Step-up Enziguri

Last year, I stated that WWE 2K22 wasn’t so much “a step in the right direction,�but rather that it “picked itself off, dusted itself off, and went right back to the philosophy that it was following before.�This isn’t so much a condemnation. WWE 2K20 sank the series to new depths, and a course correction was needed. However, after I did the review of WWE 2K22, a patch was released by 2K Sports that corrupted my save data and made Universe Mode inaccessible. This was a commonly reported problem that never got fixed. Yo??u just had to delete your save data, start ov??er, and hope the same thing happened.

However, with WWE 2K22 dead to me, I had high hopes for WWE 2K23 because the bar was still set extremely low. Thankfully, despite all my trepidation, it managed to step over it. I am so beaten down by the series by now that the bare minimum is acceptable. WWE 2K23 exceeds the bare minimum, proving that if you never give up, you might eventually be??come sufficient.

[caption id="attachment_369532" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

WWE 2K23 (PC [Reviewed], PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X)
Developer: Visual Concepts
Publisher: 2K
Released: March 16, 2023
MSRP: $59.99 (PS4, Xbox One, PC) | $69.99 (PS5, Xbox Series X|S)

John Cena is on the cover of WWE 2K23, which means he is the focus of Showcase mode. For years, Showcase mode has been probably one of the worst parts of the 2K series�single-player events. Rather than just playing matches, you’re dropped into significant events from the star’s career. You then have to perform very specific moves in order to advance.

The twist here is that, rather than play as John Cena, you take the role of his opponents and get the chance to beat him up. That would be fun, but again, you’re just performing different dance steps. You're competing against an uncooperative computer-controlled wrestler to try and get them into place, just so you can pull off a very specific move. Chances are, you won't know how to ?do this move until you've opened the objective menu and read specifically how to do it. I can not imagine a ?more mechanical and less compelling approach to gameplay.

However, it’s worth it to endure playing through this significantly laborious mode because there are a lot of things that are only accessible once unlocked through playing these matches. One of them is Bruno Sammartino, who has been on my wishlist for the roster for years. There’s also �0s-era Hulk Hogan and various alternative appearances of other wrestlers. I just wi?sh they weren’t locked behind such a tedious g?ameplay mode.

However, once you’ve got Bruno Sammarti?no available for grappling, you can get to the good stuff. A lot of the good stuff is still compromised in many ways, but it’s the best the series has seen since 2K took over.

//youtu.be/0mRiUp36n-8

The time is now

Despite my considerable grievances with WWE 2K22, its foundation was surprisingly solid. After the trainwreck of WWE 2K20, 2K Sports took a year off to rework a lot of things, and the result was appreciable. Everything about the wrestling itself felt a l?ot ??more solid and enjoyable.

When you jump into WWE 2K23, much of it will still feel familiar. The UI, the customization suite, and the visual style are all the same as the previous few entries. Visually, the improvements made are extremely subtle. While I don’t necessarily feel that they need to overhaul the entire UX every entry, there are some drawbacks that weren’t addressed, specifically when it comes to sorting and filtering the move-list and even parts options in the create-a-wrestler modes. As it was in previous iteration?s, the creation suite is very onerous to sort through. The whole set of tools is very powerful and gets better year after year, but they definitely haven’t gotten any easier to use.

It is nice, however, that the advanced entrance editor has been re-implemented, largely as it had been before its removal. You can now choose individual segments from pre-existing entrances. While the f?act that you cobble them together, it does? give you the tools to create a near-perfect fit for your wrestlers. It makes it so you’re not necessarily going to have something easily identifiable as an existing wrestler’s entrance. I am so thankful to have it back.

[caption id="attachment_369531" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Rope break

The biggest, most appreciable change in WWE 2K23 is that MyGM mode has been expanded. After Universe died for me in WWE 2K22, I moved to play MyGM, and it was a decent stand-in. It’s a specific mode that has you run your own WWE “brand�and compete with the others for ratings based on how well you s??tack fights, manage rivalries, and book your shows. Now, it might be my preferred way to slap my wrestle figures against each other. There are now five brands to pick from (Raw, Smackdow??n, NXT, NXT 2.0, and WCW), which can be run by a number of GMs or one of your making. There are now four slots for participating shows, and they can be run by either a human or a CPU.

