WWE as a whole is bigger than ever right now with a strong roster all around and compelling storylines, not to mention the recent acquisition by Endeavor and the major Netflix deal for RAW starting next year. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has even returned recently for one of the hottest storylines in years involving Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes, sparking interest in even more people. This makes the release of the annual 2K game all the more perfect with fans itching to recreate their favorite match-ups in the all-new WWE 2K24.
Keep It Smooth
After the abomination that was WWE 2K20, developer Visual Concepts revamped the game engine for the series and has continued to build on that with each new annual release. A key focus has been to make the gameplay fun and fairly easy to learn, while also being authentic to real-life matches and WWE 2K24 does a superb job in this department yet again.
Whether you’re a veteran of the series or playing a wrestling game for the first time, WWE 2K24 is very approachable with its controls. There is certainly a lot to learn from the start with grapples, pins, and even a new mini-game known as Trading Blows that can happen mid-match. However, once you get the hang of things, you will feel right at home in the ring and ready to take on anybody.
Not only can you hit your opponent with finishers and signature moves, but now you have Super Finishes in your arsenal. By getting three bars full, you can do a Super Finisher that can turn the tide of a match by making it very hard for your opponent to kick out of a pin afterward. These aren’t utilized all that much if you are winning matches quicker, but they are a useful tool that is cool to see in the game.
After being introduced last year, the timed meter pin mini-game is back again along with the classic meter style. Personally, I much prefer the timed meter version since it adds more strategy to the situation with the moving bar on the meter. This was an important addition in last year’s game and I’m glad to see it was carried over again this year.
The pin mini-game and the also returning button mashing submission mini-game are not the only ones that can now pop up in the middle of a match either, as the aforementioned Trading Blows mini-game has been added into the mix. When this is activated, superstars take turns holding down a button and then letting go within a green zone to land a strong punch on the opponent. This goes back and forth until there is a winner from someone missing or running out of stamina, almost reminding me of mini-games you’d see in a Dragon Ball game. I think it’s a pretty cool mechanic to throw in, even if its activation felt random most of the time.
Presentation is always one of the most critical elements of any WWE video game, as the spectacle plays a huge role in the overall experience. This starts with the look of the superstars, the different arenas and locations, and expands to the broadcasts and more. The character models are top-notch as always, which is getting to be more impressive each year as the roster continues to expand.
One of the most important parts of the presentation is the recreation of the superstar’s real-life intros that fans know and love. While they sometimes have to shorten the longer intros, they have done a fantastic job at emulating these in WWE 2K24. You will probably eventually start skipping through some of these while playing after seeing them numerous times, but the love and attention to detail in them, including the music, really add a lot to the game as in other recent entries. The only issue that I noticed with the intros at times was that the frame rate could drop at times and fluctuate during the intros. This wasn’t always the case, but it was definitely noticeable when it happened.
Thankfully, these frame rate issues did not extend to the actual wrestling matches. As we have come to expect over the last couple of entries, the gameplay is very fluid and runs like a well-oiled machine most of the time. The only real issues here are when bugs pop up that are basically a part of wrestling games at this point.
I had a funny moment where I was outside of the ring as my created superstar and was facing Cody Rhodes when I was trying to climb back into the ring, but my character instead started floating in the air for a few seconds before he returned to the ground and back to how it should be. Another time the game’s training tutorial for Diving Attacks was completely broken to where it wouldn’t register landing Rey Mysterio on Dom from pressing X, but going back to the menu and starting it fresh fixed it after just clicking restart match did nothing to help. These types of glitches were few and far between in my multiple hours of playing, however, and either quickly fixed themselves or were fixed upon a restart.
New Ways to Win
WWE 2K24 has introduced some new features to the gameplay this year, including the addition of new items like trashcans and guitars, although it’s pretty ironic the latter was now added just after former superstar Elias who always used a guitar left WWE. You can even now throw weapons too. It also wouldn’t be a new WWE game without some new match types and Visual Concepts delivers with four brand-new additions, Special Guest Referee matches, Ambulance matches, Casket matches, and Gauntlet matches.
In a Special Guest Referee match, you either play as the referee and get to take control of the match in whichever way you like or have to wrestle with a guest referee that probably is going to try to screw you over in the match. This isn’t just a standard referee either, but rather a member of the game’s roster that you choose. The only ones you cannot use are the superstars in the match, but you can use a variation of them, such as using John Cena ’20 as a referee in a match involving regular John Cena. They can even wear referee garb or their original outfits if you so choose. In this mode, you can just focus on calling the match as a referee or exit Referee Mode and start attacking the competitors, while also being able to switch back to Referee Mode when you so choose.
The Casket match and Ambulance match are pretty similar, as there is now a casket or ambulance ringside at the start of the match. You have to manage to open the casket or ambulance door, pick up your weakened opponent, put them in it, and then close the casket or doors. This is easier said than done, as they can fight back similar to the submission mini-game to keep you from closing it. In fact, this was much harder than I expected at times as it took me forever to get a victory as Tiffany Stratton by closing the door with Liv Morgan inside, so be prepared to give your hands a workout with the button mashing.
Lastly, the Gauntlet match allows you to face off against opponent after opponent until one person remains depending on how many are in the Gauntlet match. This can start with a low of four and go up to a high of 30 superstars to face. There are two types of Gauntlet matches beyond the regular too, with Eliminator and Turmoil. Eliminator works like the Elimination Chamber, which is cool for setting up those types of matches, while Turmoil pits one superstar against an entire team through continuous one-on-one matches.
