WWE 2K24 marks the third entry in this annualized franchise since its hiatus after the release of the disastrous 2K20. Since then, Visual Concepts have been doing their best to bring this storied franchise based on the globally-known Wrestling promotion back to its former glory and this year’s release is another great step in that direction.
The gameplay has not taken any revolutionary steps from last year, as to be expected, but has many small additions that make it clear that Visual Concepts aren’t resting on their laurels. This year’s entry now allows wrestlers to throw weapons and, let me tell you that throwing a microphone or chair across the ring and hearing it hit your opponent is a very satisfying experience. “Super-Finishers” are also introduced which require three finisher charges but deliver an extra devastating attack. Another great addition is the ability to give commands to your tag team partner, whether its to get them to setup a table, remove the turnbuckle pad or, most importantly, attack the opposition’s illegal partner which may make tag matches a little easier but removes the incredible frustration you feel when your partner just stands there while you get pinned.
WWE2K24 sees the return of Ambulance and Casket matches to the franchise with players needing to force their opponent into an ambulance/casket and shut the door/lid via a button-mashing mini-game. While isn’t the most creative way to execute these match stipulations, it makes sense not to introduce another unique game mechanic. To me, the ambulance match is a better addition with the actual ambulance climbable and something that can be used to inflict more damage than the casket at the side of the ring. The other major new match type is special referee where players can choose to wear the black and white stripes and call a match down the middle or in one of the competitor’s favour. There is a bias meter that will see the ref removed if it runs out, giving a fighter a chance if faced with a biased referee.
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What sets each edition of WWE2K apart are the Showcase and MyRise Story modes. In WWE 2K24, the Showcase mode is celebrating the upcoming 40th anniversary of WrestleMania with a look back at many of the great matches that took place back at the showcase of the immortals. The mode could be seen as a playable documentary as commentator Corey Graves runs you through why each match was significant, the lead-up to it and how the actual match played out if you complete a certain amount of objectives. The most obvious issue with this mode is that the matches included are not all the cream of the crop but with the multiple barriers of rights issues and the inclusion of Wrestlemania matches in previous entries, I feel like they’ve put together a solid list of matches for players to relive.
The MyRise story mode again features two lengthy campaigns: Undisputed and Unleashed. Undisputed sees you playing as an under-the-radar mid-carder who wins a tournament for the recent vacated Undisputed WWE Championship after Roman Reigns decides to leave WWE for Hollywood. You must battle to prove that you are worthy of the title you’ve won, battling the other male superstars and dealing with Smackdown GM The Miz. Unleashed has you playing a female independent wrestler who is given an opportunity at WWE by Raw GM William Regal. You’ll embrace several different personalities that have been commonplace in WWE while also chronicling the rise of your protege in NXT. Both storylines are well written, feature voice acting by actual Superstars and have satisfying conclusions. While the Undisputed storyline is a bit more serious with the most prestigious title in the company constantly on the line, the Unleashed storyline is able to embrace some of the weirder and funnier aspects of WWE, making each one feel unique and well worth your time.
MyGM was already a fantastic timesink with players strategically trying to build a better show than their rival GMs. This year sees several extra layers of complexity with the addition of talent XP, which means your superstars can level up to gain extra bonuses but will also drive up their price, and talent scouting which means you need to use talent points and cash to search for talent with better wrestlers or ones more to your requirements costing more. Another major addition to the mode is the ability to trade with your rivals after each major show, something that gives some interesting choices when facing the AI and could make for some fun ways for human GMs playing locally to mix things up.
MyFaction and MyUniverse modes have also seen balancing improvements and new options added but are not modes that I have a lot of interest in diving into. Of course, all the customizing options return with the ability to customise almost everything in the game and share it with other players online. The level of detail that is on offer in all the creation suites is impressive.