While the gameplay flow and UI (once again) is largely unchanged from last year, so much has been piled in t?hat it doesn’t feel like a quickly thrown-together modifier. More match types are available. The roster that GMs pick from is still completely customizable, so you can tweak it for the feel you want or slot in your own creations.

I still wish I could create my own brand for MyGM mode. There are already tools for making y?our own show in Universe Mode, so I feel like it’s not much of a stretch that the ability would materialize, but it’s still not possible this year. Considering all the improvements made, I’m not too broken up by it. If anything, it makes me excited for next year when this sort of thing might make its way in. For now, it’s still an extremely fun campaign to toy around with.

[caption id="attachment_369534" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Standing 8-count

MyRise is about as decent as it was previously. It’s a good mode if you want a pre-assembled story to play through, rather than creating your own with the other modes, creation suites, and good old-fashioned imagination. Thereâ€??™s now a separate story for wrestlemen and wrestleladies. The voice acting, writing, and animation in this mode are all egregiously bad, but it’s a framework around solid wrestling, so it’s worth a look.

While it’s obvious that Visual Concepts is working hard to clean up the bloated and tangled backend of the game engine, there are still some holdover issues. Notably, the loading time can grow to obscene levels at times in WWE 2K23. This is especially prevalent when using lots of custom w??restlers and images and cramming them into th?e same match.

W??hile I played on PS5 this year, last year has left me aware of the issues the PC version faced. Most notably, every time that a patch was dropped, the whole 60-70GB game file had to be re-downloaded. This year, that apparently isn’t the case, which shows some improvement on the technical side.

[caption id="attachment_369535" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Never give up

Each year for the WWE 2K series, there are always some steps forward and a few steps back. Depending on where your priorities lie, it’s entirely possible that there will be some drawbacks that will perturb you. This year, however, I feel like the product suits me better than it has in well over a decade. I still have a laundry list of things that I want to see implemented or re-implemented (custom entrance themes, better organization in creation suites, custom brands in MyGM, photo mode), but I’m at least content with what is in this year’s offering.

Building on the reasonably solid gameplay foundation of WWE 2K22, WWE 2K23 manages to finally find a comfortable spot. It is, a?t its core, the same general game that we get year after year. It kind of sucks that we have to keep paying for small improvements. However, small improvements got us here, and here is a pretty decent place to be.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: WWE 2K23 appeared first on Destructoid.

Can you smell?

WWE 2K23 is basically the same game as last year.

[caption id="attachment_368704" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Betrayal

I put over 60 hours into WWE 2K22, and that was despite its best efforts. Everything was okay as I performed my review, but the moment 2K Sports started patching it??, the whole thing broke. For many of those hours, I was completely unable to access Universe mode. Support said to completely erase all of my save date, and I didn’t spend so much time creating my stable of wrestlemen and wrestleladies just to start from scratch. This was a problem many other users reported, and it was never fixed throughout the game’s support.

I poked at WWE 2K22 for the remainder of the year, locked out of my favorite mode??. It was one of ??my biggest disappointments from 2022.

So, I was excited to get into WWE 2K23 because maybe this will be a product that works. And it does. However, I need more time with it before I give ??it my final evaluation.

[embed]//youtu.be/yUXXaeF_6P8[/embed]

Dry toast

This year John Cena is on the box, and he gets the spotlight in Showcase mode. I legitimately can't think of a wrestler who I’m less interested in. That’s nothing against John Cena. He’s a fine wrest??leman, is reportedly a very decent person (my husband met him in an airport once), and has had a successful career. However, he’s the wrestling equivalent of dry toast.

WWE 2K23's Showcase mode is very much the same as it was last year. It intercuts kayfabe interviews with footage from the star’s more famous encounters and gameplay. The actual gameplay part of it has you going through a list of specific moves and events. It is tedious. It works as a way of interacting with a part of wrestling history, but I wouldn??’t call it fun.

Then there’s MyRise mode which has you playing through a narrative career. There are two distinct stories, one for male and one for female wrestlepeople. I’ve only played partway in??to the female side, and it’s fine. The voice acting is horrible, and you can tell that the work is done by different people in different places with different qualities of microphone. Sometimes it sounds like it was recorded on a person’s cellphone. You can get better progression out of one of the other modes, but if you absolutely need a story, it’s here.

