WWE 2K24 Review

Video games that touch the world of sports often have a tougher hill to climb when it comes to impressing players and critics, especially those that churn out entry after entry every year. This usually means hitting a certain deadline to launch, oftentimes regardless of the final quality and features, or lack thereof, added.

We called WWE 2K23 a “slam in the right direction,” and with WWE 2K24, Visual Concepts continues the improvements, with the game truly better in almost every aspect compared to its predecessor, even with some rough edges and all.

With new match types to enjoy, great-looking wrestlers (for the most part) to control, and gameplay tweaks that make significant differences, WWE 2K24 is indeed worthy of the 40th anniversary of Wrestlemania. Sure, it may feel a tad too similar to last year’s offerings, but once the bell goes off, every blow exchanged is loads of fun.

First off, as we always do, we check out WWE 2K24‘s story mode, which largely delivers a great and engaging campaign worthy enough to spend some hours on. MyRise now features two distinct approaches for players to make their mark in the WWE universe – Undisputed or Unleashed.

The Undisputed storyline takes your created men’s wrestler right into the mix as Tribal Chief Roman Reigns vacates his position at the top to take on Hollywood. The Unleashed storyline, on the other hand, focuses on the women’s division and tells the story of an indie superstar having to climb their way back to the top. Either campaign is a blast, and it is mostly the highlight of this year’s entry.

The best compliment you can give a wrestling story campaign is if it can replicate the excitement and drama of the shows we’ve come to watch every week. Both WWE 2K24‘s Unleashed and Undisputed meet the objective fairly well, and whether it is the tension-filled encounters or the funny quips in between matches, each moment is welcome and entertaining, even if it does suffer from some minor pacing issues. Still, there’s a lot to love in these two storylines, and having a dedicated one for the ladies is a nice touch!

Similar to 2K23’s Showcase Mode, which featured the ever-polarizing John Cena, this year’s theme for WWE 2K24 revolves around the 40th anniversary Wrestlemania celebration. With this, we are treated to a collection of 20 of the biggest matches that have taken place on the biggest stage of them all that players can relive.

Entitled “2K Showcase… of the Immortals,” we get to see some truly iconic matches, but also some head-scratchers in between. WrestleMania III’s Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat vs. “Macho Man” Randy Savage is here for the old timers, and we can also relive WrestleMania VI’s Ultimate Warrior vs. Hulk Hogan classic. Some other matches include the ladder match between Razor Ramon and Shawn Michaels from WrestleMania X, Brock Lesnar vs. Undertaker from WrestleMania XXX, and even Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte Flair from WrestleMania 39.

In WWE 2K23, playing through showcase matches admittedly felt tiring and tedious because you’ll need to meet certain objectives that would dictate your gameplay instead of simply playing through and winning the match. That’s alleviated here in WWE 2K24, for the better, as you can simply play and enjoy. No longer locked by some weird condition that’s tough to fulfill, Showcase now feels more free-flowing and enjoyable, especially for enthusiasts who have a connection to these matches having watched them before. Newer wrestling fans may not feel such a connection, but the matches can still be enjoyed.

It is quite funny to point out that Vince McMahon appears to be censored in the WWE 2K24 Showcase mode, leading me to believe that it has something to do with the recent issues that have led to his departure from the company. Whether that takes away from the experience is up to you, but it’s just a slightly comedic way of trying to get rid of the personality.

In terms of the roster, WWE 2K24 largely takes things in the right direction and treatment, providing the wrestlers with some fantastic-looking character models that mostly copy, to great success, their real-life personas. Players will be able to appreciate the likeness of Roman Reigns and cover athlete Cody Rhodes, along with other superstars like Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley, as they weave their magic in the squared circle.

While other wrestlers don’t quite receive the same amount of care as the top superstars, it’s just baffling to see that the team doesn’t extend the effort and courtesy to everyone on the roster. Perhaps it is a symptom of the yearly release cadence, lacking the time to properly model and animate them in-game, but we’d like to see them do better in this aspect for the next installment.

Some of the best additions in WWE 2K24 are the four new match types that wrestling fans will surely appreciate. If you’ve lived long enough to see The Undertaker in his heyday, you’ll know that he’s been in a couple of really memorable casket matches. Both Casket and Ambulance matches make their way to the game, and despite their gimmicky concepts, are a fun time for fans of the sport.

More hardcore fans may find things a bit lacking because there isn’t a way to pull off some of the iconic casket or ambulance-related shenanigans as we see on TV, but the initial offering is satisfactory and lays the foundation for a better and more feature-filled entry next year.

The Gauntlet matches, on the other hand, pack plenty of mayhem. Choosing from a true battle royal, an actual gauntlet of opponents, or simply randomized matchups, there are different ways to switch up the challenge and test your mettle on the mat. It’s good fun, just not as creative or as enjoyable as the other match types.

Perhaps the most enjoyable match type in WWE 2K24 is the Special Guest Referee match type, where players can fulfill the role of the striped personality who is sometimes at the receiving end of some unfortunate beatdowns. What’s special about this match is that players can recreate some of the most iconic guest referee moments like that of Shawn Michaels and Mick Foley, either playing by the rules or showing off their dastardly side with biased calls as you disable the in-game option, reliving fantasies of being the most hated referee of all time.

Aspiring managers can still tackle the MyGM mode in WWE 2K24 as it makes its return, even though the mode stays mostly the same despite some tweaks here and there. Familiarity is not as bad as it sounds, as returning players can easily jump into the mode with no worries, while new players can finally fulfill their dream of running the show.

All of the above-mentioned modes and features in WWE 2K24 are backed up by in-game enhancements like throwable weapons, more interactive arenas, and game-changers like Super Finishers. The ebb and flow of matches feel much more natural as well, with new Paybacks providing room for more varied strategies. The AI has also been made smarter to deal with players, and aside from being overly aggressive at certain junctures, it usually helps to make matches more exciting to witness and be a part of.

What we liked:

• Tweaks and additions make for more exciting matches.
• Match experience never better.
• Presentation is still on point.
• New match types are generally enjoyable.

What we didn’t like:

• Lack of consistent quality in roster representation
• Showcase Mode still needs work

Verdict: Buy it!

Overall, WWE 2K24 is a definite improvement, albeit in different ways and to varying degrees. Most importantly, WWE 2K24 manages to outperform what came before without losing the magic. It’s great to see Visual Concepts move slowly and steadily in the right direction ever since the fiasco that was WWE 2K20, and this latest installment is certainly building on a solid foundation that feels fun and exciting.

Those seeking big leaps will be disappointed, but once you step into the ring, the action has more than enough weight behind it to impress and keep players coming back for more. The challenge would be to maintain that momentum and pave the way for even more significant additions in next year’s release, especially in some modes that have good potential like the Special Guest Referee and Ambulance/Casket matches.

*WWE 2K24 was reviewed on a PS5 with a review code provided by the publisher.