REVIEW : WWE 2K22 (XBOX Series X)
WWE 2K20 has numerous well-documented flaws, to put it mildly. So, after a two-year hiatus and an apparent return to the drawing board, you’d expect WWE 2K22, the newest instalment in the wrestling franchise, to hurl its heaviest lariat. At first glance, WWE 2K22 does not appear to be the game’s promised significant transformation. Sure, everything feels more polished and refined, but that’s to be anticipated after such a long production period; yet, when compared to the last instalment in the series, everything starts to shine and the progression continues.
Beyond the noticeable improvements in visuals and sound, the major advancement appears to be in the whole presentation of the WWE product. Camera angles and lighting tweaks, for example, assist to make the simulation closer to the television experience. The ring appears to be smaller and more in proportion to the wrestlers within. Minor changes, to be sure, but they all add to the larger goal of achieving the perfect WWE experience.
The in-ring motion is smooth and balanced. It looks gorgeous, is easy to handle, and provides a meaty overall feel, similar to chain wrestling between Eddie Guerrero (who is confirmed on the WWE 2K22 roster) and Kurt Angle (who we want to be). You pity Chad Gable in his role as Bobby.
Little details like Lashley groaning as he sends Gable into the turnbuckle and over the top rope, and Gable hitting the deck after an all-mighty powerslam and screaming in pain as he sells his back sweeten the build-up to the match-ending submit hold.
Camera angles and lighting are cleverly adjusted to bring the simulation closer to the television experience. The Thunderdome, which contains our squared-circle experience, has a significant role to perform. Hundreds of spectators watching on large television screens boo and give thumbs down when Lashley attacks, and shout when Gable manages to snare his charging opponent in an arm drag and momentarily turn momentum in his favour.
There’s also a level of attention to detail that really helps tie everything together. Little elements like music playing as soon as a pinfall is registered, genuine faces filling the Thunderdome’s screens during the epidemic era, and fan emotions and replies seem significantly more in sync with real WWE. And I couldn’t help but smile when the crowd began singing Shinsuke Nakamura’s entrance music, which you can hear on Smackdown every week. That’s not to say there hasn’t been attention to detail previously, but this time it feels like the whole presentation has been a priority, especially when it comes to putting everything together in the ring.The new gameplay engine, which appears to have been constructed from the ground up, is perhaps the most prominent update for WWE 2K22. Again, this does not appear to be the upgrade that is touted at first glance, but after a few rounds (and after shaking off those old gaming tendencies), I began to notice a new degree of fluidity.
The long and difficult grappling mechanism has been replaced with dynamic combos. We’re not talking about intricate, Street Fighter-style quarter circles here, but by combining your light, heavy, and grab techniques, you can now do striking and grappling sequences that would look right at home on WWE TV. It’s as easy as pushing light, heavy, and then grab and go. The most exciting aspect of this project is how friendly it will be for newcomers. I’ve played a number of games against novices in the past, and most of them ended in a never-ending string of strikes with no real flair. But now I don’t see why a novice couldn’t perform a crushing DDT right away.
You now have infinite reversals, which causes continuous swings in match supremacy, unlike WWE 2K20.
That isn’t to argue that button slamming isn’t a realistic strategy. In addition to reversals, WWE 2K22 also includes three other defensive options: blocking, evading, and breakers, the latter of which is a new for the series and a significant variant on reversals.
When you and your opponent both press the same assault button at the same moment, a break is established, which stops someone from repeatedly pressing the same attack button and encourages diversity in your options. Unlike WWE 2K20, you now had infinite reversals, which, for me, caused constant swings in match supremacy, centering the action on the drama rather than who could stockpile the most reversals. I am, however, concerned about how simple it was for me to reverse when confronted with AI, to the point that it felt as if I could never not reverse something. Based on my little experience with the game, I believe the reversal window may be even narrower in order to truly highlight such moments. When the action gets going, the commentary can get stale, so it will need to be scrutinised more thoroughly when the game is out. At the very least, there’s a better sense that a genuine dialogue is taking place, rather than just soundbites generated by a particular movement. While Lashley is going to the ring, the back-and-forth between Graves and Byron Saxton serves to elevate and bring the cut-scene to life.
Any money left over from the draught may be used to improve match types, recruit free agents, and upgrade venues – and money must be carefully handled week to week to provide a consistently good performance. If your fan base and item sales decline, so will your capacity to put on amazing and devastating concerts, and you will suffer as a result.
The entire mode is captivating as you battle against your rival brand and hope that the NXT Women’s Title match between Becky Lynch and Rhea Ripley does not overshadow Balor versus Rollins for the Universal Title.
With the launch of a new feature, MyFaction, the buzz for a returning old feature is amplified. If you’ve ever thought to yourself, “WWE superstars might form a wonderful group,” now is your opportunity to put that theory to the test. MyFaction allows you to create your own squad and progress through the ranks of The Shield and D-Generation X. Where else can you put Brock Lesnar, Shayna Baszler, Riddle, and Sonya Deville together to form a legendary MMA/WWE hybrid team?
I’ve just scratched the surface of WWE 2K22’s in-ring gameplay so far, but what I’ve seen so far seems to strike a good mix between depth and beginner friendliness. Like some of my favourite fighting games, I immediately found myself poring over the combination lists, attempting to memorise my favourite attacks, and the game rewarded my commitment by making the bouts seem dynamic and exciting at all times. At least in the case of singles or tag teams, when the space allows for expressiveness. As with past instalments in the series, having five or more wrestlers in the ring produces mayhem and interruptions, but it felt like the targeting system had been enhanced, which is a good feature. During my time with WWE 2K22, I also had the opportunity to play the brand-new, fan-requested GM mode. This time, the mode is named MyGM, and it hasn’t been seen in the series since 2008.
REVIEW : Legend of Ixtona (PC)
