Other times you just have to stand someone up and attack, and the match will play out a whole sequence of moves like AJ Styles hitting his signature Pele kick and crushing Cena with his patented Styles Clash that would have probably have been more fun to do yourself than they are to watch. Sometimes you’ll need to hit a specific move, and when you do it will trigger an old clip to fill in what happens next. Also, the objectives are a bit inconsistent with how it attempts to get you to reenact some of the old classic matches. His monologues between matches offer no real insight beyond largely juvenile “I went in there and tried my best” mantras, which is a shame because it doesn’t do some of his best character work any justice.Īt the same time, the interlacing of old WWE footage into gameplay doesn’t feel as clever as it used to, especially when the live-action video has awkward music playing over it with no commentary, fake crowd reactions, and censored referee and commentator faces. Cena himself also provides some moments of reflection on the ones that made it in, but they are oddly sterile and surface level considering he is known for being a deep thinker when it comes to pro wrestling. A few omissions are understandable, as some of the major names involved are currently contracted outside of the WWE and not willing or able to play ball, but it was strange not to see folks like JBL and The Miz. I enjoyed the winding trip down memory lane, though there were a few notable bumps in the road. Cena’s spent so much of his 20-plus-year career winning that it’s refreshing to see him run down the monumental Ls he’s occasionally taken from greats like Kurt Angle, Brock Lesnar, and Triple H. This year’s 2K Showcase focuses on John Cena’s biggest losses, which is an interesting take on the marquee game mode. This is the kind of resource management usually only seen in traditional fighting games like Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter, but it fits like the perfect pair of boots in 2K23. The risk-reward relationship of the special bar makes you think as well: these defenses can be used to great effect to stop taking damage during vital moments, but if you fill that bar completely, either by dealing or receiving damage, the Signature move you unleash could do more to turn the tide in your favor. Being able to instantly recover from attacks or play possum for a quick hit or surprise roll-up pin helps keep you in the match even when you're on the wrong end of a mud-hole stomping. Some old payback options that were missing last year are back as general defensive options that you can spend a portion of your special bar to use. It’s the rare case of a marketing slogan that actually rings true: WWE 2K22 hits different. 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. 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 M圜areer 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. 2K 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.
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