Wwe 2k19 review: WWE 2K19 Review — IGN

WWE 2K19 Review — IGN

WWE 2K19

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By Mitchell Saltzman

Updated: Apr 21, 2020 2:39 am

Posted: Oct 9, 2018 8:53 pm

WWE 2K19, like previous entries in the long running wrestling franchise, is a good game. The core wrestling does a great job of simulating a WWE match, and the strike/grapple/reversal fighting system is a lot of fun. It’s got one of the best and most comprehensive creation suites of any game out there, and the way that it basically lets you do everything that wrestlers do in real life, in WWE 2K19, is kind of astounding.

But those are all things that have remained true for a long while now, and while WWE 2K19 goes to great lengths to fix it’s biggest flaws from last year, it still leaves a lot of long-standing issues unchecked that limit the otherwise significant improvements over 2K18.

LoadingThe campaign mode, or MyCareer, has been a WWE 2K staple since 2K15. But, in 2K19, it finally feels like a proper AAA wrestling story mode complete with voice acting, cutscenes, and likable characters that grow and change over the course of the story. The campaign is brought to life thanks to a great performance from former Tough Enough competitor and current indie wrestler, AJ Kirsch, who brings a much-needed level of authenticity to the lead role.

And for the most part, the actual wrestlers that lend their voice to WWE 2K19 also do a great job, outside of a few who seem like they’re reading from a script as opposed to acting.

From a presentational standpoint, everything about MyCareer this year is fantastic and is exactly what the template should look like in future years.

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Unlike previous years that always start your character in NXT, WWE 2K19’s MyCareer mode starts you on the indie scene in an organization called BCW, where you’re wrestling out of high school gyms – a fact that the obnoxious commentator won’t stop reminding you of. From there, you’ll get noticed by WWE head trainer Matt Bloom and begin your twisty and windy path to the WWE main roster.

From a presentational standpoint, everything about MyCareer this year is fantastic and is exactly what the template should look like in future years. But MyCareer still stumbles when it comes to progression.

Your character starts off extremely weak, with a paltry set of moves, pathetic stats, and generic entrance options. As you level up by gaining experience, you can increase your stats through three skill trees, which are further divided by different paths within each one. The skill trees manage to reduce the stat overload that typically accompanies WWE 2K’s career mode, but you never get the feeling that the skills you’re adding to make much of a difference in your character’s overall strength.

Despite the annoying character progression, the overall story and the journey of your character as he rises up through the ranks of the WWE make it worth the struggle.

On top of that, new moves and cosmetic options are once again locked behind loot boxes, which is a huge bummer. The boxes can only be purchased with virtual currency, and individual items can be bought on their own, but the cost of buying things ala carte is very expensive.

For the most part, MyCareer is easy enough to get away with playing with a sub-par character, but there are a few points in the story where Triple H decides to stack the deck against you, forcing you to compete and win in wildly unfair matches, such as a 3-on-1 handicap match, an 8 man battle royale, and a gauntlet where you health doesn’t refill after each match. Rather than coming out of it feeling like a highly skilled beast of a wrestler, you feel like you have to resort to cheap hit and run tactics just to survive.

LoadingAside from MyCareer, 2K19 brings back the much-beloved Showcase Mode, this time highlighting the WWE career of Daniel Bryan. Every chapter covers a different noteworthy match in his career, with an introduction by Bryan himself that sets the stage in a fascinating mini-documentary style. Once it’s time to actually play, you’re guided by objectives that have you doing many of the same moves and big spots that actually took place in the real match, with some objectives triggering painstakingly recreated cutscenes of some the biggest moments. Unfortunately, while completing those objectives is a lot of fun, they don’t trigger checkpoints, and with some of these matches lasting upwards of 20-30 minutes, it’s extremely frustrating to force players to replay all of that from the beginning if they fail near the end.

2K19 also takes some cues from Mortal Kombat X with their 2K Towers mode, which challenges players to complete themed “towers,” consisting of a series of matches under a unifying theme. These towers change both daily and weekly, so there’s always something new to tackle, and they offer a great source of VC to spend in other modes.

