

The creation suite is as deep as an ocean again this year, though it bears many similarities to last year’s options. With all of these systems in play, it’s up to you to tell a compelling story, and the game will give you a match rating for keeping up the excitement and tension through it all.

It’s a really clever system that I hope never changes, it’s just too good. When you’re pinned, you now can time a button press to kick out or use the right stick that emulates the motion of a kick out that kicks out just before the count of three. Thankfully, they are now unlimited, giving you many opportunities to stop an onslaught of attacks from one or more opponents. Compared to years prior, counters are much easier to pull off, though they still have a tight window for timing them correctly. The game allows and has many momentum swings, a true tug of war that a real match would have. Sure you can send a flurry of attacks in a combo, but if you’re a bigger character, you can’t keep that up. Getting into a brawl as smooth as it was in last year’s game, but here stamina matters more than before. There might be a few omissions of your favorites, but the roster is pretty jam-packed, and there’s variants that can be unlocked across its plentiful modes. There’s even some crossover stars you’ll find in the list like Logan Paul, and a few locked behind DLC, such as Bad Bunny. It’s still far less of a disconnect than we’ve seen in prior years (to no fault of 2K or Visual Concepts), but there’s also some deep cuts of characters you wouldn’t expect to see. For instance, the fantastic Piper Niven is still referred to as the horrendous “Doudrop” in-game, but that’s a more recent adjustment than some of the others. Though, there are cases where some superstars do not reflect their current status.
#WWE 2K23 MATCHES SERIES#
“The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes is now in the game, and it feels both weird and exciting to see him a part of the series and this company again.

The roster for WWE 2K23 is not only the best it has ever seen, with over 175 superstars of past and present, but it’s the most up-to-date one. Being able to finally play out a WarGames match of your very own making, or even replicating one is a highlight that never dims. And that’s * clears throat and says in a William Regal voice: * “WarGames!” The WarGames match, made famous by the late, great Dusty Rhodes slaps two rings together, shoves three or four teams in, and drops a cage on all of them for one of the most chaotic and exciting match types in all of wrestling history. There’s not a lot new in this department, however there is one addition, a long-awaited one. In playing the game, you’ve got your standard fare of quickplay matches to take part in, from one-on-ones to tag matches to the infamous Hell in a Cell. That said, the mode is unlike prior years, and that alone makes it all worth it. It’s a minor annoyance in the grand scheme, but a momentum killer nonetheless.
#WWE 2K23 MATCHES HOW TO#
It’s rather straightforward, but can be rather demanding as you need to spend a lot of time in the menus to know what it is you need to do, and how to perform the moves necessary to progress. The mode asks you to complete main and side objectives, and the more things you accomplish, the more rewards you’ll garner at the end of the match. It’s a very fun flip of the script, and shows how humble and modest John Cena is, a world record holder for the most Make-A-Wish wishes granted. One of his mantras is to “Never Give Up”, and this is exemplified with the series of matches you’ll play, understanding that there’s something to be gained from losing. This mode has an surprising twist, in that you often play as John Cena’s opponents, and the matches he reflects on in interviews are of his losses. It’s honestly weird to think of John Cena in this way, but he’s earned it. John Cena headlines this year’s 2K Showcase, a mode that is a reflection on the career of a WWE superstar, allowing you to relive and replicate the matches and moments in their career. WWE 2K23 is a sim brawler that has really found its footing, and gives the series the necessary attitude adjustment it has needed. Visual Concepts have really fine tuned what worked with WWE 2K22 and eschewed what didn’t. This thought can also be said about the WWE 2K series as a whole, a love / hate relationship with the fans that you can now appreciate for all its accomplished this year.

The now legendary wrestler has entered his twentieth year with the company, and is easily the most loved and equally hated man in all of wrestling, largely in part to his success. You wouldn’t know it by looking at the blank cover of WWE 2K23, but this year’s entry is all about John Cena.
