WWE 2K17 Reviews
WWE 2K17 is a poor simulation of the WWE product, often because it seems ashamed of pro wrestling.
Dated Presentations And Lacking Features Make This A Disappointment
WWE 2K17's adherence to 'realism' brings notable gameplay improvements, but ultimately comes up short when it comes to the main event. MyCareer continues to be an unpolished, unfocused chore and is indicative of a WWE game that forgets that why two testosterone-fuelled titans enter the ring is as important as the action between the ropes.
The game is a bloated monolith that, much like the WWE itself, is due for a much-needed shake-up.
The basic combat is fine, but WWE 2K17 botches everything, from performance to presentation.
WWE literally puts on a show that is mostly about presentation, yet somehow WWE games are always lesser in presentation quality than NBA 2K.
WWE 2K17 is the first wrestling game I've truly waded into in a while, and I'm reminded as to why it's been so long. I play the basketball, football and MMA games because it's basically what I see and experience on TV. As a fan of WWE who has viewing parties for major PPVs, I can't say that what I played touches on what I get from WWE programming every week. It resembles it, but it's got a long way to go before I see it the same way I see the real thing: art, done well, providing the perfect escape.
While WWE 2K17’s fighting action is slowly getting to the point where it’s a real contender, pretty much everything outside of the matches themselves – including the new Promo Engine, which is nonsensical - is riddled with glitches that degrade the experience to the point of frustration.
WWE 2K17 is superior in a few ways to its predecessor, with a much improved wrestling system. At the same time, loading times are worse and there's a lack of Showcase leaves a gap the MyCareer and Universe modes simply can't fill. Aesthetically lacking and, frankly, boring too much of the time, it's hard to recommend this. Particularly when considering the prohibitive DLC practices that keep active members of the roster behind a pay wall.
If this series manages to go more in an over-the-top and insane direction, I can see WWE 2K having a big turn-around, but Visual Concept and Yuke's continue to try and create a skill-based wrestling simulator. This series will continue to be thinned out and fundamentally unenjoyable as long as that trend is around.
WWE 2K17 isn’t exactly a step forward for the franchise. At best, it’s stuck in the past and completely lacking in any of the features that made 2K’s beast incarnate a strong contender from previous encounters. And that’s the bottom line.
The removal of Showcase mode is sorely missed, and while the overall action is more polished, WWE 2K still has some ways to go before it gets where it needs to be
WWE 2K17 shows great potential, and when it gets it right it’s fantastic to play, but its undercooked features and lack of visual polish stop it from getting the 3-count it so desperately craves.
The core gameplay loop is fine, and there's some enjoyment to be had with this game's more measured take on wrestling, but... even for what it is, WWE 2K17 is ultimately a disappointing game that falls short.
Although WWE 2K17 didn’t need to be a strong step forward from its previous release, it’s still difficult not to be disappointed with how little has changed from year-to-year.
Playing WWE 2K17 is as frustrating as being a fan of Dolph Ziggler: There’s a lot of potential there, but those in charge of the game just won’t let it shine.
Overall WWE 2K17 is a game that feels like a wasted opportunity that is only saved by Universe Mode, a robust character creator, and some solid tweaks to the combat mechanics. However, the massive amount of bugs, disappointingly shallow MyCareer Mode, laughable voice overs (and lack thereof!), and heavy reliance on counters make it a less than thrilling experience.
It seems like every single year the WWE 2K games take a stride forward, but also a few steps backwards. 2K17 is no different as for every smart gameplay change there is a missing feature or a worthless addition. The yearly release schedule is clearly making it difficult for the team to fix issues while also adding new features, so they’ll have to make a choice sooner rather than later if trying to juggle both each year is worthwhile. For now, WWE 2K17 is barely off Jericho’s list.
Some of WWE 2K17 is brilliant, especially with the well animated moves, some new mechanics and a huge roster. Sadly, however, all the good is undermined by awful presentation.
By acting as a simulation rather than embracing the promotion silliness, WWE 2K17 misses the mark wildly. What chance they had to make MyCareer a marquee game mode and a game changer was wasted by half-baked ideas. There’s a lot going on with the other modes on offer and it plays better than most wrestling games out there, but its presentation suffers greatly as a result. As a tool for promoting Goldberg vs Brock Lesnar 2, it’s done its job, it’s just a shame that was the best thing WWE 2K17 achieved.