WWE 2K23 Reviews
WWE 2K23 is an excellent addition to the longstanding WWE video games library. The insurmountable polish that’s been applied to this love letter for fans is insanely generous. The largest roster in WWE 2K/SmackDown!/Smackdown Vs. Raw history, Wargames and notable legends included all makes this a worthwhile experience.
WWE 2K23 is, without a doubt, stronger than last year, the best instalment in the series, and automatically makes it into one of the greatest WWE games of all time. Almost every aspect has improved and produced the most authentic WWE experience ever. And because of the time frame, it gets you wondering how they’ve managed to implement this many additions and generally delivering a much superior successor.
Not exactly a huge advancement on last year, but WWE 2K23 didn't need to be, instead offering smart improvements on an already great formula.
Another solid step in the right direction for the beleaguered WWE 2K franchise, this latest addition doesn’t remedy all the nagging problems, but nevertheless offers up a slick, content-rich package that should please most.
While WWE 2K23 is a visual, presentation, and gameplay step-up over WWE 2K22 , it’s a ladder’s climb up if you’ve been away for more than a year. It tends to cater to those who played last year’s game, but I think the game does enough to get anyone acquainted with all of the systems. There’s a mode for everyone to like in here, tons of matches to engage in, a stacked roster of favorites and newcomers, and of course WarGames! It’s all backed by great gameplay and controls that’s the best yet. WWE 2K23 is the freshest feeling WWE 2K game in years, and is worth getting excited about.
At the end of the day, WWE 2K23 makes a modest effort to improve on its predecessor, and the results are pretty bloody good. Some of the modes have received some genuine love and attention, while others could use a bit of a revisit in future versions. Regardless, what these modes and updates are building on now is an incredibly solid foundation that continues to impress, and once the bell rings, the quality of gameplay and the feeling of taking part in a bona fide WWE match looks like it's ripped right from a TV broadcast, and as a wrestling fan, that's still what counts the most.
The tag line for WWE2K23 is “Even Stronger”. In all fairness, that’s a pretty accurate statement. Everything that the last game did has become better and “Stronger”. However, high load times, finicky online play, and weird collision detection remains the game’s weakness. So much so that they stand in even more contrast than last time, because how vastly improved other areas of the game are. 2K tried a few different things last year, and got a lot of feedback on them. I am happy to say they took most of it and resolved it in WWE2K23. Its a huge improvement over the last iteration and speaks well of the team behind it promising even better things in the future.
WWE 2K23 is undoubtedly a step forward, and Visual Concepts and 2K deserve great credit. It has a fun gameplay mechanism, various match options, and branching narratives that guarantee a lot of playthroughs. Simply put, if you are a wrestling fan, you don't want to miss playing WWE 2K23, as it can be quoted as the best WWE game ever made to date.
There is a lot to enjoy in this year's WWE2K23, and the amount of new content should please those who've already put so many hours into the last installment. There are still some bugs within the actual gameplay elements that have plagued the series for years, but with much fewer mistakes than WWE 2K22. The increased Creation options, the addicting blind packs and new online multiplayer of MyFACTION, and even the separate storylines added into MyRISE for women and men wrestlers. There is a lot going on this year and WWE2K23 is a great version for veterans and new players alike.
WWE 2K23 is a fun, and exciting wrestling sim. It boasts a decent variety of game modes, most of which have seen a few improvements. By far the standout is the Showcase mode, putting you in the boots of some of John Cena’s most significant opponents. 2K23 definitely does enough to be worth picking up, even if some more big improvements could have been made!
Overall, WWE 2K23 serves its purpose. Anybody looking to play a fighting game with characters they recognize from WWE’s brand will get precisely what they want. Unfortunately, people looking for a unique fighting game and anyone feeling nostalgic for the great pro wrestling games of the past will be disappointed.
While some will no doubt question whether returning to an annualized release schedule was wise given the jump in quality Visual Concepts was able to deliver by taking a year off prior to WWE 2k22, WWE 2k23 makes enough refinements to its in-ring action and improves its core modes to such an extent that this is absolutely a must-buy for wrestling fans. With two chunky career modes to get stuck into, Universe and MyGM modes offering more control than ever before, and Showcase mode changing up the formula to great effect, there’s a ton of fantastic content here that’s sure to keep players busy over the next year. If you’re itching for some satisfying wrestling action that has never looked as good as it does here, then don’t hesitate to pick up WWE 2k23, as it truly is championship material.
WWE 2K23 is a decent sequel that builds off last year’s foundation in several meaningful ways. MyGM has been heavily improved, and the two new story modes feature some interesting scenarios and carve just enough of their own new and interesting paths.
WWE 2K23 continues the series’ upwards trajectory. It’s a massive package full of different things to do. The roster is enormous, the microtransactions seem egregious in familiar “yearly sports title ways”, and the in-ring action almost nails riding the line between sports sim and scripted tv show. There is a love of the genre on display here and for any major or minor fan of sports entertainment, this year’s entry is worth checking out.