Concepts
- Publisher(s)
- 2K Games
- Genre(s)
- Sports , Wrestling
- ESRB
- T
