![]() ![]() Having to enter the grapple state with an opponent before being able to carry out a simple suplex or scoop slam, for example, not only feels clumsy, but woefully inauthentic. In the grand scheme of things, it’s a relatively minor complaint, but it really hurts the flow of the action at times. Rather than just being able to simply launch into a move or a throw, players are required to lock arms with the opponent by pressing the circle button, and only then can they enter the input for whatever move they’re looking to perform. However, my biggest gripe from last year also makes a return. The same system of light and heavy grapples that made its return last year is once again the focal point of the combat, with everyone on the roster feeling a touch heavier this year, adding to the impact and sensation of weight felt when moves land. Whether you’re taking opponents to suplex city with Brock Lesnar, hitting your foes with John Cena’s five moves of doom, or stepping into the boots of anyone else on the quite frankly overwhelmingly large roster, matches look and flow in a manner much closer to the real-life product than ever before. In that regard, 2k23 is as impressive as ever, with each wrestler’s move set being replicated with incredible accuracy. Of course, combos are all well and good, but what all true fans of wrestling games want is to see their favorite on-screen heroes busting out their signature moves as they lay their opponents out on the canvas. Animations have seen improvements since last year also, with the awkward transitions between strikes and grappling mid-combo nowhere near as intrusive as they previously were. Take the time to get used to it, though, and the system is a total joy to get lost in, with the combo strings adding more diversity and, in turn, authenticity to each superstar’s move-set. ![]() ![]() It’s a lot to take in as you also need to remember directional inputs as well as button combinations, and like last year, some may complain that it removes some of the accessibility that wrestling games have historically been known for when compared to traditional fighting games. The combo system from last year makes a triumphant return, allowing players to string together various strikes and moves seamlessly, with each wrestler on the roster having upwards of twenty combos to memorize, leaning heavily into traditional fighting game mechanics. Thankfully, with the extra-long development cycle, Visual Concepts took a long hard look at player feedback and provided the biggest gameplay-focused shake-up the series had ever seen.Īs you’d expect, then, WWE 2k23 carries those improvements forward and does so to great effect. Quite a few would probably agree that had WWE2k20 managed to release in a decent state, the product still would have felt lacking due to how stale the actual wrestling gameplay had begun to feel. Instead, Visual Concepts have opted for more of a refinement of the excellent product released last year, and while it may result in a more predictable and less exciting release, minor tweaks to some well-established formulas have resulted in the best game in the series to date. With such a strong foundation in place, it would be unreasonable to expect Visual Concepts to risk rocking the boat again too much, with this year’s installment, WWE 2k23, definitely serving up less of a revolution than its predecessor. And salvage the series they did with WWE 2k22, with developer Visual Concepts not only using the time to stabilize the experience and iron out the insane amount of bugs and performance issues that plagued the prior iteration but also taking the opportunity to reinvent the in-ring action, providing one of the most authentic pro wrestling video game adaptations to date. Such a disgrace, in fact, that 2k decided to hit the reset button and take a break from the series’ annual release cycle in an attempt to salvage the series. Dropping as perhaps the most broken release in recent memory, WWE 2k20 was nothing short of an absolute disgrace. Looking back now, WWE 2k20 may have been a blessing in disguise.
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