By Dean Moses
Game: WWE2K22
Platform: Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC
Rating: T for Teen
Cost: $69.99
Feel the fury of Rey Mysterio’s signature move 619 in WWE2k22! The latest iteration of this game has a lot of pressure resting on its muscular shoulders due to the many faults of its predecessor: WWE2K20, which has been cited as the reason why developers went back to the drawing board and took a hiatus.
If you didn’t catch our review two years ago, WWE2k20 was a disaster even before the yearly wrestling franchise released, videos and rumors were making the rounds on social media showing a buggy, near unplayable mess of the game. While the Spring Creek Sun did not experience too many of these glitches, the experience left a sour taste for gamers. After taking a hiatus in 2021, developers officially released WWE2K22 on March 11th.
Story
WWE 2K has returned with a new headliner—the infamous Rey Mysterio! This was probably the best route for the company, to concentrate on wrestling’s rich history with one of its iconic luchadores. Gamers are afforded the ability to relive jaw-dropping moments in Rey Mysterio’s career through the 2K Showcase mode. Grapple with Eddie Guerrero, Batista, Triple H and more while also watching footage of iconic matches—and then perform those very same maneuvers.
Not only that, but fans are also treated to the much anticipated return of General Manager mode, which allows players to do their best Vince McMahon impression by drafting your own grapplers, booking matches, and overall running their own shows.
Graphics
Graphically this game has been vastly approved; however, this is not appreciated as much as it should be just because the choice of wrestlers is not exactly up to par with previous iterations. Maybe it’s because half of the roster in the game have transferred over to AEW or WWE just simply let many of these wrestlers go.
Gameplay
The game’s developers boasted that they constructed a whole new gameplay engine. While the mechanics may not feel drastically different, longtime players will notice a change and improvements. The most notable addition is that of the combo system, which has gamers hitting a, well, combination of either heavy, light or grapple attacks in order to gain the upper hand.
Conclusion
WWE2k22 has a lot of nostalgia for the times of WCW and ECW—which is when wrestling was at its prime. So, for wrestling lovers this iteration might just be about reliving the past, which is okay but leaves little to desire for the current roster of superstars.
