The great thing about sports games is that it always guarantees the annual arrival of the newest installments of popular franchises. In most cases, we see changes or upgrades that are purely cosmetic, while the new entry is sure to be released alongside a new roster. But among all the sports franchises, WWE had the most challenging path due to the nature of this sport, and Visual Concepts has learned that the hard way even after their past experience with Yuke's.

Despite the negative criticisms of their first game, Visual Concepts and 2K have demonstrated with WWE 2K22 that they still have more possibilities to explore the realm of wrestling games. They accomplished this by resolving some of the major issues that had been present in the past while incorporating several new mechanics. In the same vein, WWE 2K23 features a wide variety of play modes, some of which have been refined and others added for the first time.

WWE 2K23 was already fighting an uphill battle to impress fans in light of the series' recent history of underwhelming entries. With WWE 2K23, 2K aims to take the series to new heights and establish it among the best sports video games available. The graphics have seen significant enhancements, while the gameplay mechanics have been made easier to understand without compromising the series' overall level of complexity. Character models are generally a step above, animations are far more dynamic, hit sensing improves, and impacts feel more substantial; and in the same way that John Cena was able to rise from the Prototype era to the Doctor of Thuganomics, so too can the WWE 2K series, with WWE 2K23.

The core gameplay of WWE 2K23 is largely unchanged from previous installments, which heavily riffs on the fast-paced action. With that in mind, it should be no surprise that the advancements from 2K22 have been carried forward and further refined in WWE 2K23. From the ground up, the basic fighting mechanism appears unchanged. You get the impression that you're playing a more realistic and technically advanced wrestling game.

Some enhancements include a more manageable learning curve and increased ease of execution for certain moves. Learning about your opponents will help you anticipate their actions. If you've mastered the system in 2K22, you'll feel right at home here, while newcomers won't have difficulty getting up to speed either. Once you've gotten the hang of it, the gameplay is entertaining, with each superstar's moveset feeling more unique and varied with the addition of combo strings.

Since WWE 2K23 retains the same core gameplay from previous installments, you still have the meters that your attacks fill up: one for your signature move, another for your finishing move, and a third for the damage done to your opponent based on where they are in the field. Every blow deals real damage, and the user interface makes it clear exactly where those blows landed. You can use light attacks, heavy attacks, or grapple moves. One can combine light and heavy attacks into a chain and finish off with a heavy attack or a grapple. The combo mechanism remains the same as 2K22, letting you seamlessly string together strikes and moves, with each wrestler having up to twenty combos to memorize.

If you can anticipate your opponent's next move, you can use that knowledge to counter their attack and set yourself up for a flurry of hits in return. A brand-new system for tracking Stamina has been implemented. You'll need some rest when fatigue sets in. This isn't just there to prevent you from abusing the run button; it plays a role in a typical game. The Stamina meter is a rough representation of each wrestler's effective HP. If you take enough hits, your Stamina will quickly deplete. Indicated by red damage, this drains your Stamina quickly if you take any, but avoiding harm allows you to recover slowly.

WWE 2K23 heavily emphasizes responding to on-screen prompts by pressing the appropriate buttons, and more emphasis is being placed on meter management during games. There's a blue bar that serves multiple purposes besides the standard three-tick finisher bar. When it's full, you can use it to do a special move. The most noteworthy improvement is the new manner of breaking pins. You must press A or the right stick promptly in the green section of a horizontal meter that moves back and forth when pinned. It becomes more difficult as the game progresses when you lose health or are stunned.

While the constant tapping method is available, this alternative is far more natural and satisfying to play for longer periods. You'll notice a decrease in zone size and a quickening of its pace the more damage your wrestler takes. In contrast, circumstances where the button-mashing mechanic would have rendered escape from an impossible pin, can be escaped by flicking up on the right stick at the appropriate time, much like a real-life wrestler would do.

Additionally, more advanced controls are available, typically requiring the use of the right stick to enable the lifting and placement of opponents, as well as attacks from outside the ring. The Superstar bar is located at the bottom of the screen and allows you to monitor their damage and their progression toward powerful Signatures and Finishers. Your opponent's body parts will be targeted differently depending on the action. A new dodge function has been included as an alternative to just pressing a button to counter a grapple.

Rather than actively opposing an opponent's move like last year, you can simply block it. Though you still have the option of reversing, dodging, and attempting a combo breaker, there are still some impact difficulties, as you might frequently miss the odd punch or grapple, leaving you open for a strike. None of these changes, however, affect the core mechanics of the game's control mechanism, while they add dynamism to the overall gameplay.

Based on your preferences, WWE 2K23 can provide you with a variety of narrative experiences. Each mode from last year's release is back, and it gets progressively better this time. The game's visuals have improved significantly, particularly in the wrestler models. The most notable improvement is WarGames, which has always been a source of great excitement for most WWE fans. WarGames mirrors the actual game's utter anarchy.

A complete 3-on-3 contest may turn into a combat royale in a hurry, and a 4-on-4 match is much more likely to spiral out of control than that. The area between the rings makes for a good corridor for battles just before moving to the next ring, but otherwise, the gameplay is the same in both. Many subtle details that make WarGames unique are also preserved, such as the fact that each new competitor must pause to toss their weapons into the ring.

Visual Concepts invested a lot of time and effort into this new feature. This mode has no unexpected collision issues, and moving between the many arenas of combat seems natural. In a few instances, however, an opposition player will come in and watch helplessly while you attack one of their teammates. If you overuse your attack move, any temporary disadvantage will be swiftly canceled out by the arrival of a member of your own team.

