As the latest installment in the WWE 2K series, and with Wrestlemania 40 right around the corner, WWE 2K24 has arrived with a thunderous entrance, giving the fans an experience like never before. Developed by Visual Concepts and produced by 2K Sports, this video game builds upon its predecessors and has introduced a variety of new features and improved gameplay. As a fan of WWE wrestling, I wanted to play the game myself and see if the game actually delivers the championship-worthy experience that it says it has.
Improvements in Gameplay: The developers worked hard this year to make the game cleaner, less glitchy, and contain more variety in terms of types of matches, wrestler customization, etc. This year, for example, WWE 2K24 introduced the casket match, the ambulance match, and the special guest referee option. An interesting feature of the special guest referee match is that the official is rated on how they perform and what they do during the match. If the referee’s rating is completely lowered, another referee will come out and remove the special guest referee from the match entirely. All of these game modes are extremely fun to play. There are also new items, such as a giant Slim Jim which is used similar to the kendo stick, a hockey stick, a shovel, and even a microphone, that can be used during matches. Another improvement is in the character animation, which has been an issue in recent versions of the WWE2K games. The developers added a number of new moves and finishing moves to the game that can even be added to custom characters, making the wrestlers feel more realistic and move more smoothly.
MyGM Gamemode: MyGM mode has vastly improved in this latest version of the WWE 2K franchise. Some of the new additions to MyGM include new managers, new shows, and better use of lower-profile wrestlers (“jobbers”). Some of the managers include former SmackDown manager Teddy Long, former WCW manager Eric Bishoff, former ECW manager Paul Heyman, and former wrestlers such as William Regal, Tyler Breeze, and Ted DiBiase. There are also new shows, including WCW, ECW, and NXT 2.0. The most important thing, however, is the true inclusion of jobbers into the 2K24 MyGM mode. Jobbers were useless in 2K23 and almost served no purpose except that they were incredibly cheap to use in gameplay. Now, jobbers can become top stars and actually improve throughout the mode when bought. Jobbers can now also request to join your roster and the commentators actually say their names during matches. This not only makes the game more realistic, but more enjoyable to play.
MyRISE Gamemode: MyRISE is one of the more popular game modes in WWE 2K due to its customization options and its exciting storylines. This year there are new paths to choose from. One of them is the undisputed path, which is where Roman Reigns leaves WWE to become an actor and you must win a tournament to become the Undisputed WWE champion. The other path is the Unleashed path, which is where you start off as the hottest prospect in indie wrestling, and you are given an opportunity to unleash your potential in the WWE.
40 Years of WrestleMania Showcase: Last seen in the 2K14 version of the game, the WrestleMania showcase has been frequently requested by fans for the past decade. Finally, 2K24 has brought back the Wrestlemania showcase (in the form of The 40 Years of Wrestlemania Showcase mode) and added more matches and characters to it. The best part about the showcase is the improvement of instructions in the showcase. In 2K14, the instructions were extremely vague and difficult to follow. Now, in 2K24, the instructions are much easier to understand and make the matches more amusing to those who play it. A new addition to the showcase is ex-WWE wrestler and current WEE announcer Corey Graves providing his background knowledge on the matches. This allows players (especially younger players) to actually understand the history of these main event matches and how impactful the matches were then and now.
Overall Rating: this game is a major improvement from the last installments of the franchise and has proven that WWE 2K can continue to be a strong competitor in the sports video game industry. The gameplay is much more realistic and smooth than prior versions. This game has the most options and features of any prior WWE 2K game as well. Hopefully, 2K Sports can continue to produce strong games like 2K24 in the future. I’d give the game a 9/10 rating and recommend that anyone interested in wrestling, or sports games in general, pick this game up and give it a try.