[caption id="attachment_368705" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Super-galactic Megasteiner

What I’m really interested in is the creation suite, and it’s definitely still here. It’s possibly the best it has ever been, but WWE 2K23 still suffers from many lingering issues that have never? been addressed. My biggest bugbear is the poor categorization of parts and moves, which often necessitates scrolling through tremendous lists. You sort by what body part a move is targeting, but if you’re specifically looking for a particular flavor of Frankensteiner, you can’t just find the Frankensteiner category. You need to scroll the l??????????????????????????ist to find the Super-Galactic Megasteiner or whatever. That might be fine if you’re brain is a giant warehouse of wrestle-moves, but for anyone who isn’t a smark, it can greatly slow down the creation process.

WWE 2K22 took away the advanced entrance creation for some reason. Thankfully, it has returned for WWE 2K23, an??d it functions essentially how it had before its removal. There is still no ability to add custom entrance themes, which continues to suck hard, but at least this was brought back.

[caption id="attachment_368706" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Jabroni

In terms of actual wrestling, how??ever, it’s largely the same. It’s still that weird attempt at a simulation of a performance sport. While I’d prefer it if the developers had more fun with the concept and added some unrealistic, over-the-top sorts of options, I generally enjoy what’s been presented for the last decade or so.

I haven’t had the chance to delve into the freshly added WarGames mode, nor have I tried M?yG?M or Universe, which are the ones I’m most interested in yet. I need a few dozen more hours to flesh out my stable of wrestlers to truly get the experience.

Which, I’m reasonably excited to get more into. You’ll have to forgive me if I’m a little less than trusting with 2K Sports this year. It seems like t??he onus to protect my creations has been pushed firmly into my lap, and I hate that. However, I’m going to take the time to do so, and I will report back with a full review when Breakfast Time Wrestling has had time to get off the ground.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review in Progress: WWE 2K23 appeared first on Destructoid.

No holds barred

2K Sports has announced the content of all their planned DLC packs for WWE 2K23 ahead of its March 17 launch. There will be five post-launch packs, bringing an additional 24 wrestl?ers (and one manager).

• Steiner Row Pack (April 19): Scott Steiner, Rick Steiner, Ahante Adonis, B-Fab (Manager), and Top Dolla
• Pretty Sweet Pack (May 17): Karl Anderson, Kit Wilson, Tiffany Stratton, Luke Gallows, Elton Prince
• Race to NXT Pack (June 14): Harley Race, Ivy Nile, Wendy Choo, Tony D’Angelo, Trick Williams
• Revel with Wyatt Pack (July 19): Bray Wyatt, Zeus, Joe Gacy, Valhalla, Blair Davenport
• Bad News U Pack (August 16): Nathan Frazer, Andre Chase, Wade Barrett, Damon Kemp, Eve Torres

Zeus is a pleasant and goofy surprise for WWE 2K23. He played the antagonist in the 1989 wrestle-propaganda movie No Holds Barred. He then got towed around by Hulk Hogan from the WWE (then WWF) to the WCW as a foil to his invincible face character. Matches involving him were absolutely ridiculous and memorable. His real name is Tommy "Tiny" Lister Jr., and while I’m not smark, I’ve read that he was held back in wrestling by his attachment to the Zeus character. He recently passed away in 2020, so havi?ng him in the game is a nice?? tribute.

There’s also “Handsome�Harley Race, whose career goes way back into the Golden Age of Wrestling. Not sure why he’s in the NXT pack. Bit of an odd choice, but I’ll take him as a substitute for Bruno Sammartino. Then, of course, there are the lege?ndary Steiner Brothers from the WWF run. I’m s?ure many people wish it was Scott Steiner from his “Big Poppa Pump�era with the WCW, but I found that gimmick to be obnoxious.

I’m definitely showing my preferences for a certain era of wrestling here, as I don’t recognize a lot of the ot??hers?. Our own Chris Moyse seems pleased about Wendy Choo’s inclusion, though.

WWE 2K23 is coming on March 17. It will be available for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. You can check out the game's full launch roster in our handy guide right here.

The post WWE?? 2K23 reveals its full slate of DLC wres??tler packs appeared first on Destructoid.

A witch, an alchemist, and a wrestler walk into a bar...

March 2023 is heating up with plenty of exciting game releases. Resident Evil 4 Remake will modernize the horror classic with spectacular visuals, while Atelier Ryza 3 is taking the series open wo??rld for the first time.

