Copyright to WWE, 2K, and... Who's That Jumping Out The Sky? It's R E Y Mysterio! Here We Go!
WWE 2K22
Developed by Visual Concepts
Published by 2K Games
Released for Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, and PC
Concept: The latest WWE 2K game. 2K skipped 2K21 due to 2K20 being the pile of fetted shit that it was. Gave themselves extra time to get it right. Did they?
Review based on the XBox Series X
Execution
Here we go...
Presentation: Wow. This game looks great compared to the last outing. So much better. Soundtrack is awesome too. Camera angles have changed to keep the action front and center. The entrances have been revamped to create new looks while your favorite or not-so-favorite wrestlers are coming down that aisle. I have come across some glitches. I made a Custom Wrestler to use in Exhibition... the fingertips of his gloves turn into claws during his entrance... and they aren't supposed to. Some other visual issues with CAW, but nothing game breaking this year. Not perfect, but definitely an improvement over 2K20. Score: 20/25
Gameplay: Let's tackle different aspects. First... modes. Exhibition is easier to navigate. MyRise has been revamped(but more on that later). MyFaction is pretty cool. Like a WWE Madden Ultimate Team. You can make multiple Factions, and their progress is shared. I have barely touched MyGM. And... Universe's new Superstar mode is cool. Universe mode, but you control one Superstar's career. Came across a weird glitch. And... I stopped after that. I won MITB, it MADE me use it the next show. Next PPV, I lost the title and I wasn't in the match, but I got my MITB back. See... weird. As for the in ring action... they took the previous 2K/THQ system, mixed it with No Mercy's system, and sprinkled in a fighting game style combo system. And...... it works. No more counter stock, which means Unlimited reversals. But even the AI doesn't spam them. And... so far, getting a 3 star or high match doesn't feel like a chore anymore. So... as for the modes, they need to fix the bugs. But in a match, I haven't had this much fun in decades. Score: 23/25
Chronicle: You would think... wrestling game... no story. Well this section will be divided between three parts. First, MyRise. MyRise is the new MyCareer/CAW Story Mode. And... choices and freedom are back. 2K20, I have no idea what the hell that was. This one seems more controllable. And... I haven't got too far into it yet, but I see that choices... lead to choices... and effects... and more choices. So... I have high hopes. Second part, Commentary. You would think Commentary would be part of the presentation, but... no. Commentary in a WWE game has NEVER been good. Calling out wrong moves, no keeping up with the action, and feeling lifeless. This year... that is not the case. They know the moves, the commentary weaves mini-stories in the action based on who is in the ring, and you will get some varied entrance commentary based on who and where(like Rollins at a WM arena will get praised on his WM track record). Is it Perfect? No. But it is MUCH more improved. And the third thing I want to highlight is Showcase Mode. And I will call it out fot being really short. Roughly about a dozen matches. But... the storytelling from this mode is EXCELLENT. Each match has an interview with Rey Mysterio tied to it, and getting to specific events in each match gets the gameplay mixed with the real life footage of that match(along with Rey talking about how he was feeling and thinking in those moments). It may be short, but it is the best Showcase mode since the Undertaker mode in WWE 2K14. And... a special Easter Egg in the first match. Won't spoil it... just... purposely lose the first match vs Eddie Guerrero. Score: 18/20
Legacy: There were reports that WWE has been talking to EA about taking the franchise over. And... that would be horrid. No, WWE 2K22 is not perfect. But it is a huge step forward. They fixed many issues we had with the previous entry. They listened. And... yeah, the servers had issues after the 3 day early access, but by the actual release date, it was working really well. This is evidence the extra time paid off. Some bugs still, but patchable. Score: 19/20
Extra Oomph: This Roster... is weird. So there are quite a few on this roster that were released after production started. But... even then, some of them were released before others that are still missing. Some of them that are still on the active roster. And even those seem out of sync. Like they were the roster for 2K21(that never happened), and they didn't update the remaining roster enough. It felt weird to me. BUT even those released, we got to see them in a WWE game one more time. Score: 6/10
Final Score: 86/100
Final Grade: B
Conclusion: WWE 2K22 is an improvement over 2K20. A huge improvement. It is a great wrestling game. And it is pretty fun to play. I haven't lost a match yet. But I know I will. And... I will be happy to do so. The matches I've had have been great! If you know they would be even in real life, look forward to your 4 1/2 to 5 star match. I haven't had this much fun with a wrestling game since... the Undertaker mode in 2K14.
It's all a matter of opinion: I cannot stress enough that THIS is MY opinion, you can either agree with me or not. I don't have to justify my opinion, because *clears throat* that's what this blog is about. Whether I like it or not doesn't mean you have to or not...... I'ts just my justification behind MY recommendation... Which leads me to my FINAL JUDGMENT...
FINAL JUDGMENT: If you like pro wrestling or at least the video games, then you should give this a buy. If not... it wouldn't hurt me if you didn't try it. It is a fans game. But... it is really great game for the fans.
I've said this already... this is most fun I've had in a WWE game in a long time. I will spend more time in Exhibition JUST because it's fun.
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There it is, folks!! WWE 2K22 gets an 86!!!
That... is better than I expected. If I was doing game reviews when 2K20 came out, it wouldn't have gotten past an F. So... yes... this one deserves the B it got. It earned it.
What about you? Tried it yet? What you think about it? Comment and share.
Next Gaming Review will feature KIRBY!!!!!
Until then...
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