WWE 2K23
OpenCritic Rating
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
WWE 2K23 Trailers
Your Time Is Now! | WWE 2K23 Official Gameplay Trailer | 2K
Even Stronger | WWE 2K23 Official Showcase Trailer | 2K
See John Cena | WWE 2K23 Official Cover Star Reveal | 2K
Critic Reviews for WWE 2K23
Though the Showcase mode isn’t as super as its subject, John Cena, the sharp focus on refinement instead of reinvention helps keep WWE 2K23 as the gold standard of wrestling sims.
Even discounting the upcoming community creations, WWE 2K23 has so much content baked in that fans should be able to play for hours on end without even scratching the surface of everything the game has to offer. Whereas WWE 2K22 was a rebuilding year for the franchise, WWE 2K23 is all about building on that foundation, offering players more bang for their buck and taking everything a step forward. There is still plenty of room for improvement for sure, but WWE 2K23 is easily one of the best WWE games of the past decade.
Enjoyable in almost every department, WWE 2K23 serves up joy for wrestling fans young and old, dedicated or casual. There really is so much to love here.
An improvement on last year's already firm foundations, WWE 2K23 continues the franchise's rebirth with steady improvements, beefed up game modes, and an epic recreation of WarGames.
WWE 2K23’s more incremental bells and whistles means it’s technically an overall stronger package than 2K22. However, unlike last year, it doesn’t benefit from the rose-colored excitement of getting to play a big wrestling sim again after a years-long absence. The similarities to its predecessor means 2K23 feels more formulaic than special, but it still continues the series’ overall positive trajectory. Like watching a returning legend perform their greatest hits night after night, the novelty has faded, but I’m still pleased to have them back – for now.
WWE 2K23 sees the series return to form by building on the solid foundations laid down last year to improve both its in-ring action and suite of game modes.
Solid and definitely has an audience. There could be some hard-to-ignore faults, but the experience is fun.
As a wrestling fan, I want to create five-star classic matches, with back-and-forth action, near falls, and iconic moments, but ultimately WWE 2K23 cannot facilitate that. Messy and overly complicated controls hamper those efforts, but it's 2K's obsession with players winning matches that ensure this professional wrestling game misses the point entirely.
