If you enjoy the WWE product right now, you’ve probably seen some of the fantastic promos for this year’s release (apart from the eerie AI faces of Hogan and Austin) and even the return of CM Punk bringing it up in a segment with Cody Rhodes (I hope you heal quickly, Mr. Punk).
All of that being said, another year and another WWE title means that I am back in charge of the reviews. Even though The Rock now owns all of his trademarks, I am assuming the title of People’s Champ because I have braved these titles for many years, whether they have been good, bad, or neutral, and I have done so for you, the people. Rocky, I’ll wait for your reply.
Aside from the promos, let’s discuss WWE 2K24. What has to be one of the biggest rosters ever assembled in a WWE—scratch that—any wrestling game ever appears in this year’s edition!
We talked extensively about how astoundingly huge this roster is when I spoke with Benny earlier this week on the Pressed For Time show about my preliminary evaluation, which you can listen to on YouTube. It’s very stunning, even though there are a few prominent characters missing. The most obvious absentee, covering legends and all current rosters across all three brands, is CM Punk, who returned to the WWE at the end of November 2023, and will be included in the first DLC pack.
The progress they’ve made in maintaining an accurate and current roster astounds me. In contrast, there were a total of 18 wrestlers in WWF Warzone on the PlayStation 1 system. Two of those guys, Bulldog and Bret Hart, had already joined WCW and had been there for more than seven months by the time it was published in the summer of 1998.
Additionally, there’s always the incredibly powerful and amazing Create A Wrestler to cover any voids left by returning or new talent (Andrade) or by missing any legends (Nature Boy, Sting, Owen Hart, etc.). We also have managers, ringside announcers, and actual refs (Little Naitch!) on top of everything else. The 2K crew deserves a bow for their incredible achievement.
I won’t go into the specifics of the negative publicity the WWE has been receiving, but let me just say that if it weren’t for the abhorrent controversy, Vince McMahon and Brock Lesnar would still be in the game, albeit with the exception of their appearances in this year’s Showcase mode. Therefore, in order to give him the in-game ass kick he deserves, you’ll have to either make VKM or download someone else’s version.
In relation to showcase mode, this year marks WrestleMania 40 Years. I’ll be honest with you right away: I was really let down by this year’s mode, especially in light of how much I loved the previous year’s unique interpretation of the John Cena Showcase.
As you can see, the Showcase for this year is almost finished. Initially in the 360-era title Legends of WrestleMania, and subsequently in WWE 2K14 commemorating the 30th anniversary of WrestleMania. WrestleMania matchups from both of those games are absent from 2K24, and I can understand why you wouldn’t want to replay the same matches three times. However, that didn’t stop them in a few of the featured games (how many more Hogan vs.
It skips over a good number of WrestleMania matches and doesn’t feature a match from each one. Why not draw inspiration from last year’s Showcase and incorporate some of the “Redefine” from the Legends of WrestleMania—a show that almost no one remembers—and allow the player to rewrite history by altering some of the match results and the way the company’s trajectory would have changed or turned out in another way?
Ultimately, for 2K24, there are a few new/returning match kinds. We have a special guest referee mode, as you may have predicted given my earlier reference of refs. You can choose any other celebrity or an actual referee in this mode.
There will also be an ambulance bout and the return of the well-known casket match. To me, this is all simply icing on top of an already amazing roster of match types that stands up to any wrestling game, not just WWE titles. The possibilities are virtually endless when it comes to match kinds, hundreds of “premade” arenas, and wrestlers to pick from (insert some Keith Lee, Gunther meme or joke). Another small element that I wanted to bring up that I adore, even though it’s so subtle, but it important to some) is that the hard cam’s camera angle can now be adjusted. You may now turn the camera to face the entrance or thetron. This is my favourite method of play, and it simply enhances the Royal Rumble match type because you can watch every competitor’s entrance and exit on camera (People’s Champ Pro Tip).
I think it’s time to wrap it up now, before I start losing folks to something like The Rock’s twenty-plus-minute Instagram video. I know I was extremely harsh on the Showcase mode, but overall, I had a great time playing WWE 2K24.
All I could do was hope for more from that style, given its past. Whatever that mode, this is the best video game about wrestling released this year, if not in the last five years! You’ll have endless hours of dream matches or fantasy bookings thanks to the massive roster and variety of match formats. Purchasing a copy is highly recommended if you want to complete your story at last. Let’s go, McIntyre as well!