Every IGN WWE Game Review Ever

Those are the big differences in 2K19 this year, but there’s also a lot to be said about the plethora of small changes that go a long way in improving the overall quality of 2K19, even despite some of the frustrations of its main modes. A new Payback system adds another layer of strategy to the core wrestling gameplay by giving players two powerful abilities that can change the flow of a match, whether it be giving a player an instant finisher, an extra reversal counter, a one-time use free kick out at two, or an array of others.

Royal Rumbles are a lot more fun now that you can pick and choose the order in which superstars enter. Steel Cages matches have undergone an almost complete overhaul with new exit minigames and several new animations that add to the excitement of the match type. You can also now create your own Money in the Bank briefcases and have wrestlers defend them in matches.

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Beyond that, WWE 2K19 just seems to embrace a much more fun and arcade-y tone and is much better for it. Big head mode matches are hilarious to watch, some of the 2K Towers have crazy modifiers like sped up gameplay that do a great job of making each tower feel like a unique challenge, and one of the payback abilities essentially turns you into Thor as you charge electricity to build your momentum meter.

As for things that have stayed the same, the core wrestling gameplay thankfully still holds up and makes up for a lot of flaws in other areas. The commentary is still laughably bad, it’s still very buggy, but create-a-wrestler remains one of the most incredible tools for character creation across all video games.

WWE 2K19, like other WWE 2K games before it, is still held back by a number of longstanding issues. But with the much improved MyCareer mode, and the sheer amount of content available thanks to the return of Showcase Mode and the addition of 2K Towers, it stops the downward spiral the series had been heading towards and puts it back on track. If 2K20 can fix the awful character progression in its main story mode, clean up the bugs, and work on the commentary issues, this might finally be the blueprint for a championship contender again.

In This Article

WWE 2K19

Yuke’s Media Creations

Rating

ESRB: Teen

Platforms

Xbox OnePCPlayStation 4

WWE 2K19 Review

good

WWE 2K19 is a rebound in the right direction, but it is held back by many long-standing issues.

Mitchell Saltzman

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The Good, The Bad And The Bottom Line

For as long as I can remember, WWE video games have played similarly.

Credit: Brian Mazique — WWE 2K19

That’s not necessarily a bad thing. If you’re a fan of the engine in a game, you’re not looking for the developers to re-invent the wheel. I came into this year ahead of the release of WWE 2K19 somewhere in the middle. After playing this year’s game in every mode, I’ve chosen a side.

I’ll tell you up front; the gameplay in WWE 2K19 is very similar to what it has been for the last five years or so, however, it would be a mistake to pass judgment (good or bad) based solely on that statement. Here is a breakdown of the good, the bad and the bottom line on WWE 2K19.

Credit: Brian Mazique

Visually Superb

Credit: Brian Mazique — WWE 2K19

I really don’t think a great deal was done with models or faces, but there was noticeable work on the lighting and shaders. It really shines through in almost every situation in the game. The characters and environments pop on screen in a way that even the harshest critic will acknowledge. There are only a few minor issues, but I’ll talk a little more about that later.

The New Striking is an Improvement

One of the few structural changes to gameplay is in the striking. It feels a tad sharper, more accurate and balanced. Interrupted punches don’t look as rickety as before, and I can see ways to implement more strategy. Because many of the advantages in matches begin with a strike, it’s good to see a little more rhyme and reason.

It’s still not perfect physics and functionality, but it is an improvement.

More Pocket-Friendly Grind in MyPlayer

Last year’s MyCareer and Road to Glory grind just wasn’t a ton of fun to play over time. Things got repetitive, but most of all, the loot packs were a problem. There were too many pack openings that went without much of a reward, and there was nothing to do with all of the duplicate parts–at least not anything useful.

This year, the MyPlayer grind is as good as it has ever been.

