Tag: WWE 2K23

It’s easy to forget sometimes that there are many different paths to becoming a WWE superstar. The one that comes to mind as most appropriate for a video game’s single-player story mode is that of the scrappy underdog who fights and claws their way up through NXT and eventually makes it big.

But that’s also pretty well-traveled territory by now, so MyRISE in WWE 2K23 flips that narrative on its head: What about wrestlers who appear to have the world at their feet from the get go but find things are harder at the top of pro wrestling that they might think?

MyRISE examines that question in two different paths this year. “The Lock” is for male characters and “The Legacy” tackles the women’s division, but both are thematically unified in some ways and entertaining additions to the mode.

(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.)

Are you a Lock to succeed in WWE?

Fans have seen a scenario like the one in “The Lock” play out in the real world more than once. A wrestler makes a name for himself winning titles around the world. He signs with WWE, anxious to take his success even higher … but then is forced to give up his name, his ring gear and everything he’s already built up on his own.

“The Lock” plays on this idea both figuratively and literally. Your character gets the splashiest possible debut, competing for (and yes, winning) the Intercontinental Championship during your debut match. Alas, it comes after you come bursting out of a life-size safe and are actually called The Lock, as in a lock to achieve superstardom.

It’s on the nose on purpose to drive home the point. The writers also don’t ignore the derivative nature of your persona. John Cena takes to in-game social media to ponder whether you are wearing one of his old chains from his Doctor of Thuganomics days. The Rock can’t help but call out how close your name is to his.

Your choices have to do with whether you believe that it’s better to let things play out or force the issue. Shawn Michaels tells you to “trust the process” a la the Philadelphia 76ers from a few years ago, but figuring out when to go with the flow and when to act on your own instincts is a constant battle. There’s also a big decision early on when two factions from WWE’s past come calling for you with plans to rebuild.

Legacy can be a blessing or a curse

Any number of WWE superstars have been second or even third-generation wrestlers over the years. “The Legacy” puts you in those boots, as the nice of a six-time former women’s champion named Justine. Because WWE is excited about playing up that connection, you get a huge debut match at a premium live event (and can even wear ring gear honoring your aunt, if you’re feeling it).

Just don’t expect everything to go smoothly.

In contrast to “The Lock,” which is more about navigating life near or at the top of WWE, “The Legacy” challenges you to build yourself back up after a fall. Winning over the locker room is a big part of it, as other wrestlers wonder if you were only pushed due to nepotism. Complicating matters is the fact that Justine, not exactly a shrinking violet type, doesn’t exactly stay in the background as your trainer.

This path features Molly Holly as your sounding board/guide, and in a welcome touch, she’s given a personal history with Justine. How that plays out as the story unfolds is among the best parts of “The Legacy.”

More voice acting makes MyRISE feel more alive

One of the most common gripes about MyRISE last year was that many of the interactions felt less immersive because they took place simply via text boxes on the screen. That’s not an issue in WWE 2K23, as we played hours of both “The Lock” and “The Legacy” and had nothing but verbal conversations (often backed up by text if you want to read some things and skip forward) with both real WWE wrestlers and characters created specifically for the game.

Does the commitment and feeling to some of the voice acting vary? Absolutely. But there are some fun performances from stars you might not expect to put their all into voiceovers, like Randy Orton. The only thing that sometimes takes you out of the moment is the strange disconnect between how the voice lines synch up with the mouths saying them: Your character is almost perfect, but NPCs … not so much.

In terms of progressing through MyRISE, not a ton has changed. There are story hubs at regular intervals, where you are free to talk to other characters or go through your social media DMs to have conversations. These will often lead to matches, and winning them gives you more points to put into your character’s attributes. If building up your character or simply exploring everything there is to offer are priorities, you can do that, but it’s often possible to just make a beeline through the main story as well.

The most important forks in the road are clearly labeled as such, allowing for some decent replayability as well.

