Gift for WrestleMania Fans

Main points

• Big brands don’t guarantee the quality of wrestling video games. WWE 2K24 is an improvement over its predecessor, but is it worth the price?
• WWE 2K24 is a great entry point for newcomers to the series, offering button prompts and simple gameplay. Graphics and attention to detail have evolved.
• Various versions of 2K24 offer various perks, but DLC content such as CM Punk may not be available yet. Improved modes, animations and realism make it the best yet.

I’ve loved watching wrestling and playing video games most of my life, but those two things didn’t always go together perfectly. Every WWF No Mercy show has a WCW backstage brawl. Obviously, having a big brand behind the title doesn’t mean quality.

WWE products have gone through many ups and downs over the years, and so has its flagship gaming franchise. Fortunately, just like its real-life counterpart, WWE 2K is on the rise in 2024.

WWE 2K24 is objectively a good wrestling game, but whether it’s worth the price is another question. The answer probably depends on your relationship with the 2K series and wrestling games.

Learn the ropes

Simple enough for bros, powerful enough for pros

Unlike some games in the series, WWE 2K24 is a great entry point for fans who have never played a WWE 2K game before. There are button prompts telling you how to pull off your finishing moves, and you can often turn your opponent’s offense around with random button presses. When starting out, you may want to lower the difficulty to Easy until you get the hang of it.

If you’re new to WWE 2K or haven’t practiced yet, you may want to spend some time studying the controls. They’re intuitive enough for combat, but when it comes to placing ladders and placing opponents in coffins, you may want to consult the in-game menus for help. Veteran WWE 2K players should have no problem.

However, for many wrestling fans, the real fun lies in fantasy booking and reliving classic moments. Thankfully, 2K24 delivers on both of these fronts.

What’s new in WWE 2K24?

Same pattern but with some changes

Exhibition Mode puts players right in the middle of key WrestleMania moments, from Hulk Hogan slamming Andre the Giant to Brock Lesnar breaking The Undertaker’s winning streak. Authentic footage will hype up every game and tell the story until you take over the game. As always, the goal is to win the game while recreating real-life moments, such as performing the superstar’s signature moves.

Universe mode is largely unchanged, which is good because Sandbox mode gives you plenty of freedom. New race types include Coffin Race, Glove Race, and Ambulance Race. You can even be a guest referee and count 1-2-3 (or not, since that’s entirely up to you). There are a few other small but notable additions: For example, multiple Superstars can now participate in a backstage brawl instead of just two, so you can have a fatal four-way waterfall match.

Up to four players can now compete in MyGM mode, and there are new general managers, namely Paul Heyman, Ted Dibiase, Teddy Long and William Regal. The career mode called MyRise is more complex than ever, providing players with choices that will dramatically alter their journey to superstardom. Therefore, there are reasons to replay MyRise with the same character, since you can choose different paths.

You can also compete against other players from around the world in MyFaction mode, where you can form a team of WWE Legends and compete for dominance on seasonal leaderboards. The Faction Wars feature is back, but this time it’s different, with players taking on a series of five randomized teams, followed by a boss showdown. Succeeding in MyFaction mode also earns you rewards in the form of character cards, with superstars earning new costumes, gimmicks and theme music.

Sometimes a realistic superstar

Wrestling game graphics have really evolved

Overall, the graphics are impressive. There is so much attention to detail that the fans in the crowd look more like real people than faceless cardboard cutouts. My favorite additions are real life referees such as Charles Robinson. While this may seem trivial to casual players, it makes hardcore wrestling fans feel even more immersed in the action.

Some of the character models look incredibly realistic, while others are essentially likenesses of the wrestlers they’re supposed to represent. Original video footage is incorporated into each game mode, including performers telling the stories of their journey to WWE stardom in MyRise mode. The animation of the action itself is spot-on, except for when the referee nonchalantly walks in on the wrestler (which, to be fair, happens a lot in real life too).

Which version of 2K24 should you buy?

Buyer Note: DLC Not Available Yet

Before buying WWE 2K24, you should know that there are multiple versions to choose from. WWE 2K24 Deluxe Edition includes a one-month subscription to Peacock, the Nightmare Family Pack (filled with Cody Rhodes-related content), and a season pass for all five DLC content packs (to be released at a later date).

WWE 2K24’s WrestleMania 40 Edition includes other future benefits such as a WrestleMania 40 arena and new costumes such as Randy Savage’s “Macho King” character from WrestleMania VI. Additionally, the entire Showcase Mode roster is available from the start, so you don’t have to unlock the likes of Bret Hart and The Ultimate Warrior. However, keep in mind that not all benefits will be available immediately.

CM Punk, one of the most famous missing superstars, returned to WWE in late 2023. He will eventually be added to WWE 2K24 as DLC along with other newcomers like Jade Cargill. Beloved sports commentator and part-time wrestler Pat McAfee is also in development as DLC.

judgment

The best so far, but not by much

In theory, these games should get better every year. That wasn’t always the case, but WWE 2K24 is an improvement over its recent predecessor in almost every way. Unfortunately, the roster includes several who are absent due to superstars leaving the company, such as Edge and Sasha Banks (also known as Mercedes Monáe).

Still, the series has definitely come a long way since its nadir with WWE 2K20, so if you haven’t played a WWE 2K game in a while, give 2K24 a chance. It’s also easily accessible for wrestling fans who don’t play a lot of video games.

However, if you’re not a fan of WWE 2K23, there might not be enough changes to win you over. If you thought WWE 2K23 was already perfect, the small additions in 2K24 might not be enough to warrant the cost of a new wrestling game this year.