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WWE 2K22 video game review: Good but not good enough

WWE brings a nostalgia element for Indian fans. The new 2K22 wrestling game is a step up from previous titles but still has room for improvement

The very successful ‘Showcase’ mode also returns in 2K22, this time with legendary lucha wrestler Rey Mysterio telling his story.
The very successful ‘Showcase’ mode also returns in 2K22, this time with legendary lucha wrestler Rey Mysterio telling his story. (Courtesy: 2K)

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Billion dollar companies slip up sometimes, but the fact that they became billion dollar companies in the first place means you have to give them a second chance. So, while reviewers worldwide echoed the fact that WWE 2K20 was one of the worst games of its time, they also knew that the year plus break WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) and 2K Sports, the publisher of WWE 2K22, took for this new version would be worth watching.

But almost two years hence, the question really isn’t whether WWE 2K22 is better than its predecessor. That was perhaps the easy task.

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The question is whether WWE 2K22 is really good. With competition heating up from All Elite Wrestling (AEW), which has created a roster of well-known wrestlers and also has a billion dollar man behind it, it means WWE 2K22 needs to be the best game ever.

How about those bugs?

WWE 2K20’s real downfall was that it was riddled with bugs, or in-game glitches. They were everywhere — during gameplay, entrances, character appearance, etc. So, ironing those bugs out was obviously 2K’s first focus in this new title.

They’ve been able to do that too, to a large extent. Gameplay is much smoother this time, with very few bugs, and even fewer that really affect gameplay. Most importantly, characters look more realistic, in terms of muscle definition and even expressions. 2K20 was especially criticized because characters didn’t just appear unrealistic, they also appeared hair-less at times, or had other issues.

Gameplay is much smoother this time, with very few bugs, and even fewer that really affect gameplay. Most importantly, characters look more realistic, in terms of muscle definition and even expressions.
Gameplay is much smoother this time, with very few bugs, and even fewer that really affect gameplay. Most importantly, characters look more realistic, in terms of muscle definition and even expressions.

The only bug that truly affected gameplay was the fact that your partner in a tag team match refuses to take a tag at times. I’ve been unable to finish the Showcase Mode so far, since it ends in a tag match. That said, other noticeable bugs include how the ring ropes seem to move as if they’re really loose, and a very poorly designed hitbox, which leads to aerial moves missing more often than you would expect.

In video games, the hitbox is the area that is coded to determine collisions. In lay terms, it means when a character is jumping on top of another, he/she needs to be within this hitbox for a move to be executed successfully. In WWE 2K22, the hitbox is often too small and moves that should otherwise hit will miss when you least expect them. A case in point is when your opponent is thrown out of the ring and you try to jump on them while they’re on the ground. At other times, the opponent appears to magically shift to the spot you need them at.

What has changed in 2K22?

The tagline for WWE 2K22 is “it hits different”, meaning 2K isn’t just saying it has fixed the issues but also that it has introduced new elements. The biggest of these new features is in the core fighting mechanics itself. 2K22 focuses on a combo-driven fighting style, which makes it more like arcade-style fighting games than any other WWE game so far. Instead of simply punching and grappling users, you can perform different kinds of combos, which keep your opponents on their toes.

Another big change is in how moves are reversed, which is when you counterpunch or kick as your opponent is trying to run riot on your character. In 2K20, this was done through a limited number of reversals, which made the game monotonous and boring. In that game, players gained reversals while fighting, and could trigger a reversal by pressing a single button at the right time. However, once out of reversals, it left the player with no option but to take damage while their opponent hit.

2K22 changes all that by allowing unlimited reversals. But instead of players being required to press one particular button every time, some reversals also need you to guess your opponent’s next move. So, if you press the X button at the same time as the opponent, it will lead to a reversal.

WWE 2K22 has quite a few things going for it, and WWE and 2K can take solace from the fact that its competitor AEW isn’t as popular in India just yet, but 2K22 still has a lot of room for improvement

This mechanic makes fighting feel a lot more real than ever before. It means no one can really master hitting the reversal button. In multiplayer modes, experienced players will be able to predict what comes next better than new ones.

The new fighting mechanics really make 2K22 feel different in some ways, but what perhaps affects the game even more is how it presents different weight classes. A fight between a heavyweight like The Undertaker and the fast-moving Rey Mysterio really contrasts the two wrestler’s styles. But while that is easy to do, The Undertaker’s famous running moves feel more like they look on television than a wrestler like Kevin Nash/Diesel, who is more of a powerhouse than one who moves really fast.

Despite all this, 2K22 is unable to bring real fluidity to a WWE game. The combo style adds some adrenaline to the gameplay, but I still miss the really fast pace you could achieve in really old WWE games, like Smackdown 2. Fights and movement still feel robotic at times, and longer fights can get really annoying.

2K22 also has a new ‘My Faction’ mode, which is basically WWE’s version of Fifa Ultimate Team.
2K22 also has a new ‘My Faction’ mode, which is basically WWE’s version of Fifa Ultimate Team. (Courtesy: 2K)

New modes and roster

WWE’s recent downsizing in terms of the wrestlers on its payroll has made 2K22 a tad outdated in terms of the available playable characters, but one could argue that it’s better to have these wrestlers on the roster than to leave them out. It’s also quite clear that you will have to purchase many characters in future, while some others can be unlocked.

2K22 also has a new ‘My Faction’ mode, which is basically WWE’s version of Fifa Ultimate Team. It allows players to build their own faction, akin to legendary stables in WWE history, like the nWO, the Four Horsemen and more. However, it’s quite clearly a way to make more money out of the game by adding microtransactions for buying new superstar packs to build your team. I personally didn’t find it too interesting, but given how successful Fifa’s Ultimate Team has been, only time will tell whether this mode picks up in future.

2K has also given the career mode, which is now called MyRise, a redo. It now has more things to do, and is more immersive than before. You have more choices to make, and the game offers more storylines for your custom created superstar. While 2K20’s career mode took a few hours to tire you out, this one encourages spending more time on it.

Lastly, the very successful ‘Showcase’ mode also returns, this time with legendary lucha wrestler Rey Mysterio telling his story. Here though, one can see a lack of effort from the game’s creators. Showcase mode is supposed to let you relive the career of these legendary wrestlers. But it misses iconic matches in Mysterio’s career, like his Royal Rumble victory, and championship win, making the experience underwhelming for a long time WWE fan like me. In many ways, it’s the tired story-telling that real-life WWE has also been accused of in recent times.

The worst part about Showcase mode is that Mysterio’s narration in the background seems to try and make people believe that wrestling is real, which everyone knows is not ture. If I go back to the portrayal of WWE’s Attitude Era through Shawn Micheals’ career, or Stone Cold Steve Austin’s appearance in this mode in earlier games, this one is easily the weakest Showcase mode we have ever seen.

WWE superstars The Rock (left) and John Cena in the game.
WWE superstars The Rock (left) and John Cena in the game. (Courtesy: 2K)

Should you buy it?

If you’re a fan of the WWE, then you’ve probably already bought this game. Because as I wrote earlier, we always give this billion dollar company another chance. The game won’t disappoint you the way WWE 2K20 did, but that’s not really an achievement, given how flawed that game was.

WWE 2K22 has quite a few things going for it, and WWE and 2K can take solace from the fact that its competitor AEW isn’t as popular in India just yet, but 2K22 still has a lot of room for improvement, like fixing multi-character matches, smoother movements, more focus on storylines, among other things.

For Indian wrestling fans, WWE 2K22 is perhaps the only option, and unlike its predecessor, it won’t be money down the drain.

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