(As a side note, the WWE Deluxe Edition comes with a MyRISE mega-boost of attribute points that makes the actual wrestling matches much, much easier right off the bat.)

Like most of WWE 2K23, MyRISE offers iterative improvements instead of transformative experiences, but that’s just fine given the attention to details that make it rewarding. If you’re of the mind that the journey is as important as the destination, you should find this mode worth some of your gaming time.

Check out our full review for more of what WWE 2K23 has to offer.

Disclosure: Wrestling Junkie was provided with a complimentary copy of the WWE 2K23 Icon Edition for PS4 and PS5 for the purposes of this review.

Even if it took a lot of work behind the scenes, WWE 2K22 had one of the easiest jobs in recent gaming history. Since WWE 2K20 was widely regarded as a poorly made, bug-filled mess, all last year’s game had to do after taking a year off to regroup was not be horrible to be a big improvement.

The developers did more than just button things up, however, resulting in a game that earned plenty of favorable reviews. In contrast, WWE 2K23 has a trickier task, following up on its well regarded predecessor. It succeeds by fleshing out some of the best features and modes from last year and adding new twists to others, ensuring that just like WWE itself, the show rolls on.

Steal the spotlight from John Cena in Showcase

As tempting as it is to start things off with the most obvious joke about the WWE 2K23 cover star, the truth is you’ll see plenty of John Cena as the featured subject in Showcase mode. It’s fitting timing since Cena just celebrated 20 years in WWE last year, and it doesn’t hurt that he’s competing again at WrestleMania 39 just a few weeks after the game launches.

Just like last game, Showcase highlights one of WWE’s strengths, which is weaving highlights and voiceover from its superstars into  compelling package. Cena has been involved in so many memorable programs and matches over the years that just narrowing them down for WWE 2K23 must have taken some time (and been a lot of fun for the dev team).

Of course, this is a walk down memory lane that you play through and not just watch. It’s a challenge because not only are you trying to win the matches, but you’re rewarded for making a number of key moments within said bouts play out as close to real life as possible.

But WWE 2K23 flips the script in its Showcase by making you play as Cena’s opponents, not the man himself, so you’ve got to beat one of the greatest stars in company history repeatedly. It starts with one of his greatest defeats ever, losing the WWE Championship to Rob Van Dam at ECW One Night Stand 2006.

In one of the cooler examples of Showcase’s attention to detail, if you lose to Cena in that match, security guards run down and quickly usher him to the back. The fans did promise to riot if Cena won, you my recall, and that was a real possibility at the Hammerstein Ballroom.

No matter which side of Cena’s occasionally mixed reactions you might have been on over the years, you’ll find something to love about this year’s Showcase.

MyGM ups the ante with new managers, brands

Most wrestling fans would agree that competition helps keep WWE sharp, whether its external or internal. MyGM mode allows you to simulate the latter, putting your booking ability to the test as you try to top up to three other GMs to keep ratings high and profits flowing in.

WWE 2K23 takes a “more is more” approach to MyGM by introducing a number of additional GMs to choose from and several more brands to run — including WCW and NXT 2.0, so you’re covered whether you love the Monday Night Wars era or prefer the next wave of up and coming talent.

While MyGM has three settings each for both AI and game difficulty, even the normal settings are enough to provide quite the challenge. Playing against the maximum of three AI opponents keeps you on your toes as you can’t afford to take even a week off. And the option to add as many as three human opponents into each session (on one console, not online) promises to bring hours of entertainment if you have more wrestling fans and gamers under your roof.

Read our MyGM-focused review for more.

MyFACTION starts to find its way

Considering the success its had with the MyTEAM mode in its NBA 2K series, it’s only natural that 2K would want to find a way to devise an equivalent for the wrestling world. MyFACTION made its debut last year, and while it was an interesting start, it felt a little unfinished.