Credit: Brian Mazique — WWE 2K19

You earn VC from just about every aspect of the game–even when you play matches outside of the modes that use MyPlayer. Also, the new MyPlayer Skill Tree is an easy-to-grasp player-progression system. It rewards effort and time spent as much–if not more–than it does additional dollars spent. As you earn style points, you’re able to upgrade your character through a number of tiers with the top one being Hall of Fame. It’s a formidable grind, but with some variety and depth injected into the journey, it’s one I am enjoying.

You can’t simply spend your way into having a great MyPlayer. You can still purchase moves, attires, etc, but the building of skills and attributes comes almost entirely from Style Points which are earned through gameplay.

Many hate the concept of VC or any in-game currency, but it’s only being sold because there is a market for it. If these systems must exist in today’s gaming world, the player-progression in WWE 2K19 is perhaps the most consumer friendly.

Paybacks and Overcharges are a Nice Addition

I told you that not much has changed with the gameplay, especially as it relates to mechanics and physics, however, there are some new in-game perks that can be employed during matches. Paybacks are basically in-match boosts to things like stamina, grappling effectiveness and striking. There are two levels, and some of the Paybacks are illegal, so there is a risk of disqualification. Brass knuckles and other foreign objects are a part of the mix.

Before each match, you get to choose which Paybacks you want to take into battle. Many of them (such as the Poison Mist) look great when pulled off, and it offers another level of strategy.

Overcharges take the Level 2 Paybacks up a notch. If you obtain a Level 2 Payback and upgrade it, the boost becomes an Overcharge. There are three of them:

  • Beast Mode: Increased grapple speed and damage. A golden glow highlights your arms when activated.
  • Charged Fury: A supercharged, devastating punch. You fist radiates with power when fully charged.
  • Electrifying: As you hold this taunt uninterrupted, your Momentum grows at a much faster rate. Electricity flows through your body.

This is a fun new layer added to the game, and it’s cool seeing the developers not taking themselves or professional wrestling too seriously.

The Showcase is Better Than I Originally Thought

Initially, I wasn’t a fan of the Daniel Bryan Showcase. After playing through more matches, I’ve begun to change my mind. The story is woven in with the matches, cinema screens, and Bryan’s real-life commentary very well. It’s a cohesive interactive story and it captures your attention–even if you’re not playing.

My son caught a glimpse of the second match in the story, and he wanted to watch as the rest of the documentary unfolded. It’s good to see the Showcase back, but even better to see such effort going into making it a solid piece of the package.

MyCareer Is Better By Leaps and Bounds

I’ll be honest. I’ve never liked any of WWE 2K’s versions of MyCareer. There’s always been either a ton of repetition or such bad attempts to inject mic work that I’ve wound up disconnected within a week. This year’s MyCareer entry is better in every way.

The story is fun, funny and written much better than it has been in the past. Also, all of the lines were recorded by real WWE Superstars and actors. It’s hard to quantify how much of an impact that has on the immersion. I found MyCareer not only enjoyable to play through, but it’s also still a very good way to build up your character.

Loving The Towers

The Towers is a simple concept. You choose a wrestler (either your MyPlayer or someone in the game) and you attempt to fight your way past a list of Superstars. Each Tower has its own theme. Some will feature specific matches, types of Superstars and others may only allow you to play through them with your MyPlayer.

The $1 million Challenge that will see one skilled individual battling AJ Styles for the aforementioned cash prize is based on a Tower in the game. This feature is sheer old-school fighting game goodness, and it works well with the WWE Universe.

Content Galore For MyPlayer and Road to Glory

There is a lot for your MyPlayer to get into this year, and all of the options lead to tokens and VC that can be used to redeem goodies for your character. There’s traditional MyCareer, Road to Glory, which has specific challenges that carry attractive rewards, and Towers.

The last two have daily challenges that will keep gamers busy as they attempt to collect everything available for their MyPlayers. By far, this is the most sprawling WWE experience 2K has provided since it obtained the promotion’s license in 2013.

The Creation Suite Just Keeps Getting Better

What more can anyone say about the WWE 2K creation suite? It’s been fantastic for years, and this year it’s even better. You can customize the side plates on championship belts, the Money in the Bank briefcase, and you can even use a wizard to speed up the creation of your MyPlayer.

