2K hits the nail, but doesn't drive it in
2K managed to do a lot with the 2 years off, but they still fall short in some ways. First things first this game is playable. Given the history of this team, I think It's important to mention. That being said, there are still a lot of growing pains. The first noticeable difference is in the actual gameplay. The wrestling has been overhauled and feels and looks smoother than ever before. The new controls can be a bit to wrap your head around, but once you do it feels okay. I said it was smoother, and it is, but there's still some jank with the animations and striking gets sticky now and then. Occasionally the game would leave me running in place during a match because it was confused about what buttons were pressed or where the character models were. Certain moves initialize long animations that can be a little eye rolling at times. It helps with the accuracy of the "look", but detracts from the fun a playing.
The shortcomings don't end with the gameplay. It, unfortunately, permeates through the new game modes as well. The addition of MyGM mode is welcome and one of the only reasons I bothered to pick the game up. You have the option of choosing from several WWE GMs (including Regal) and choosing your brand. Each GM has its specific power card they start with. Power cards can be earned throughout the season and you can play one to recover a wrestler's stamina or even fix a match in their favor. After selecting your GM and your opposing GM you're given a small stipend and start the draft. You do have the option to customize the roster and add community creations. Which is a nice touch. Each wrestler has a price, stamina, and star power levels. Keeping an eye on all 3 of these categories is the crux of this mode. The problems start when you're allowed to book your first show. You choose your champions and while this seems okay at first till you realize that the 2 world champions are the only 2 you can pick. Tag titles and mid-card titles aren't in MyGM mode. That's the first roadblock, but the trappings were enough to keep me around.
Championships aren't the only thing missing from this mode, match types are too. When booking a show you have 3 match slots and 2 promo slots. For PPVs, you get 1 extra slot each. When booking a match you can choose from singles or tag-team (despite there being no tag titles). After that, you can make it a normal match with or without interference. A no DQ match, TLC, and Hell In A Cell are all present but there's no fatal four-way or triple threat. The incredibly limited match types make it hard to book meaningful shows especially when you notice the AI doing 2 cell matches in one episode of normal TV. You can set up rivalries with matches or more effectively having someone cut a promo on another wrestler. Each wrestler has a promo rating that feels accurate for most. I say that cause Mustafa Ali is more than 3 out of 5, but he's being held hostage through his contract at the moment so oh well. Wrestlers also have "bad guy" and "good guy" roles as well as their specialty. Some pair better with others and of course, the roles come into play in the way you'd think. Strangely, this mode was better 20 years ago in another game but the thought is nice. It just falls short on several fronts. Something the game seems to do a lot of.
The next new mode they added is MyRise which is their created wrestler story mode. You have the option of choosing male or female as well as what type of wrestler you are. You're given the choice of your back story and free-range with an in-depth character creator that's impressive. Starting at the performance center you make your way through the "storylines" the game presents to you. I haven't spent a ton of time in it, but the big takeaway I had was that it's littered with loading screens. It seems like a small complaint but on a PS5 I was having 30 seconds to 1 minute load times between just about anything that happens. Storylines seem well written (often better than the product) and are started through "non-descript social media platform" aka fake Twitter. Opportunities to switch brands and receive title shots show up here as well as a very basic locker room hub. Again, there's a lot here, but it feels unpolished.
The showcase mode works as it always has, taking important matches and moments from a specific wrestler's career and putting you in the role. This year It's Rey Mysterio. Unfortunately, if you are not a fan of Rey (I'm not) there isn't much here for you. It seems the 2K team spent their time making the game that 2K20 should've been. The problem there is that it doesn't feel like the next step but more of a half step in the right direction. The additional modes are fun for a while but spend enough time with each and you'll see the cracks. They didn't drop the ball by any means but they probably could've taken another year to sure up the dam so to speak.
3 RKOs outta nowhere out of 6
