The WWE 2K franchise has thrown us through tables, slammed us into the mat, and made us question reality (in both good and bad ways) over the years. WWE 2K24 is here, promising us all the thrills, spills, and chills of the squared circle. With new features, refined graphics, and updated rosters, does this year’s title rise to the occasion, or does it fall flatter than a botched powerbomb? Let’s break down the highs, lows, and the occasional steel chair to the head in this year’s game.
The Glitz and Glam: Graphics and Presentation
Lights, Camera, Wrestle-mania!
Let’s be real – half the fun of WWE is the spectacle. WWE 2K24 gets that, bringing in the best graphics this series has ever seen. The lighting’s no longer like your mom’s garage on a rainy day, and wrestlers actually look like wrestlers – down to the sweat, skin texture, and every wrinkle of fury on their faces. The entrance scenes are gloriously over-the-top, with pyrotechnics, smoke, and crowd reactions that make you feel like you’re front row at WrestleMania…minus the popcorn smell.
Wrestler Models: Not Just Buff Ken Dolls
Character models are impressively detailed this time. Gone are the days of mysteriously unblinking wrestlers with plastic-like skin. Now, we’re talking about pores, muscles, and even the occasional scars. The devs have clearly been putting in the work to make your favorite wrestlers look more lifelike than ever – you can almost see every hair in Roman Reigns’ beard, every tattoo on Brock Lesnar, and every iconic piece of wardrobe in Seth Rollins’ closet. The superstars’ outfits look real, the expressions capture their larger-than-life personalities, and it’s all just chef’s kiss.
Gameplay: A Little Bit of Smash, A Little Bit of Strategy
Smooth Moves (Mostly)
2K has cleaned up the mechanics quite a bit, making gameplay smoother and more intuitive. WWE 2K24 offers a balanced blend of arcade-style brawling and strategic grappling. New controls allow you to pull off combos more easily, with each wrestler feeling distinct in how they move and attack. Heavyweights stomp around the ring like angry giants, while high-flyers zip around the ropes like they’ve had one too many energy drinks.
Starting with the basics, the fighting system is designed in a way to assure that every player – whether they are a much of a button-masher as opposed to a thinker – can at least magically perform well-coordinated actions. Nevertheless, in order to perform those flashy counters and reversals efficiently, certain amount of learning is required. This, however, does not make the process frustrating as it does not entail losing every fight.
AI: Smart Enough to Give You a Run for Your Money
Gone are the days when you could KO the AI by just running around the ring or hitting the same move over and over. WWE 2K24’s AI opponents actually put up a fight. They’ll dodge your strikes, counter your holds, and generally behave like they actually want to win – a nice change! If you’re playing on higher difficulties, expect the AI to make you work for that victory, but without it feeling unfair. It’s a decent balance that makes each match exciting, and you’ll need to mix up your moves to keep them on their toes.
Game Modes: Plenty of Ways to Step Into the Ring
MyRISE: A Career Mode Worth Your Time
There’s a career mode in WWE 2K24 called MYRISE which grabs the attention more often as compared to the rest. The reason this is said to be like this is because this is a mode whereby you get to become a superstar with everything being possible starting from the costume design, features and up to insane tricks and rise to be the main man or woman in WWE. Not to mention point A to point B kind of lines that always try to make a character more bearable. Mostly, unfavorable considering that the good guys do not always win.
Universe Mode: A Fantasy Booking Dream
Universe Mode lets you play Vince McMahon and run the entire WWE. Fancy a feud between Brock Lesnar and Rey Mysterio? Want to see John Cena team up with The Miz? Universe Mode lets you create your own storylines, set up matches, and basically control the wrestling world. It’s great for people who love to mix and match rosters, create insane matchups, and see how it all plays out. Plus, the new additions to the mode make it more dynamic, letting you get more personal with each storyline.
MyFACTION: Collect, Compete, Repeat
MyFACTION feels a bit like a collectible card game mashed with a wrestling sim, and it’s surprisingly addictive. You build a faction of wrestlers, each with their own abilities and stats, and face off against other factions. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but if you’re a completionist who likes to build the ultimate squad, MyFACTION will keep you coming back for more.
Sound Design: Hear the Roar of the Crowd
Commentary: Still a Bit Repetitive
The commentary team in WWE 2K24 does a solid job…at first. You get the hype from Michael Cole, Corey Graves, and others, who do their best to call the action as realistically as possible. However, after a few matches, the commentary lines start repeating themselves. They’re still decent, and the excitement in their voices does add to the atmosphere, but the repetition can get old pretty fast.
Entrance Music and Sound Effects
The major strength of the game is in the music and the entrance themes, all of which are covered and no annoying silences. As every wrestling fans know, there is no better feeling than the music of your character hitting the arena. From the guitar riff of Shinsuke Nakamura’s theme to the unforgettable sound of Brock Lesnar’s voice as he enters, the audience fuckin’ reverberates. The cheers from the crowds also quite match the scenes as they would either jeer or applaud the right or wrong ‘uns thus gaining better navigation of the gameplay.
The Verdict: Should You Step Into the Ring?
WWE 2K24 may not be without its faults but it is miles ahead of previous installments. The graphics are better, the mechanics of the game have been enhanced, and there is a bevy of features to pick from. So, even if you. want to write the history of your career in MyRISE, or want to scatter the impending storm in Universe sieges, or perhaps want to fight with best buddies for a while, WWE 2K24 has something delightful and textured to offer too.
Pros:
- Visually impressive with lifelike wrestler models and smooth animations
- Diverse game modes that cater to different play styles
- Improved AI for a more challenging experience
- Excellent sound design, especially entrance music and crowd reactions
Cons:
- Commentary can feel repetitive
- Some minor bugs and glitches, though they’re not game-breaking
- MyFACTION might not appeal to everyone
Final Score: 8.5/10
Wrestling as simulated in the latest installment, WWE 2K24, gives a reasonable impression in terms of match atmosphere. Beautifully rendered titles and improved gameplay, though not yet perfect, make up for some of the inadequacies compared to the previous installments. Anyone who fancies WWE or just truly enjoys a good fisticuffs will have a ball with this game, and it’s absolutely fabulous! check out NHL 25
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