Developer: Yuke's, Visual Concepts
Publisher: 2K Sport
Platform: Xbox One, PS4
Tested on: PS4
WWE 2K19 – Review
Happy Birthday to you, the WWE game franchise just turned eighteen this year so now it is of legal drinking age (in most parts of the world). It will have the responsibilities to drive you into fun, vote for better content and it is just out of puberty meaning that finally the final touches have been done to the places where it was needed. Like always, another year brings another WWE title and this series has been going strong like a reliable engine since 2000. With its continuous improvements, this franchise felt innovating throughout the years.
Story
WWE games have always been about being able to just grab the controller and step into the ring, which is the reason why most people love this franchise. To give the player a sense of progression there have been story modes incorporated for years. This time, like in its predecessor, you get to create a weak character that needs to battle his way up in the ranks. In comparison, the road to travel is much longer. First you do a small gig with your created character that is not even having appropriate clothing. Once you get more and more noticed you can finally develop your character like you want to and get as much titles as possible to become a WWE Legend.
Graphics
The graphics of WWE 2K19 can only be praised. First, each wrestler is greatly detailed from front to back and the depth to all the tiny bits is impeccable. When creating a custom character you will find that each object you equip is realistic. In older installments most of the things felt ‘stickered on’ which was a letdown because all the other things were good. This has been fixed and in 2K19 all the clothing and accessories finally look like they belong there. What’s more, you can tweak them to your liking by changing materials, colors, stitchings, designs etc.
Next, the capabilities are immense; the player will notice that when fighters are getting beaten their bodies show bruises, blood drips on the floor and sweat shows up all over the body. Nothing is cooler than beating up that one rival and seeing his torso and head filled with red marks from bruising and finally landing that one punch to make the blood pour from the forehead. The locations around the WWE universe all feel different and unique and while you may argue that a ring is a ring, there is a certain charm to all the venues.
Sound
Probably one of the most enjoyable aspects of the game is the music. In this day and age where games tend to invest less into a good soundtrack, the WWE games really stand out. Each installment had memorable sounds and this year it is again strong and likeable. This means that the player can let the game idle in the background and just enjoy its music. In 2K18 there were many old-school hip-hop beats but now they decided to go new-school with songs like Post Malone.
As always the commentators are entertaining and it’s very funny to hear them talk about the match. The sound effects are on point; what’s better than to hear the crowd cheer your name when you are killing it?
Gameplay
WWE2K18 is a wrestling game in which you have to defeat the opponents or abide by the rules in order to win the match. Over the years this has become easier but also more difficult. While the series around 2007-2010 had such good arcade fighters that allowed for total destruction and fast fights, the moves did not really feel that connected. More recently the franchise has taken a turn to the more simulating side, which has its good and bad points. While the matches are much more linked and have more depth it also means that initially it feels slower. Don’t forget that damage wise it does go faster because there is no way someone would survive a fifteen-minute beat down with a ladder. Controls are very tricky at first and take a while to get used to. Due to the complication of some moves to favor a realistic approach, the learning curve is a little higher than usual.
Stamina is a force to be reckoned with as you may be strong enough to lift and throw your opponent but once you get gassed the force is gone. After a quick recovery you may do so once again but keep a good eye out on that bar. As in most games your abilities are rated by a score, with superstars starting around 70 points and the real powerhouses topping off around 95 points. You can create a monster of a character that has maximum stats. This makes the game really fun for starting players and the overall gameplay is balanced in such a way that you are not undefeatable. Getting out of a pin or submission takes good timing, while in Royal Rumble quick button bashing will aid the escape. Now in that mode you can still get knocked out of the ring when below a certain health level.
WWE 2K19 keeps up the tradition of having a wide range of modes to choose from. Starting from ‘one on one’ where you can just fight, do ladder matches, fight in the Steel Cage, etc. to 30 men Royale Rumble that are a true survival of the fittest test. Returning is the MyPLAYER story mode that follows your created character on a road to glory. Universe has random events lined up for you to enjoy and a lot of online modes.
Conclusion
While in each installment of WWE there was something to improve upon left and right, there isn’t much to find in 2K19 that needs improving. To say that a game is perfect is a long shot but you can just play this game and find no real problems like bugs, glitches or things that go wrong. The fun factor is also very high once you get over the initial difficulty curve.
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