There have been reports that WWE has met with EA to potentially discuss handing the WWE video game license over to EA Sports for the next installment, though it remains to be seen if that will actually happen. Previous rumors have indicated that WWE 2K22 would be the last chance for 2K Sports to get the game right, and it’s too early to say if the new game will be considered a success in WWE’s eyes. But even if WWE still isn’t completely satisfied with the reception to WWE 2K22, it should still stick with 2K Sports instead of jumping ship to EA.
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WWE 2K22 reviews are significantly better than WWE 2K20’s, with basically everyone in agreement that the new game is a huge step forward for the franchise. WWE 2K22 has earned praise for its in-ring gameplay as well as some of the new features it brings to the table, but really it feels like a “rebuild” game. What it does is lay the foundation for the next WWE 2K game to really take things to the next level, addressing the flaws from WWE 2K22 while retaining what fans like about the new game.
There’s been a great deal of praise for WWE 2K22’s in-ring action, and for good reason. The new counter system allows for faster-paced matches, while the new animations and graphics ensure that every move looks better than ever before. WWE 2K22 does away with the more complicated kickout and submission systems, instead simply having players mash buttons to escape a pin attempt or get out of a submission hold. This makes it feel like some of the older WWE video games, and the end result is that it’s incredibly fun when players are battling it out between the ropes.
So 2K Sports and developer Visual Concepts have nailed how a WWE video game should play in-ring with WWE 2K22, it’s just the modes surrounding it that need some work. To throw all this away by jumping to EA would be a huge mistake, as the potential WWE 2K23 could genuinely be one of the best WWE games ever if it addresses some issues with the game modes.
How MyGM Can Improve in WWE 2K23
The last time that a WWE video game had General Manager mode was in WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008. For one reason or another, the fan favorite mode disappeared from subsequent WWE games, only to finally resurface 14 years later as MyGM in WWE 2K22. It’s great to see some form of General Manager mode return in a WWE video game, but there are definitely some downsides to WWE 2K22’s MyGM that could be addressed in WWE 2K23.
WWE 2K22 MyGM has some odd restrictions that hold it back from reaching its full potential. Players are only ever able to book singles or tag team matches, severely limiting the match types that they have at their disposal. There are also promo slots wasting up space on pay-per-view cards, making it difficult for players to truly live out their fantasy booking dreams.
The biggest problem with WWE 2K22 MyGM, though, is the fact that players can’t keep playing after their season is over. Once players reach WrestleMania, they have to start over from scratch. WWE 2K23 could address this problem by letting players play through infinite seasons of MyGM and just letting them have a draft after each WrestleMania event. The champions would stay on the brands, but other superstars would be up for grabs. This would significantly improve the replay value of MyGM and bring it closer in line to what fans were expecting from the mode.
How MyRISE Can Improve in WWE 2K23
MyRISE is essentially the WWE 2K22 story mode, where players start out as a male or female WWE superstar and work their way from the Performance Center to television. MyRISE, like MyCareer before it, suffers from some really cheesy dialogue and cutscenes that weigh the experience down. Those who just want to make decisions for their character’s career and enjoy the in-ring action have to slog through a lot of nonsense, but there are some ways to fix these problems as well.
One change that could massively improve MyRISE would be to cut out the voice acting. 2K Sports story modes have had some infamously bad voice acting over the years, and while WWE 2K22 voice acting may not be as bad as some of the stuff that’s been featured in the NBA 2K games, it’s still nothing to write home about. Not only that, but players having to sit and wait for the voice actors to deliver their lines only prolongs the cutscenes. Classic WWE video games used text only for dialogue, and while that may seem archaic by today’s gaming standards, it would speed up MyRISE and allow players to get to the parts of it they actually enjoy at a faster rate.
Improving MyGM and MyRISE would go a long way in making WWE 2K23 an even better WWE gaming experience than its predecessor. It would be a shame to see Visual Concepts’ work on WWE 2K22 wasted by WWE jumping ship to EA, especially since that could bring its own problems with it. Fans have not exactly been thrilled with recent iterations of Madden, for instance, and so who’s to say that WWE games under the EA Sports umbrella would be any better than what 2K Sports is bringing to the table.
For now, WWE 2K22 is riding high on an enthusiastic community and strong review scores. If this translates to strong sales as well, then maybe WWE and 2K Sports will stick together for WWE 2K23.
WWE 2K22 is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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