The idea is to build your dream faction of four men and four women, which isn’t a bad idea since factions have long been a staple of not just WWE but pro wrestling write large. The big issue is that there’s nothing that really makes them feel like a cohesive team, save for the Faction Wars submode that features 4v4 matches.

That hasn’t really been solved in WWE 2K23, but at least there’s more to do in MyFACTION. Notably, online play has been added in Quick Play, allowing you to take on other human opponents. Live Events also have potential with constantly changing match types and rewards, and it will be interesting to see if the 2K team synchs them with WWE’s premium live events during the rest of 2023. And for completists out there, the developers have promised some WWE superstars will have ring gear/appearances exclusive to this mode.

That said, if you enjoy team-building modes where you can grind it out free-to-play or spend money for a chance at better cards, you’ll probably appreciate MyFACTION. If those aren’t your cup of tea, there’s nothing that stands out as a can’t-miss hook for this year. It’s incrementally better than in 2K22, not a big jump forward.

Lock or Legacy: A pair of narratives drive MyRISE forward

Storytelling is at the heart of pro wrestling, so it tracks that a single-player story mode in a wrestling game should be a no-brainer. MyRISE returns to scratch that itch in WWE 2K23, offering two very different stories to experience.

In “The Lock,” you take on the role of a wrestler who has built up his reputation as a top talent in promotions around the world before jumping to WWE — think AJ Styles for a real world comparison. The company positions you as a big deal right off the bat, giving you a gimmick that’s a very literal take on the title of the tale and having you win a major title in your debut. If you guessed that not everything goes swimmingly after that, however, you’re on the right track.

A somewhat opposite web is spun in “The Legacy,” where you step into the boots of a female superstar who is the niece of a six-time women’s champion. While you want to make your own way, there’s quite a bit of resentment from people who think you’re just a nepotism hire, and after a disastrous first match, you’ve got to determine the best way to build your reputation among people who are already skeptical.

Of the two, The Legacy is just a tad more intriguing right off the bat (is your aunt out to fulfill her own agenda, or is she really on your side?), but both have what it takes to occupy you for hours with a number of side stories you can pursue. There’s also much more voice acting this year, which was a complaint about MyRISE in WWE 2K22, and the wrestlers you interact with simply feel more true to life.

Check out our in-depth look at MyRISE for more.

Gameplay and presentation: If it ain’t broke …

As noted above, last year was the time for wholesale reinvention of WWE 2K’s controls and the overall feel of in-ring action. Though WWE 2K23 bills itself as a pro wrestling simulator, it’s settled in now with a slight lean toward arcade-style gameplay with a heavy emphasis on maintaining and breaking combos that’s not unlike a fighting game.

That carries over to defense and rallying yourself when an opponent is on a roll. For example, you can save up finishers to use on offense, or expend those charges to recover instantly from an attack (which often produces a reaction of astonishment from the other wrestler) or pull off comeback flurries. Considering those are things wrestling fans see every week on TV, they don’t feel out of place.

Overall, however, timing is key. Learning when to hit certain combinations of buttons, watch for the prompts for reversals or try to determine the perfect spot to disrupt a combo is something you mostly grasp through experience. One nice little touch that’s new is how to kick out of opponents’ pins: You can choose either button mashing or a timing-based thumbstick raise.

One of the highly touted new additions to match options is the ability to stage WarGames matches for the first time, and they definitely deliver the goods. The presentation is top notch, from the rules being shown on screen to the cages that hold the wrestlers who have yet to enter the fray. It’s not hard to move from ring to ring, and you’ll inevitably end up with a ton of weapons in the cage just as usually happens in WWE.

The WarGames experience, and any match with more than four competitors, is better on PS5 than PS4, which can handle the chaos without frame rate drops. The frustrations you might feel while playing them are the same on both consoles, as there are definitely times when it’s hard to make out what your wrestler is doing, and switching between opponents remains harder than it should be.