In addition, we'll be getting a brand-new WarGames mode in WWE 2K23 and exploring a certain witch's past in Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon. Here's what to ?expect from the March 202??3 games lineup.

Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & The Secret Key (NSW, PS4, PS5, PC)

[caption id="attachment_365614" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Koei Tecmo[/caption]

Publisher: Koei Tecmo
Developer: Gust
Price: $59.99
Release Date: March 24
Trailer

Firstly, the fan-favorite Atelier series takes its introductory steps into an open world, and this will sadly be the conclusion to Ryza's story. Koei Tecmo seems to be stepping up the action with 11 playable characters, a seamless open-world design with multiple biomes, and a grand story involving the Code of the Universe. It will also have some fun alchemy mechanics, which makes the series stand out among the rest of the JRPG juggernauts, like Final Fantasy and Persona. Atelier Ryza 3 was recently delayed by a month. Hopefully, the game is technically sound and will run great when the game is in the players' ??hands.

Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon (NSW)

[caption id="attachment_365612" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: PlatinumGames
Price: $59.99
Release Date: March 17
Trailer

Coming out of nowhere in an early 2023 Nintendo Direct, Bayonetta Origins: Cereza of the Demon tells the origin story of the legendary witch. Cereza (her name before being called Bayonetta), alongside her first demon Cheshire, is on a quest to save her mother with a power found within the forest. She'll be solving puzzles and fighting faeries, even as a child. This game will likely give some fascinating backstory to the beloved witch in the Bayonetta series. There's an expectation of quality from this cult hit series, so ?hopefully, this game will deliver.

Resident Evil 4 Remake (PS5, PS4, XSX|S, PC)

[caption id="attachment_365615" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Capcom[/caption]

Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
Price: $59.99
Release Date: March 24
Trailer

One of the most prolific horror games ever made, Resident Evil 4, is finally receiving a remake in March. Similarly to the two prior remakes of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3, RE4 is getting a complete reworking of its gameplay and graphics. The animation and texture quality is incredible, while the gameplay has been remade to fit more modern tastes. That means no more tank controls! In addition, the pesky quick-time events of the original have been completely removed. While Capcom's attempts to bring back Resident Evil 3 arguably disappointed fans, Resident Evil 4 Remake can hopefully pick up the slack.

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty (PS4, PS5, XBO, XSX|S, PC)

[caption id="attachment_365626" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Koei Tecmo[/caption]

Publisher: Koei Tecmo
Developer: Team NINJA
Price: $59.99
Release Date: March 3
Trailer

After the tepid audience response to Wild Hearts (according to the UK charts via PlayStation Trophies), Koei Tecmo is likely hoping Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty will be a hit. This action RPG pits you against mighty bosses across the Three Kingdoms. Set in a dark fantasy interpretation of the late Han Dynasty, you'll face off foes with swordplay that's based on Chinese martial arts. You'll have access to multiple weapons like dual swords, glaives, a spear, a staff, and 14 other types. You'll also be able to use magic like fire and ice-elemental abilities against your enemies. Hopefully, this Souls-like hits with Team NINJA's many fans of Nioh. There's a demo out as well if you're curious about this JRPG.

WWE 2K23 (PS4, PS5, XBO, XSX|S, PC)

[caption id="attachment_365629" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via 2K[/caption]

Publisher: 2K
Developer: Visual Concepts
Price: $59.99
Release Date: March 17
Trailer

Unlike the 2021-2022 season, WWE has been red-hot over the past year with the return of Cody Rhodes, the championship reign of the E.S.T. Bianca Belair, and the incredible storytelling from the Bloodline faction. Hopefully, WWE 2K23 takes advantage of the hype that's been building toward Wrestlemania in 2023. The game is introducing a new WarGames mode, which has two wrestling rings combined within a cage. In addition, the MyGM mode is getting a big upgrade with new managers, match types, and more show options with four people instead of just two. Wrestlers like Logan Paul and the original GOAT Bruno Sammartino are a part of the roster as well.?? It's one ??of the March 2023 games that diehard fans will want.

Honorable Mentions

[caption id="attachment_365630" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image vi??????????????????????????a Awaceb & Kepler Interactive[/caption]

Thankfully, there's a promising indie that has to be included on this list: Tchia. It's an open world that has the titular character exploring the beautiful archipelago islands and sailing the seas. A neat mechanic in this game is that you can take control of any animal in the game. You can even learn the ukelele in Tchia. I??t's docki??ng onto PS4, PS5, and the Epic Games Store on March 21.

