WWE 2K18 Reviews
It's a real shame that WWE's return to Nintendo systems is such a poor port of a game that already had problems. Alongside the glitches and bugs known in the other releases, we have a bevy of issues here, not limited to the terrible frame rate (especially in multi-man matches), the graphics downgrade, and tedious gameplay. Fans of both Nintendo and WWE deserved better than what we got here in this port.
That’s about as far as the good parts of WWE 2K18 go, unfortunately. And again, all of these good aspects are content-based, it doesn’t change the fact that the main aspect of the game is still awful. I still don’t know why publishers release games in a state like this and think it’s okay, but there may be some ray of light for Nintendo owning wrestling fans though, as I have no doubt that there will be a performance patch at some point down the line, as the same happened with 2K Games’ other Switch game, NBA 2K18. But still, that’s not a guarantee. Until then, stay well away from WWE 2K18. Just like the WWE tell us in their promos, don’t try this at home, school or anywhere else.
It's another rushed effort from 2K Games which botches the launch of an eagerly anticipated title. It's so frustrating because WWE 2K18 is packed with content and could have been truly special, if a little more care had been applied. Maybe a patch can salvage this release but for now you want to avoid it.
While co-developer Blind Squirrel has stated publicly it is working on implementing some post-launch improvements, it doesn't change the fact WWE 2K18 ever existed in this form at all. Switch has had an incredible 2017 and played host to some truly awe-inspiring ports, but as it stands the latest slice of sports entertainment is best enjoyed elsewhere. Wrestling fans with a Switch deserve better games than this sorry jobber.
While WWE 2K18 does hit enough right notes for a recommendation, it still leaves something to be desired. As much as I like the style of these newer games, I miss being able to be as nonsensical as the older ones would allow. All in all, it's a toss-up for me.
Although WWE 2K18 brings a number of changes and improvements to the long-running series, its handling of the MyCareer mode is truly baffling. Whatever ambitious qualities it might have had are buried under a snore-inducing grind. Almost everything from boots to suplexes is locked away inside loot crates. If the player wants to craft their own wrestler and guide them to glory, they're better off sticking to create-a-superstar and participating in the WWE Universe. Otherwise, their avatar is going to be a poorly-dressed schmuck with a very limited set of abilities. Take this critic's advice, and just ignore MyCareer entirely. The other gameplay modes are where the entertainment is at.
When you play a modern wrestling game but come away longing for the old N64 days... that might tell you something.
There’s no doubt about it, WWE 2K18 is a flawed game. The positives of the Road to Glory mode, the MyPlayer play styles and the always reliable Universe mode, are counter-acted by a boring MyCareer that’s still lacking in so many areas and an online side bereft of any purpose. Piling on the misery of the technical issues which plague the game from top to bottom, turning enjoyment into frustration, means that even the joys of the great roster and creative options cannot save it from being a huge disappointment.
WWE fans might get a kick out of creating their own wrestlers, entrances, and promos, but the basic mechanics won't appeal to a wider crowd
WWE 2K18 makes only a modest attempt to improve on last year's offering, which means this game is still not very good.
WWE 2K18 is certainly a mixed bag of tricks, because despite it continuing to have some unaddressed issues, the game is still a lot of fun
A bad, bad game. Oh it's true, it's damn true!
WWE 2K18 is very similar to the previous installments of the series: the gameplay is still somehow slow, but approachable and easy to learn. If you were hoping for a radical change, you'll be disappointed. On the other hand, if you're looking for a game with a solid roster and full of spectacular moves, well, WWW 2K18 is the right answer.
Review in Italian | Read full review
WWE 2K18 is another decent entry in the long running games franchise. But as I said last year, it's sad that these games are just decent because they can be and should be great.
WWE 2K18 is a small, but successful step in the right direction for the series. Being more approachable than ever, it should attract many new players.
Review in Polish | Read full review
WWE 2K18 is in desperate need of an overhaul. It's an entertaining game in WWE Universe mode, but most else is beyond retirement age, and many complaints fans have had for years have not been addressed.
It's easy to enjoy playing WWE 2K18. Wrestling games inspire a special creativity that no other sports games can match. While 2K18 feels like it misses the mark and comes in below expectations, it still offers a MyPlayer experience, eight-man matches, online competitiveness, community creations, and more. The graphics and animations are starting to grow stagnant and there aren't too many incremental improvements that can be made until there's a drastic change to the game engine, so I'm hoping that there will be an announcement about that soon.
WWE 2K18 with its outdated engine and inferior loading times is far from what WWE fans should be expecting of this game. 2K needs to reboot the series as soon as possible to prevent a total crash of the franchise.
Review in German | Read full review
Like its predecessor, WWE 2K18 clearly shows the desire to do the best wrestling game there is, but the end result starts to show the limitations of an annual franchise in terms of technicality and innovation.
Overall WWE 2K18 is a fine example of a good wrestling game. It looks amazing, but just lacks enough improvements overall to really stand out among the current crop of 2K’s beyond those good looks, unfortunately leaving it short of being quite like no one.