There was a fair amount of griping last year that the graphics didn’t get enough of a boost to account for the power of current gen consoles, but everything looks better on PS5 this time out. On PS4, as you’d expect, most of the visuals are just a touch less realistic looking, and some of the female likenesses, in particular, seem to suffer in comparison to their male counterparts. Another small quibble is the disparity in animation quality in MyRISE mode; your character’s mouth matches their dialogue perfectly, while other characters can be hit or miss.

Creative types can easily fall down a rabbit hole or two in WWE 2K23, which offers not just create-a-wrestler tools but allows you to tinker with gear, entrances and all kind of visual elements. Some of the creative tools remain unintuitive, but top level creation is fairly straightforward. Or in other words, it wasn’t hard to have my created wrestler coming to the ring with accessories they didn’t wear once the bell rings, entering to Finn Balor’s music, Goldberg’s pyro and the DX Titantron video.

The verdict: Another step on the road back from the abyss

Only time will help erase the painful memory of WWE 2K20 as a low point in this series, but WWE 2K23 is another good entry that will help. It comes down to a matter of expectations; where last year gamers were demanding things be torn down and rebuilt from the ground up, there wasn’t a need for changes that drastic this time around.

As a result, WWE 2K23 is a great place to jump back in for anyone who skipped its predecessor, because it iterates nicely on everything that worked a year ago and adds a little bit more in most places. It looks a tad nicer, especially on PS5, there’s more to do in most game modes, and 2K didn’t mess with anything that already worked.

That also means it might not feel as much of a must-buy for fans who returned to the fold with 2K22. But this is more than just a roster refresh, and with the promise of more content coming in the months ahead, WWE 2K23 may even reach greater heights when it’s all said and done.

Pros:

• Additions to MyGM and MyRISE make them better, and MyFACTION is at least headed in that direction too
• The switchup in Showcase to make you beat John Cena is a welcome tweak
• WarGames is a legitimately entertaining new match type to play

Cons:

• Some player models still don’t quite nail it, especially on PS4
• Multi-person matches remain a source of frustration at times

Overall score: 8/10

Disclosure: Wrestling Junkie was provided with a complimentary copy of the WWE 2K23 Icon Edition for PS4 and PS5 for the purposes of this review.

Granted, there are a lot of other cool things you can also do in WWE 2K23’s MyGM mode, where you take on the role of a WWE General Manager and run one brand the way you see fit — hopefully to higher ratings and more success than your rival GM. But for wrestling fans of … let’s say a certain age, the chance to restore some luster to WCW is going to be a lot of fun.

Xavier Woods and Tyler Breeze took to their YouTube channel, UpUpDownDown, to provide a special first look at MyGM mode today. Among the details they dished out:

• There are a variety of new GMs to choose from this year, including Woods and Breeze, Eric Bischoff (perfect for leading the WCW charge), Kurt Angle and Mick Foley
• New brands to manage include NXT 2.0 and yes, WCW
• New match types and stipulations in the mix include Triple Threat, Fatal 4-Way, Steel Cage, Backstage Brawl, Falls Count Anywhere, Submission, Iron Man, Last Man Standing and Tornado Tag matches
• Seasons and seasonal challenges keep things fresh, and Keepers allow you to potentially keep selected talent on board for the next season ahead of the draft

Perhaps the most interesting tidbit of all is that MyGM mode now supports up to four players locally, so you’ll be able to battle for brand supremacy within your own household should you so choose.

You can watch Woods and Breeze provide their full first look below:

More game mode previews are arriving all this week courtesy of 2K NextMakers, which are 2K’s team of affiliated streamers and influencers. There’s more to come on MyGM mode, in particular, on Thursday, March 9.

And this is all very timely because the launch of WWE 2K23 is right around the corner. It’s releasing for current and last gen PlayStation and Xbox consoles, as well as PC, on Friday, March 17.

