While the golden age of story modes in other sports video games seems to have come and gone, MyRISE continues to get a lot of attention in the “WWE 2K” series. That’s only appropriate, as storytelling is at the very heart of pro wrestling, and WWE proudly holds it up as a core tenet of what it does best.
“WWE 2K24” builds upon the work its predecessors did in its brand new sagas for MyRISE, its single-player story mode, presenting new narratives for both men and women wrestlers. The dev team also had access to some WWE talent to provide voiceover work that it hasn’t before, which helps both tales shine.
There are also some nice rewards available for playing through MyRISE that make it worthwhile even for players who spend most of their time in other “WWE 2K24” game modes, making it feel more connected to the overall experience than ever before.
(Editor’s note: There are some very mild spoilers below, though only for the first two chapters of each storyline and nothing that reveals the details of any major decision.)
Get ready to be Unleashed on the WWE Universe
The women’s storyline, “Unleashed,” puts you in the boots of an indie wrestling darling. As the Captain of the locker room of a small but notable promotion, you’ve amassed a following and reached a point where up and coming talents look to you for guidance and training. But can you break out of your comfort zone when an unexpected turn of events opens the door for a WWE opportunity?
“Unleashed” resonates simply because even though WWE has shifted back toward developing its own talent via NXT, it has relied heavily on hiring and pushing stars who first rose to notoriety on the indie circuit over the past two decades. The question is always whether those talents can keep what made them special in the first place while adapting to WWE’s style of pro wrestling.
When it works (think Daniel Bryan), it can be a spectacular success. There are always examples of when it doesn’t, however, and while the guess is that “Unleashed” will never let you go all the way in that direction, the specter of failure helps keep you on your toes.
The narrative is punched up right away by several interesting twists. It turns out that at least one current WWE star remembers you from her own days on the indies and isn’t too keen on working with you again. And in a nice bit of continuity for anyone who played MyRISE last year, the fictional former champion Justine is once again involved in your tale here, albeit in a completely new way.
Perhaps most interesting is that when you have the chance to finally take control of your own creative direction in WWE, “Unleashed” gives you the option of exploring several different possibilities. One in particular is pretty wild, and it’s not hard to imagine the devs had a lot of fun writing it.
Ironically, the start of “Unleashed” shares some DNA with last year’s men’s storyline, “The Lock,” but it quickly moves beyond that and becomes its own thing, perhaps the most enjoyable journey in MyRISE to date.
Undisputed takes the Roman Reigns saga to its logical extreme
While WWE fans wait to see if Cody Rhodes, or anyone for that matter, will finally unseat Roman Reigns from his spot atop the company, “Undisputed” offers up a tantalizing (though probably not very plausible IRL) possibility: What if the Head of the Table voluntarily stepped away?
That makes for a jumping off point like no other, and as a talented performer who’s yet to fully live up to your potential, that’s exactly where you enter the picture in “Undisputed.” It’s not a spoiler to say you manage to be in position to win the Universal Championship fairly early on, but winning it and keeping it are two very different things — especially when it turns out Reigns isn’t as out of the picture as we’ve originally been led to believe.
“Undisputed” takes more liberty with the suspension of disbelief than “Unleashed” does, but there are some fun beats within it that arrive at regular intervals. On top of that, 2K actually got Reigns in for voice work this year, and his presence absolutely helps make this storyline come together.
There’s also a sense of history that is threaded through “Undisputed” that helps add to its immersive quality. Loading screens show off milestones from other impressive WWE championship reigns, giving you the feeling that you’re chasing down not just Reigns but other legendary champs as well.
Why to play MyRISE even if you normally skip it
One of the best parts of any sports game is making it feel like it’s worth exploring other game modes even if you normally hone in on one or two. The “MLB The Show” series is an example of one that does this nicely, rewarding players for spending time playing wherever and however they want, knowing they’ll unlock things elsewhere in the game.
“WWE 2K24” has done this more than ever, with plenty of connectivity between modes. MyRISE is no exception, offering numerous ways to unlock create-a-wrestler options throughout.
Beyond that, though, is the way MyRISE ties in with MyFACTION. It’s possible to win some very nice cards for the latter in just a few hours with the former, something that’s not obvious but is definitely welcome. Our playthrough yielded some MyFACTION cards that were among the most powerful available to us in the first few days of review, a nice touch that deserves to be called out.
Final thoughts
With two new stories that are both logical and entertaining in their own right, MyRISE once again shows that it received plenty of love from the “WWE 2K24” dev team this year. New additions to the voice acting roster, including Reigns, and rewards for other modes also help add to the fun.
As far as challenge goes, that really depends on what you’re after. The mega-boost for MyRISE that comes with the Deluxe and 40 Years of WrestleMania editions of the game almost makes the start of either story too easy, while going without it is much more challenging — even the first match in “Unleashed” can be tricky for beginners without the boost. That’s something to keep in mind for sure.
For our thoughts on all of “WWE 2K24,” please check out our full review.
Disclosure: Wrestling Junkie was provided with a complimentary copy of the WWE 2K24 40 Years of WrestleMania Edition for PS5 for the purposes of this review.
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