WWE 2k19 [REVIEW]

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WWE 2K19 REVIEW

Bouncing off the ropes.
BY MITCHELL SALTZMAN
WWE 2K19, like previous entries in the long running wrestling franchise, is a good game. The core wrestling does a great job of simulating a WWE match, and the strike/grapple/reversal fighting system is a lot of fun. It’s got one of the best and most comprehensive creation suites of any game out there, and the way that it basically lets you do everything that wrestlers do in real life, in WWE 2K19, is kind of astounding.

But those are all things that have remained true for a long while now, and while WWE 2K19 goes to great lengths to fix it’s biggest flaws from last year, it still leaves a lot of long-standing issues unchecked that limit the otherwise significant improvements over 2K18.

The campaign mode, or MyCareer, has been a WWE 2K staple since 2K15. But, in 2K19, it finally feels like a proper AAA wrestling story mode complete with voice acting, cutscenes, and likable characters that grow and change over the course of the story. The campaign is brought to life thanks to a great performance from former Tough Enough competitor and current indie wrestler, AJ Kirsch, who brings a much-needed level of authenticity to the lead role.
And for the most part, the actual wrestlers that lend their voice to WWE 2K19 also do a great job, outside of a few who seem like they’re reading from a script as opposed to acting.

From a presentational standpoint, everything about MyCareer this year is fantastic and is exactly what the template should look like in future years. Unlike previous years that always start your character in NXT, WWE 2K19’s MyCareer mode starts you on the indie scene in an organization called BCW, where you’re wrestling out of high school gyms – a fact that the obnoxious commentator won’t stop reminding you of. From there, you’ll get noticed by WWE head trainer Matt Bloom and begin your twisty and windy path to the WWE main roster.
From a presentational standpoint, everything about MyCareer this year is fantastic and is exactly what the template should look like in future years. But MyCareer still stumbles when it comes to progression.

 

Your character starts off extremely weak, with a paltry set of moves, pathetic stats, and generic entrance options. As you level up by gaining experience, you can increase your stats through three skill trees, which are further divided by different paths within each one. The skill trees manage to reduce the stat overload that typically accompanies WWE 2K’s career mode, but you never get the feeling that the skills you’re adding to make much of a difference in your character’s overall strength.

Despite the annoying character progression, the overall story and the journey of your character as he rises up through the ranks of the WWE make it worth the struggle.

On top of that, new moves and cosmetic options are once again locked behind loot boxes, which is a huge bummer. The boxes can only be purchased with virtual currency, and individual items can be bought on their own, but the cost of buying things ala carte is very expensive.

For the most part, MyCareer is easy enough to get away with playing with a sub-par character, but there are a few points in the story where Triple H decides to stack the deck against you, forcing you to compete and win in wildly unfair matches, such as a 3-on-1 handicap match, an 8 man battle royale, and a gauntlet where you health doesn't refill after each match. Rather than coming out of it feeling like a highly skilled beast of a wrestler, you feel like you have to resort to cheap hit and run tactics just to survive.

OFFICIAL TRAILER 

GAMEPLAY

 

Edited March 28, 2019 by 乇 ɴᴇᴄʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇʀ ‡