With the release of WWE 2K23 rapidly approaching, 2K is getting ready to share some in-depth looks at its various game modes.

The company announced today that in-depth game mode previews are on the way starting on March 7, via its social media channels and 2K NextMakers  (a.k.a. its team of streamers and influencers). The announced schedule looks like this:

• Tuesday, March 7: Characters, Environment, Play & Creation Suite
• Wednesday, March 8: MyFACTION & MyRISE
• Thursday, March 9: Universe Mode & MyGM
• Friday, March 10: 2K Showcase

On top of that, Austin Creed (WWE’s Xavier Woods) and Tyler Breeze will host a special look at the MyGM mode and its improvements for this year on Creed’s UpUpDownDown YouTube channel on March 7. That’s especially relevant since both men have been announced as playable GMs in that mode.

Anticipation for WWE 2K23 has been building since a number of wrestler ratings were revealed last week. The game is scheduled to hit all current and previous gen Xbox and PlayStation consoles, as well as PC, on Friday, March 17, with early access for people who pre-order the Deluxe or Icon Editions beginning on March 14.

We’re getting closer to launch day for WWE 2K23, and aside from which wrestlers are in the game, the second-most popular question is what are all the wrestlers rated.

With some help from WWE wrestlers well known to be big gamers, 2K unveiled some of those numbers this week. Xavier Woods was joined by Big E, Tyler Breeze, Bayley and Dakota Kai on a special episode of UpUpDownDown and provided some advance looks at a bunch of wrestler ratings.

You can check out the entire episode here:

If all you can about is the numbers, we’ve got you covered there too. Thanks to Leah J. Williams of GamesHub, below is a summary of all WWE wrestler ratings that have been made public. For the men, Brock Lesnar, The Rock and The Undertaker have the top ratings to date, while the women are paced by Becky Lynch, Bianca Belair, Alexa Bliss and Trish Stratus.

Here’s the list, in alphabetical order:

WWE 2K23 ratings

• AJ Styles – 89
• Alexa Bliss – 95
• Angelo Dawkins – 80
• Asuka – 89
• Austin Theory – 82
• Bayley – 91
• Becky Lynch – 96
• Bianca Belair – 95
• Big E – 88
• Bobby Lashley – 92
• Braun Strowman – 89
• Brock Lesnar – 97
• Butch (Pete Dunne) – 81
• Carmelo Hayes – 82
• Chad Cable – 77
• Chyna – 88
• Cody Rhodes – 91
• Dakota Kai – 80
• Damien Priest – 84
• Dexter Lumis – 80
• Dominik Mysterio – 78
• Drew McIntyre – 91
• Elias – 78
• Ezekiel – 83
• Finn Balor – 87
• Gigi Dolin – 81
• Gunther – 88
• Happy Corbin – 83
• IYO SKY – 82
• Jacy Jayne – 80
• Jey Uso – 90
• Jimmy Uso – 89
• Johnny Gargano – 84
• Karrion Kross – 86
• Katana Chance – 79
• Kayden Carter – 76
• Kofi Kingston – 89
• LA Knight – 81
• Liv Morgan – 86
• Montez Ford – 82
• Natalya – 82
• Omos – 82
• Otis – 80
• Queen Zelina – 74
• Raquel Rodriguez – 73
• Rey Mysterio – 82
• Rhea Ripley – 87
• Rick Boogs – 75
• Ricochet – 82
• Ridge Holland – 81
• R-Truth – 72
• Sami Zayn – 84
• Shayna Baszler – 82
• Sheamus – 87
• Shotzi – 75
• The Miz – 85
• The Miz ’11 – 90
• The Rock – 96
• The Undertaker – 95
• Trish Stratus – 93
• Tyler Breeze – 77
• Xavier Woods – 88

WWE 2K23 is set for a March 17 release on current and last gen PlayStation and Xbox consoles, with three days early access available with purchase of the Deluxe or Icon Editions.