Games and Visual Concepts needed a win with WWE 2K22, and while it’s far from a complete ground-up rebuild, it’s quite possibly the biggest leap forward the series has ever seen. The year off has clearly paid dividends: Virtually all of the major bugs I experienced in WWE 2K20 have been squashed; the revamped combat is faster, leaner, and full of smart tweaks that make it approachable for newcomers and rewarding for veterans; MyRise takes the MyCareer mode into a bold new direction; and MyGM offers a very niche, but nonetheless well put together management sim that’s sure to be a blast if you can find a like-minded wrestling fan to play it with. All this on top of an impressive visual overhaul that makes all 160+ superstars look the best they’ve ever looked in a video game. It’s the rare case of a marketing slogan that actually rings true: WWE 2K22 hits different. – Mitchell Saltzman, March 10, 2022 Score: 8

THE UNIVERSE IS ALL YOURS: The world of WWE is at your fingertips with Universe Mode- the ultimate sandbox that puts you in charge of WWE, from Superstar rosters, feuds, champions, weekly shows, and Premium Live Events! Last year's WWE 2K22 was a very important release for the franchise, successfully overcoming the botched mess of a launch that was WWE 2K20, while also incorporating some key new features such as the addition of the MyGM and MyFaction modes, highly improved visuals, redesigned entrances and much more. WWE 2K23 isn't an overhaul on the same level of last year's game - it instead builds on the foundations that WWE 2K22 set in place, delivering a more meaty and mature experience that's definitely worth your while. As mentioned, there are still areas of improvement that could be made to all of these game modes, such as MyFaction providing more meaningful reasons to show off your cards, and Universe implementing better AI to help develop more immersive rivalries. A similar thing could also be said of the John Cena focused Showcase mode, which is great in terms of the real life footage and how it transitions into the game, but its objective-heavy focus can occasionally grow tiresome at times as it did last year. On the whole though, we're really happy with WWE 2K23's selection of game modes, which are guaranteed to keep us busy for potentially hundreds of hours. This is a far better decision, not to poke holes through Drew Gulak as he did his job admirably — and he’s even the ‘final boss’ at the end of the tutorial this time around —but Xavier Woods OOZES charisma, and is far more familiar in the gaming space as the commissioner of the Up Up Down Down YouTube gaming channel. As a matter of fact, everything in WWE 2K23 is introduced by Xavier Woods, and somehow his sly smirk in giving small explanations never feels old or gets tiring. A Musical Time Capsule The list of removed Superstars compared to WWE 2K22 includes Jeff Hardy, Sasha Banks, Naomi, Mandy Rose, and more. To see the full list of missing and removed Superstars from the WWE 2K23 Roster take a look at this article.Anyway, MyGM is, essentially, a ring for the WWE general managers of pro wrestling. Each manager has a brand to uphold during the weekly shows by way of drafting rosters, managing budgets, signing free agents, booking matches, choosing match types, arena locations, and producing the events, and the duties just go on and on and on. This is the full list of alternate attires for Superstars & Legends that have been included in WWE 2K23 exclusively in the MyFaction or MyRise game modes, or that are present as hidden models in the game files. Spanning his 20-year WWE career and narrated by Cena himself, this interactive documentary transitions between gameplay and live-action footage to bring pivotal moments in each match to life. WWE 2K23 MyGM Mode NOTE: This list will be updated in the future as more hidden characters are discovered or released by 2K. Character / Attire

WWE 2K23 has significantly fewer glitches compared to WWE 2K22 . However, the glitches are still there, and it would be appreciated if they got ironed out. That said, the existing glitches don’t break the game at all, so I wouldn’t even give much attention to them. Verdict: Is WWE 2K23 Worth it? WarGames matches in WWE 2K23 can be played in 3 different Arenas: NXT War Games 2021, Survivor Series 2022, and a thirdMyRise-specific Arena. WWE 2K23 Game Modes

Overview

Speaking of fluidity, 2K has really pulled off some great work when it comes to the menu design and speedier loading times in WWE 2K23 (MyRise aside), giving the game a true AAA quality feel. This obviously extends to the gameplay presentation too, where the graphical enhancements of last year have been bolstered once again. This is especially evident in entrances, where the character models, video trons, arena designs and lighting are all given a spotlight... you'd be forgiven for getting a few goosebumps from time to time during some of these sequences!

It can be played with either men or women superstars, and will feature a plethora of weapons to fight with, as well as the ability to dive off the top of the cageand springboard between rings.Take the showcase mode, for example. Previously, gamers would take on the role of a pro-wrestler, feeling what it’s like to be in their shoes as they battled their greatest matches of all time. However, WWE 2K23 focuses on a pro wrestler’s most significant failures instead. So, in this year’s game, you get to experience legendary John Cena’s greatest failures. Custom arenas are now playable online, and advanced customization has been re-introduced for created entrances.