The randomized nature of players entering War Games might be unpleasant, as you may be overpowered at certain stages in the encounter, and the game will become a handicap tag battle. Even though it's frustrating, at least you know you're watching an actual depiction of the War Games match. Since WarGames wasn't prominently publicized, it might go unnoticed. Instead, the Showcase mode remains WWE 2K23's main draw.

Although last year's WWE Showcase mode is back, this iteration doesn't feel as polished as its predecessor. This year's 2K Showcase focuses on John Cena, widely considered the most well-liked WWE Superstar of all time. Cena recounts a number of his matches, but he also uses the opportunity to highlight the accomplishments of some of his most cherished opponents. You don't get to play as Cena; rather, you assume the roles of Kurt Angle, The Undertaker, and Rob Van Dam in the famed ECW One Night Stand championship battle.

You can act out the actual battles with the goals in each match. There is a progressive system of prizes based on the number of goals you've accomplished. The matches are exciting, and you'll enjoy seeing how they alternated between game footage and live entertainment footage. It's great to be right in the action of historic bouts, but the process can sometimes be tedious.

Some of the other game modes are better than others, but this is not always the case. You can test your skills in modes like MyGM, MyFaction, and MyRise. MyRise functions like a story mode, presenting the player with a choice of paths that can lead in either of two directions. The stories in The Lock and The Legacy are unique, and both games allow you to begin as a beginner and work your way up to the highest level of success in the industry.

Improvements have also been made to the story's pacing and gameplay variety in MyRise, in which players guide their personalized superstar through a storyline that culminates at WrestleMania. You take control of Justine, the legendary wrestler's niece. Although she is now officially retired, she is working with you to ensure your induction into the hall of fame. There are rudimentary role-playing components, such as boosting your character's attributes and acquiring assignments through social media and off-stage chats.

Most cosmetic changes have been made to the game modes in WWE 2K23. MyGM expands the roster of general managers, adds new match styles, and lets you play through numerous seasons. This is a great game mode since it allows you to schedule your programs and play as the general manager. You can pick from Raw, Smackdown, NXT, or even WCW. You get to play matchmaker and promoter, much as in professional wrestling.

There are still instances where you put together what you believe to be a flawless performance just to have the game determine that it was terrible for no apparent reason. From season to season, there are new surprises to be discovered because of the unique combination of GM and show that can result in unique consequences. Naturally, certain pairings will work better than others, but the real potential is to produce unforgettable rivalries. You can play with four people instead of two to increase the stakes.

Although the MyFACTION gameplay option does not appeal much, it's obvious why it has become so widespread in the sports simulation subgenre. The mode is similar to NBA 2K23'a MyTeam, requiring you to spend money on packs and go through several levels to improve your team. Although in-game currency can be earned by completing different objectives, trading, and selling cards, many would spend real money in microtransactions to purchase packs instead. While this mode remains similar to the last release, one major update is the inclusion of an Online Quickplay option, in which you can compete against others online while controlling your preferred faction.

MyUniverse mode has always been present in WWE games. While there are more ways to set up rivalries in this mode this year, it will still only attract a small subset of the player base. You can make all roster decisions for Raw, SmackDown, and NXT as they stand right now. MyUniverse has a ton of content, including several scenarios that breathe new life into this sandbox mode.

A new Rivalry system has been added, allowing you to do any one of many distinct Rivalry actions before/during/after matches. In particular, this reworked rivalry system allows you to employ Momentum to determine key points in rivalries and the game's outcome. This is done so that you have more control over how the Universe mode plays out. Even though much material is packed into this mode, it offers nothing creative.

All the other modes and the extensive Creation Suite from last year's game are back with only minor updates. The Creation Suite's already extensive depth has been further increased by the addition of taking custom venues online. The biggest change from last year is the option to play in any online arena established by users. This allows engine users to simulate matches with a wrestling organization other than the one originally intended.

The Creative Suite and Online Creations modes give you complete control over the WWE's look and feel, allowing you to add and remove wrestlers from the roster and modify their appearances and abilities. It's still playable on all platforms, and now you can even use custom arenas in multiplayer games. Besides the loading time, the creative suite is, once again, a compelling resourceful package.

Similar to the minor enhancements, the visuals are also not particularly noteworthy. Apart from the hairs, all the wrestlers look sharper but more realistic, but there are still improvements to reach the game's full potential visually. WWE 2K22 built a solid visual foundation, and we can only expect even better visuals going forward, as evidenced by the lively and varied audience and the increased level of detail in the wrestlers' animations. The wrestlers' physical appearance and animation are presented with rich textures and fine details, and their motions look more lifelike from the locker rooms into the ring.

My favorite animation is when you are about to get a power slam and shake your head, asking the opponent not to do it. You don't get a closer view of this, but it looks so realistic even from the usual distance, just like how we watch them on TV. On the other hand, Victory animation seems limited to just one, and there's no animation when you lose. So these are some areas where Visual Concepts can improve in the WWE 2K24. Commentaries by Michael Cole, Corey Graves, and Byron Saxton deserve a note as they also seem lively and didn't feel out of the flow in the thick of the action.

WWE 2K23 is undoubtedly a step forward, and Visual Concepts and 2K deserve great credit. As I mentioned at the beginning, wrestling isn't like any other sport, and making a good game out of it isn't a regular challenge. 2K's contribution to the NBA, NHL, and PGA Tour with the development support of Visual Concepts and HB Studios has been exceptional, particularly with the NBA 2K Series and the WWE series heading in the same direction. Even though it's not flawless and has many rough edges, the release is a success and continues the series' upward trend. It has a fun gameplay mechanism, various match options, and branching narratives that guarantee a lot of playthroughs. Simply put, if you are a wrestling fan, you don't want to miss playing WWE 2K23, as it can be quoted as the best WWE game ever made to date.
 

Azfar Rayan (@AzfarRayan)
Editor, NoobFeed