Fans React: WWE 2K24’s Impressive Reception

The gameplay is where it’s really at. WWE 2K24 is super responsive and feels way more chill to play, with everything looking and vibing more naturally. There’s definitely less of that awkward snap, for sure. Jumping into the ring with any of the 200+ fighters is a total blast, win or lose. If you’re into that fluid, engaging gameplay, you can also buy Xbox games that offer similar fun, smooth mechanics and plenty of action-packed moments. The core systems are finally shining now with some tweaks. Grappling, submissions, and all that jazz are way easier to grasp, making matches feel way more dynamic and varied overall. But Visual Concepts didn’t just slap on some changes and call it a day; they threw in some fresh features too. There’s a new mini-game for trading blows that adds a fun little twist to matches. So, you’ve got talent scouts now that you can pay weekly to find new performers for your brand. But, like, the more specific you are with what you want, the pricier it gets. No worries though! If you’re strapped for cash after a search, you can make your new hires’ contracts as long or as short as you want. Longer contracts save you bucks in the long run, but keeping them short can help if you need to save money for something urgent. You won’t be dropping as much cash on shows each week because your venues, special effects, crew, and promos are now one-time unlocks. You don’t have to stress about hitting a certain number of specialty matches weekly to snag those bonuses. Instead, you earn a point every week to spend on these upgrades, along with your cash for that one-time purchase. Plus, every upgrade unlocks a new match type for your MyGM run, so you can plan your spending if you want a specific match type, or just skip the grind and unlock everything right away. But like, where’s the fun in that? The last big thing is superstar experience. Each superstar rolls in at an experience level between 0 for newbies and 25 for total legends. They’ll rack up experience points from cutting promos, battling it out, or bonuses from cards, unlocking new powers every five levels. You’ll get to choose some cool upgrades for each level-up, like injury resistance, extra match specialties, or changing their class. Just keep in mind that leveling them up will make their contracts way more expensive. If you’re into customizing your roster, be cautious! Even with a fat stack of starting cash, you’ll be broke after picking up about six legends.

Match Variety and Player Freedom

You can tackle these matches however you want, but the game throws in some tasks for you to complete, like nailing three heavy combos on your opponent. If you’re planning to buy PS5 games, these challenges add an extra layer of fun and help keep the gameplay feeling fresh as you mix up your strategies. As you check these off, you’ll unlock cool stuff like MyFaction cards, wrestlers for your roster, and new arenas. Plus, you’ll get to experience a slick transition from rendered cutscenes to real TV footage of the matches and back. It’s a dope experience, even if it doesn’t have much replay value. If you’ve played the Rey Mysterio or John Cena showcases from the past couple of 2K games, you’ll know the vibe, but expect a lot more flair, especially with Randy Savage in the ring. Another mode where you can score awesome unlockables is MyRISE, the game’s story mode, where you create your own character and dive into one of two original storylines. If you’ve played previous WWE 2K games, you’re already familiar with how it rolls, but the women’s storyline adds a fresh twist. You go through the usual five acts, playing as the founder of an indie promotion who tags along with your wrestler, the super cute Psycho Sally, to a WWE tryout. You both get signed — you’re on RAW, and Sally lands in NXT — but after the first act, your character gets fed up with following orders and encounters three classic heel turns. Liv Morgan pulls you into the Hollywood scene, turning you into an entitled diva; Rhea Ripley helps you embrace your brutal side, crushing weaker wrestlers and tackling the toughest ones; and Alexa Bliss introduces a supernatural vibe, giving you an amulet that messes with your personality while granting wild powers like levitation, telekinesis, and mind control. This last storyline is definitely the weirdest and most fun, letting you choose from four supervillain costumes and even build your own Ministry of Darkness-style crew.

Expanding the Match Experience

Last year, the dev team put all their energy into crafting War Games, but this year, they’re hyping up four new match types: Casket, Ambulance, Special Guest Referee, and Gauntlet. Technically, though, there are three kinds of gauntlet matches, plus a fresh four-player elimination mode in Backstage Brawl, so it kinda feels like they’re low-key underselling it — there are actually seven new matches! For me, the Special Guest Referee match is the most lit. You’re in charge of managing counts for pinfalls, submissions, and ring outs, and you can do it at whatever pace you want. With just a button press, you can switch from being the ref to a wrestler and take down whoever you want. But watch out! There’s a ref quality meter at the top, and if you keep messing up counts or going ham on the competitors, WWE will send in a replacement ref to kick you out of the ring and take over. It’s chaotic fun trying to learn the controls, and I totally flopped my first few tries and got booted even when I was just trying to be fair. But once you get the hang of it, this match type is pure controlled chaos! As for Gauntlet, it’s split into three styles: one where you try to beat a set number of wrestlers back-to-back, another where whoever wins just keeps moving on in the gauntlet, and the last one where wrestlers keep streaming into the ring at timed intervals, no matter if you’ve eliminated anyone. The last one, Gauntlet Turmoil, is definitely the most fun of the three. It’s like a Royal Rumble, but you can leave the ring and have to pin or submit your opponents to win.