Each of these new match types were great additions to the game, though I do have a partiality to the Special Guest Referee match just because of how unique it is. I had a lot of fun with this and can imagine this being a lot of fun with friends. The others just add even more versatility to the already feature-filled gameplay options carried over from WWE 2K23.
Relive the Classics
One of the coolest parts of the WWE 2K series year in and year out is the Showcase Mode which focuses on a specific superstar or subject in a documentary setting surrounding matches you get to play. In recent years we’ve had focuses on people like Rey Mysterio and John Cena, but this year moves towards a broader idea by focusing on WrestleMania in WWE 2K24 Showcase…of the Immortals.
WrestleMania is full of so many iconic matches over the last nearly 40 years and this one has most of the greats. However, there are still some notable omissions from the list that I wish could have been included such as Hulk Hogan vs. The Rock as WrestleMania X8. Showcase once again includes tons of classic real footage from the chosen matches, which are integrated incredibly well. Not only are there awesome intros for each one, but pulling off the specific objectives during each match will then unlock a shift to real video clips from during the match. This is always one of my favorite parts as it is a great way to witness the history of the organization with some of the best wrestlers of all time.
WWE 2K24 also has a career mode as always with MyRISE, this time split into two separate stories. MyRISE Undisputed focuses on the Smackdown side of things with the men’s superstars, while MyRISE Unleashed focuses on the women on the RAW brand. Both of these start with you creating your custom superstar for the respective modes and starting your WWE journey.
MyRISE Undisputed has an interesting story where Roman Reigns has unexpectedly vacated his championship and now your created character has an opportunity to grab that title and become the Undisputed on the blue brand. This starts with a tournament that you have to take part in, facing the likes of superstars like Kevin Owens and finally Cody Rhodes. However, your taking of the title and subsequent drafting to SmackDown after SummerSlam create lots of controversy that your character must rise against to prove he is the true Undisputed of WWE.
The other option, MyRISE Unleashed, instead starts outside of WWE where your created character runs an indie wrestling organization known as TBD. She wants to focus on building TBD into something special but gets a life-changing opportunity to join RAW that she cannot refuse and starts her journey to be the biggest name on the red brand.
For MyRISE Unleashed, I appreciated that it featured a smaller indie organization that your character had a stake in creating. As a fan of the now-canceled television series Heels, I liked getting this perspective as an owner of a small wrestling operation who gets the opportunity to sign with RAW after initially being hesitant to lose their previous company. I enjoyed this mode giving an outsider perspective of the situation as a parallel to Undisputed where your created character has been part of WWE for a while upon its start.
Throughout both of the career modes, you will be interacting with numerous superstars. As anyone who has played any of the 2K story modes, you know some cringy dialogue will be coming, but it’s still an enjoyable experience regardless. Some of the superstars certainly weren’t made to be voice actors based on their stilted delivery of the dialogue, which is kind of surprising how animated they usually are in the ring. You can definitely tell which ones are more comfortable with a mic like The Miz versus some others that are less than stellar.
The cutscenes also felt a little off at times in MyRISE when transitioning back and forth between the actual matches. This does not flow anywhere near as seamlessly as the transition to real-life clips in Showcase, which you would think would be the opposite. It’s not bad per se, but it’s definitely a bit jarring at certain moments.
MyGM is back again in WWE 2K24 where you get to take charge as a General Manager of one of six brands that include SmackDown, RAW, NXT, NXT 2.0, WCW, or ECW from a choice of 11 GMs or as a created superstar. Each GM and brand has special rules related to them that add a lot of strategy to this mode just like in recent iterations. You then set up one Human or CPU opponent to go against through the whole process. I always have a lot of fun with MyGM, as it gets very addictive with its simulation nature, which is every bit as addictive in 2K24.
Universe and MyFACTION also return this year with solid upgrades, though they are largely what you come to expect. Universe has added more scenarios and access to different match types than before, while MyFACTION has retooled the direct purchase card market among other things. The card-based MyFACTION is still focused around microtransations as always, which is what still makes it my least favorite mode in the game since it’s tied to these.
Community Creations will be every bit as important in this year’s game and I have no doubt this will be a fantastic part of the game post-release. There are very few uploads at this point, but I can’t wait to see what custom superstars, arenas, and even Money in the Bank briefcases people will come up with.
The music found in WWE 2K24 is curated by Post Malone and he did a good job of picking fitting songs for the game’s soundtrack. You can go to the jukebox and mix in any of the superstars’ intro music to the lineup as well, which is always fun.
Verdict
WWE 2K24 continues the upward trend of WWE game releases from 2K and Visual concepts, taking what has worked so well the last couple of years and adding to it with the new features. This year’s Showcase mode is very refreshing with a focus on WrestleMania as a whole and its most iconic matches rather than focusing on a specific superstar like in the past. The dual MyRISE mode is also very well done this year, even though it still has some of the flaws that have befallen it in the past with cringy dialogue and stilted performances. Introducing enticing new match types like Gauntlet matches and Guest Referee matches continues to add even more versatility to the overall product and makes WWE 2K24 the best in the series to date that fans and non-fans alike can have a lot of fun with for countless hours.
Score: 9/10
Pros:
- Fluid gameplay and approachable controls
- Presentation is top-notch
- Added match types are a lot of fun
- Showcase…of the Immortals is yet another fantastic documentary-style mode
- MyRise features two separate quality career modes
Cons:
- Frame rate issues in intros
- Stilted performances in MyRISE
- Microtransactions still present in MyFACTION
WWE 2K24 review code was provided by the publisher. You can read MP1st’s review and scoring policy right here.
