WWE 2K24 stands out as one of the best wrestling titles in recent years

We all remember WWE 2K20. If you don’t, there isn’t much to see before you realise exactly why the franchise took some time off to revitalise and regroup.

That being said, recent iterations have been much better for it, with WWE 2K24 wrapping up pretty much all there is to love about the sport and recent entries alike. With punchier gameplay, new animations, and an awesome new Showcase mode to take you through the history of WrestleMania, there’s certainly plenty to love about this year’s wrestling extravaganza.

The Squared Circle

WWE 2K24 doesn’t necessarily shake things up in terms of gameplay, but only because its recent offerings have been so polished and satisfying. Some newer animations determine how wrestlers react to grapples and strikes. It generally allows for a greater sense of authenticity and realism, while newer smaller weapons like microphones can be hurled across the ring. There’s even a new minigame in which wrestlers deal sequential blows to each other, filling up a power bar to the correct point to strike with the most efficiency and damage output.

While it’s all contributing to the outrageous fun inside the ring, there’s not much more to write home about. I think it’s the furthest thing from an outright criticism, considering there wasn’t much to improve on last year in the first place. Yes, it’s not perfect; characters clip in and out of each other during particular grappling animations, and the window for countering strikes is incredibly small, but it’s never quite enough to take you out of the experience at any given time.

Lashing out a combination of light and heavy strikes, in tandem with spectacular grapples, rope attacks and special finishers is as satisfying as it ever was, only working to draw in returning fans and impress newcomers in the process.

Fight Your Way

WWE 2K24’s Showcase mode is once again its headlining feature, taking you through the 40-year history of WrestleMania and allowing you to control several iconic wrestlers and partake in some of the event’s greatest matchups. Presented as a quasi-documentary and hosted by wrestler Corey Graves, it’s admittedly fun to see wrestlers like Hulk Hogan explain exactly how they were feeling when they lifted someone like André the Giant, one of the many memorable moments WrestleMania has graced us with.

It’s also one of the most important modes to play first, as each of the 22 bouts unlocks several wrestlers to use across its remaining modes. You’ll face off against multiple male and female wrestlers while completing objectives to advance the match in its most accurate form. The more objectives you complete, the deeper the fight takes you, as these moves are interlaced so elegantly with real-life footage.

While these fights are fun for the most part, completing these objectives can prove a little frustrating down the track. Early on, there’s a match between Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior, in which you play as The Ultimate Warrior. In the latter stages of the fight, should you complete all the objectives required, the Hulkster gets an unrealistic streak of strength, upping the difficulty at a time when you’re only supposed to finish him off with a few remaining moves. It’s ridiculous that you spend the whole match destroying him with grapples and finishers, but it happened in a few matches since then where opponents become machines and submit or pin you out of nowhere. The only real downside beyond this comes from its linear nature, as there’s not much else to do in these modes apart from moving on to the next match.

WWE 2K24 also brings back its MyRise mode, which played out like a traditional story mode. There are two different stories to take on, as you choose between either the Unleashed or Undisputed storylines. The former sees you rising the ranks of the WWE ladder and is the more traditional of the two.

While both stories are decent and well-paced, the latter story, Undisputed, is a tad more interesting, as a bunch of wrestlers compete for the new top spot in the WWE after champion Roman Reigns leaves his throne for greener pastures in Hollywood. It’s a little cheesy at times but provides a little more to keep players invested than the former Unleashed storyline, which feels plain in comparison.

Universe Mode and MyGM also return, packing in some of the deepest aspects of WWE 2K24. Like previous years, the structure remains incredibly similar for both modes. The Universe mode simply allows players to create new storylines between wrestlers and live out new rivalries and showdowns, while the MyGM mode allows players to take over the inner workings of a wrestler’s career, whipping up trades, promotions and contracts as you see fit, to create the ultimate league.

There are perks for putting certain wrestlers against others and in certain matches, which is also a nice touch, and is sure to keep most fans invested for another year ahead. While these modes are based around cards and a few microtransactions, they don’t feel as though they’re necessary for a fun time, which is something I can’t say for the NBA 2K series.

Finally, there are all the quickplay matches you can think of to complete with multiple friends either at home or online, along with a massive roster of more than 200 superstars to choose from.

Look the Part

WWE 2K23 looked great for the most part, but WWE 2K24 looks even fresher this time around. From more detailed character models, more accurate lighting and spot-on presentation from various eras of the sport, there’s little to criticise. Well, to be fair, some of the more dated hairstyles look a little wonky in-game, but are we going to sit here and argue that they looked much better in real life? Not really, no.

WWE 2K24 is capped at 60 FPS across all platforms, and our time with it on the PlayStation 5 was pretty sweet. Frame rate drops are incredibly few and far between, while texture pop-ins are virtually non-existent. I know it doesn’t sound like much given WWE 2K23 also ran incredibly well, but we all know what WWE 2K20 brought with it. We’ll just leave it at that.

Final Thoughts

WWE 2K24 is certainly similar to WWE 2K23 in the best ways. Thankfully, it’s made some slight improvements and added a few new features through its new Showcase mode and newer MyRise storylines, that make it arguably one of the best WWE games in recent memory.

But with a massive roster and many modes to tackle, it’s a great way for hardcore and casual fans alike to jump on board with the sport, proving that its functional combat and slick visuals can be enjoyed in various ways.

FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)

Highlights: Engaging Showcase mode; Satisfying gameplay; New MyRise stories; Slick visuals
Lowlights: Some Showcase matches carry extreme difficulty swings
Developer: Visual Concepts
Publisher: 2K
Platforms: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Windows PC
Available: Now

Review conducted on PlayStation 5 with a code provided by the publisher.

Matthew Arcari

Matthew Arcari is the games and technology editor at The AU Review. You can find him on Twitter at @sirchunkee, or at the Dagobah System, chilling with Luke and Yoda.