There are new functions in Create-An-Arena with some fresh filters and lighting that will aid you when trying to generate a unique look for custom shows.

My favorite new feature is the Randomizer. When using this option, you can generate a brand new character with the push of a button. The system won’t just put together a jumbled up glob of pseudo-humanity, it creates a full character with a matching attire that is ready to hit the ring–unless of course, you’d like to further customize.

Lastly, you can also randomize any piece of a created wrestler’s attire. It’s the single-best character creation feature I can remember using in a sports game

Credit: Brian Mazique

It Isn’t Horrible, But It’s Time for a New Engine

I’ve mentioned the game engine a few times without giving my complete thought on this very important aspect of the game. I don’t hate the WWE 2K engine, but I must admit, I’ve never loved it. It’s been problematic in one way or another since its inception.

In WWE 2K19, the developers have tweaked and cleaned this current engine as well as they ever have, and it’s still too limited. Can you have an enjoyable match? Absolutely, but often times, you’ll find yourself feeling some of the same old frustrations with movement, animations, and overall restrictions.

I’m not sure if it will require taking a year off from development, but the WWE 2K series needs a new engine if it is ever going to produce a truly classic release.

Weird Hair Physics

Long hair in WWE 2K19 has a mind of its own. There is a lot of clipping, weird physics and it looks more like shreds of construction paper than hair.

The Combat System in HIAC Matches Is Still a Mess

There were supposed to be some improvements made to Hell in a Cell matches, but this feels worse than before. The area around the cage outside of the ring is still claustrophobic. The moveset is so limited there, it’s not even fun to carry the fight outside. I found it too difficult to interact with the cage walls, and once outside, simply climbing to the top required unnecessary additional commands.

This was probably my least-enjoyable experience with the game overall.

The Commentary is Still Poor, Except in Showcase and Early in MyCareer

If we’re talking legacy issues, one of WWE 2K‘s biggest is its commentary. It is consistently bad and this year, unfortunately, is no exception. As usual, the commentary in the Showcase mode somewhat saves this area of the game, and the same can be said for the early parts of your MyCareer journey. Still, it’s not enough to clean up the ultra-repetitive and disconnected lines spewing from the mouths of virtual Michael Cole, Corey Graves, and Byron Saxton in every other part of the game.

No Female MyCareer

If there was one thing that shocked me with this year’s game–in a negative way–it was the absence of a female MyCareer. I thought this would be the year; Ronda Rousey is a pre-order bonus, there is an all-female pay-per-view later this year and there are even rumors of a WWE show that is exclusively for the ladies.

Unfortunately, it didn’t happen. I understand the work that it would have taken to add a female MyCareer story on par with the one in this year’s game. However, it’s hard to ignore the void left without the option to create a female character that you can upgrade and take through her own story.

No Story Writing in Universe

Universe is one of my favorite modes. It hasn’t changed all that much this year, although there are some incremental improvements like the MITB briefcase customization, more title slots and the advanced show creation tools. The layer that would have been the most impacting on this year’s game is the re-introduction of a create-a-story feature.

I can only imagine the complexities that make the manifestation of this concept much easier mentioned than produced, but because this is a professional wrestling game with a massive budget, it’s natural to think that this kind of feature is feasible.

Alas, it didn’t happen this year.

Credit: Brian Mazique

WWE 2K19 maxes out all of the incumbent concepts from recent games in the franchise, and this is a solid and more polished release than we’ve seen from some recent versions. You’ll likely have fun with the game and all of its layers. However, there is potential for true greatness with this series, but the WWE and the development team have to be willing to take some chances.

Publisher: 2K Sports

Platforms: PS4 (version reviewed), Xbox One, and PC

Release Date: October 9, 2018 but early access began on October 5

Price: $59.99 for Standard Edition and $89.99 for Deluxe Edition and $129.99 for the Wooo! Edition

Score: 8.3/10

Disclaimer: Review code was provided for coverage purposes

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