SHOWCASE: INTERACTIVE SPORTS DOCUMENTARY: The champ is here! Play through the key moments and toughest opponents of John Cena’s storied 20-year WWE career. And in a franchise-first, take on the role of each marquee opponent - some of WWE’s greatest YOUR SHOW, YOUR CHOICES: Take the reins of a weekly show and compete against rival general managers for brand supremacy. Now featuring more GMs to choose from, additional show options, multiple seasons, expanded match cards, and more match types

Nonetheless, WWE 2K23 is a return to form, even with MyFaction muddying the waters. The new match enhancements deliver, its myriad modes will keep you hooked throughout the year, and the WWE 2K23 roster is well-rounded too – with loads of surprise NXT additions such as Grayson Waller and Nikkita Lyons to bolster more celebrated names. This series looks set for a strong run on PS5 and Xbox Series X. So long as its annual focus doesn't become milking fans for cash, long after its WrestleMania release date. Collect, manage, and upgrade cards of WWE Superstars and Legends to build the ultimate 4-person faction in MyFACTION. With MyGM, take the reins of a weekly show and compete against rival general managers for brand supremacy. Now featuring more GMs to choose from, additional show options, multiple seasons, expanded match cards, and more match types for up to 4 players. As mentioned, there are still areas of improvement that could be made to all of these game modes, such as MyFaction providing more meaningful reasons to show off your cards, and Universe implementing better AI to help develop more immersive rivalries. A similar thing could also be said of the John Cena focused Showcase mode, which is great in terms of the real life footage and how it transitions into the game, but its objective-heavy focus can occasionally grow tiresome at times as it did last year. On the whole though, we're really happy with WWE 2K23's selection of game modes, which are guaranteed to keep us busy for potentially hundreds of hours.

The modes in WWE 2K23 are a copy-paste from WWE 2K22 . That’s the MyGM, MyFACTION, Creation Suite, Universe, Showcase, and MyRISE modes. MyGM is, by and large, the most exciting and guilty of snatching hours upon hours of gameplay from players. Though it’s hella fun, the hours' sweep by with ease. Anyway, MyGM is, essentially, a ring for the WWE general managers of pro wrestling. Each manager has a brand to uphold during the weekly shows by way of drafting rosters, managing budgets, signing free agents, booking matches, choosing match types, arena locations, and producing the events, and the duties just go on and on and on. Collect and upgrade cards of WWE Superstars and Legends to build the ultimate faction and compete for global dominance in MyFACTION, now featuring online multiplayer!

The ultimate WWE Universe sandbox that puts players in charge of their own version of WWE, from Superstar rosters, feuds, champions, weekly shows, and Premium Live Events! Health bar dynamics make a noted return as well, the body damage metre is there to remind you that your character’s head can become a liability if you take too much of a beating, as well as a well-placed Ronda Rousey armbar can turn the character’s arms into a deep shade of red.

WWE 2K23 Pre-Order Bonus Character:

The list of removed Superstars compared to WWE 2K22 includes Jeff Hardy, Sasha Banks, Naomi, Mandy Rose, and more. To see the full list of missing and removed Superstars from the WWE 2K23 Roster take a look at this article.

Take the showcase mode, for example. Previously, gamers would take on the role of a pro-wrestler, feeling what it’s like to be in their shoes as they battled their greatest matches of all time. However, WWE 2K23 focuses on a pro wrestler’s most significant failures instead. So, in this year’s game, you get to experience legendary John Cena’s greatest failures. It’s clear that Visual Concepts listened to the cries of the people and acted accordingly, because almost all of the aspects fans didn’t like have been overhauled in exchange for much smoother experiences. Sure, the core engine of WWE 2K22 and WWE 2K23 remains the same. However, there exist several iterations of the gameplay and the addition of new features to warrant a no-brainer better game than the last. Games and Visual Concepts needed a win with WWE 2K22, and while it’s far from a complete ground-up rebuild, it’s quite possibly the biggest leap forward the series has ever seen. The year off has clearly paid dividends: Virtually all of the major bugs I experienced in WWE 2K20 have been squashed; the revamped combat is faster, leaner, and full of smart tweaks that make it approachable for newcomers and rewarding for veterans; MyRise takes the MyCareer mode into a bold new direction; and MyGM offers a very niche, but nonetheless well put together management sim that’s sure to be a blast if you can find a like-minded wrestling fan to play it with. All this on top of an impressive visual overhaul that makes all 160+ superstars look the best they’ve ever looked in a video game. It’s the rare case of a marketing slogan that actually rings true: WWE 2K22 hits different. – Mitchell Saltzman, March 10, 2022 Score: 8 WWE 2K23 builds on last year's already impressive effort to deliver arguably the best wrestling game Xbox fans have ever seen. The gameplay feels smoother and more entertaining than ever, nearly all of the game modes have received welcome improvements, WarGames is a fantastic addition to the array of match types, and this is ultimately the most enjoyment we've had with the series in well over a decade. It's still a little rough around the edges in some places, but you'll most likely be having too much fun to care. WWE Universe Mode is the ultimate sandbox that puts you in charge of WWE, from Superstar rosters, feuds, champions, weekly shows, and more!

WWE 2K23 is the latest installment in the long-running series of professional wrestling video games. Developed by 2K Games, features an extensive roster of wrestlers from current WWE and legends, as well as a wide variety of match types and game modes. A new Finisher Situation has been added, now allowing you to perform in-ring Springboard moves as finishers, such as for the Cody Cutter. If you're playing WarGames by yourself, when you have your new partners enter the match, you can freely switch control from one member of your team to the other.

WarGames are two huge rings put side by side in a cage. With two players from opposing teams to start, a new wrestler from each team joins the fun every few minutes, one at a time, until they get to 3-on-3 or 4-on-4 single or multiplayer mode. For the single-player mode, the controls can get a little confusing, especially with the TV view the franchise is going for. However, there’s no denying the chaotic madness and ridiculousness that could potentially become an absolutely fun-filled night with friends.

About The Game

This is a far better decision, not to poke holes through Drew Gulak as he did his job admirably — and he’s even the ‘final boss’ at the end of the tutorial this time around —but Xavier Woods OOZES charisma, and is far more familiar in the gaming space as the commissioner of the Up Up Down Down YouTube gaming channel. As a matter of fact, everything in WWE 2K23 is introduced by Xavier Woods, and somehow his sly smirk in giving small explanations never feels old or gets tiring. A Musical Time Capsule Last year's WWE 2K22 was a very important release for the franchise, successfully overcoming the botched mess of a launch that was WWE 2K20, while also incorporating some key new features such as the addition of the MyGM and MyFaction modes, highly improved visuals, redesigned entrances and much more. WWE 2K23 isn't an overhaul on the same level of last year's game - it instead builds on the foundations that WWE 2K22 set in place, delivering a more meaty and mature experience that's definitely worth your while. Play through the key moments and toughest opponents of John Cena’s storied 20-year WWE career. And in a franchise-first, take on the role of each marquee opponent - some of WWE’s greatest of all time - as you aim to take down Mr. Hustle, Loyalty, and Respect.