Additionally, Crime Boss: Rockay City is making its way to consoles and PC (Epic Games Store) on March 28. Starring Hollywood talents like Chuck Norris and Michael Rooker, this crime-based first-person shooter has you planning heists, similar to Payday. The twist is it has roguelike mechanics as you take down enemy forces from rival gangs and avoid the custody of Officer Norris. The action seems fun and having more ?co??-op experiences can only be a good thing.

The post Most anticipated game releases – March 2023 appeared first on Destructoid.

Oh yeaaah, dig it!

The release of WWE 2K23 is fast approaching its March 17, 2023 date with retail, and to get you in the suplexing mood, 2K Sports has released a trailer showing off its WarGames mode. This mode features two rings, side-by-side within a steel cage, and has two teams facing off with each other with three or four members a piece. The members of each team are let into the cage in an alternating fashion, and the winning ??team is decided by pinfall or submission once everyone is inside.

WarGames started off with Jim Crockett Promo?tions, which would become WCW. It would continue appearing throughout WCW’s run, which ended in 2001 when WWE (WWF at the time) bought them out. WarGames was then brought back in 2017 with the NXT brand, albeit w?ith some minor changes.

[embed]//youtu.be/P529mRa_cog[/embed]

With the inclusion of two rings,? this is actually a pretty big addition to the series. I expect to see many limitations in terms of what venue and mode it can be played in, but it could be a fun way to mix up multi-player. I just don’t want to see what the load times look like when you have two teams full of custom wrestlers.

More importantly, though, the trailer shows that “Macho Man�Randy Savage is once again on the roster this year for WWE 2K23. He looks about the same as he did in WWE 2K22, but my enthusiasm for the release would be significantly diminished if he wasn’t in it.

WWE 2K23 will be available for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam on March 17, 2023. It will arrive in St?andard, Deluxe, and Icon Edition flavors.

The post New WWE? 2K23 trailer shows off WarGames mode, confirms Macho Ma?n appeared first on Destructoid.

Funny choice to put nobody on the cover though

2K Games has officially announced that the latest iteration of its WWE 2K series, WWE 2K23, will step into the squared circle once again this spring. Th??e rocky-roaded wrestling series will be making its grand return o??n March 17, when it launches on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox platforms.

The publisher will release three separate editions of the title, each of which will be sporting the square-jawed visage of crossover star John Cena. This year, as grapple fans will no doubt be aware, celebrates 20 years since Cena's initial arrival in the WWE. As such, this latest series entry will b??e focused on the Doctor of Thugonomics, (or is he a marine? or is he a Peacemaker?), with this year's 2K Showcase mode dedicated to Cena's astronomical, and incredibly controversial, rise to glory.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vG2p-eSXxA&ab_chan?nel=WWE2K

WWE 2K23 will feature all of the modes that you know and tolerate �from singl?es matches and Royal Rumbles, to the returning MyGM, MyFaction, and WWE Universe modes. The Creation mode will receive new options for custom arenas and entrances, (which can now be used in online matches) while the match list will be bolstered by the addition of Dusty Rhodes' favorite cage match endea?vor: WarGames!

WWE 2K23 will be available in several editions that are too boring for me to itemize... Ok, I guess i have to. The Standard Edition will simply feature a copy of WWE2K23 itself, while the Deluxe Edition includes a Season Pass for a??ll five post-launch DLC packs, the MyRISE Mega-Boost and SuperCharger, and a selection of MyFaction character cards.

For die-hard WWE heads, the Icon Edition will include all of the Deluxe Edition content, as well as early variants of Superstars from their rookie days at FCW, including John Cena as "The Prototype", Bastista as the underwater demon "Leviathan", and vanilla rookie versions of Randy Orton and Brock Lesnar, who looked much the same except with a higher flattop and no tattoos. All pre-orders will unlock rapper and part-time wrestler Bad Bunny who, I am led to believe, is actu??ally pretty solid in the ring.

WWE 2K23 launch March 17 on PlayStatio??n, PC, and Xbox platforms.

The post WWE 2K23 will be jumping b??ack into the ring on March 17 appeared first on Destructoid.