WWE 2K23 Review: Well-Oiled & Full of Tricks

Much like death, taxes, and sunshine, there’s another thing that you can always expect: the opportunity to lay a virtual smackdown with 2K’s WWE franchise, and it’s safe to say that WWE 2K23 is one of the best instalment’s in the long-running series, giving players a heavenly wrestlin’ experience with a host of new improvements and game modes to keep you busy.

Past Meets Present

Of course, one of the key elements of any WWE game is its roster, and WWE 2K23 features one of the widest and most diverse line-ups in history with over 170 wrestlers. From emerging NXT talent, to Legends, and Superstars of Raw and SmackDown, WWE 2K23 boasts a deep playable wrestler list. Alongside John Cena, Bobby Lashley, Brock Lenser, Roman Reigns, Rey Mysterio, and Ronda Rousey, there are a bunch of newcomers on the scene, as well as the icons of the WWE, including the likes of The Rock, Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold, Chyna, Kurt Angle, The Undertaker, Trish Stratus and Ultimate Warrior.

Each character is meticulously detailed, with everything from sweaty brows to veiny arms presented with glorious precision. That ‘uncanny valley’ element of any recreation of a real person will always exist, but this is without a doubt the best-looking WWE games to date, with all the visual bugs from yesteryear also ironed out.

Well-Oiled Wrestler

Gameplay-wise, a lot of the great improvements that appeared in last year’s WWE 2K22 seem here to stay, and the more accessible grappling and countering system has fine-tuned for better timing, more seamless animations, and a more responsive experience over all.

A new interesting tweak to the formula, however, is a new optional kick-out mechanic, which allows you to have a randomised and unpredictable timed-window to kick-out of a pin. This is done by a bar popping up for the pinned player during the 3-count, giving you a brief but do-able window to flick the right stick up and kick-out and keep the match alive. This window will get smaller as your player’s fatigue is increased, and is a far more realistic and fun way to capture the unpredictability and drama of the sport; as opposed to the button-mashing mini-game of past releases. It really does add to the drama and gives opponent players that last-gasp revival (like in the real thing), that really shines when playing with or against a friend.

You Can’t See Me!

While the gameplay itself is varied and unpredictable enough to keep every match feeling unique and different, there are some new hooks that’ll spice things up this year. Firstly, to celebrate 20 years since John Cena’s debut in the WWE, developers Visual Concepts wanted to give the beloved star a little love. However, in the John Cena Showcase mode, instead of playing as John Cena, you get to take control of all his greatest rivals throughout the years as they do their best to stop him on his rise to the top. Essentially making John Cena the boss is a great spin on the usual story-career mode and it’s a lot of fun going up against Cena with a variety of different wrestlers, putting your skills to the test as you try out different wrestlers and styles.

All fun and wargames

Furthermore, WWE 2K23 has a new mode to keep you guessing: Wargames, which is undoubtedly going to be a favourite for longtime fans. It’s essentially a 3v3 or 4v4 match inside two side-by-side adjacent rings, surrounded by a double-steel cage. You can add different modifiers to the matches as well, so you can basically have two simultaneous matches going on (which cross over to one another in classic and chaotic WWE style), while throwing in some high-leaping action off the cage. It’s basically an 8-year-old’s idea of what the ultimate WWE match would look like, and is a lot of fun when you’re jumping between the two rings and things get absolutely bonkers.

Universe in your hands

On top of the new game modes and gameplay tweaks, you’ve still got the immersive Universe Mode, which lets you craft your own WWE landscape, storylines, and world. In this sandbox mode, you’re put in charge of the WWE from a top-down level, allowing you to take control of the Superstar rosters, feuds, champions, weekly shows, and Premium Live Events, and watch it all play out in glorious sweaty goodness.

Verdict

With all this in tow, WWE 2K23 is the definitive wresting game of the past few years; and for longtime fans, there are a lot of fine-tunings and new modes to warrant a purchase, while those who haven’t dived into a WWE game in quite some time will be surprised at how well-oiled this spandex-clad machine has become.

WWE 2K23 is available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC.