Everyone loves a good comeback story, and the WWE 2K series is trying to stage one of its own. WWE 2K20 was such a disaster the annual franchise was forced to skip a year, but WWE 2K22 made some promising strides in the right direction. Granted, 2K22 wasn’t quite the “completely rebuilt” experience that had been promised, but it felt like a solid foundation to build upon. So, will WWE 2K23 use it to springboard to new heights?

　　I recently had the opportunity to travel to San Antonio to go hands-on with WWE 2K23 amid the excitement of this year’s Royal Rumble. I was able to get a taste of the game’s refined in-ring action, new WarGames match type, and John-Cena-focused Showcase. So, does WWE 2K23 build crucial momentum? Scroll on for my impressions…

　　WWE 2K22 made some long-needed changes to the series’ in-ring mechanics, most notably giving players more ways to change the momentum of a match. For years, difficult-to-time reversals were pretty much your only option, but 2K22 added blocks, dodges, and “Breakers” that allow you to escape combos and grapple moves by anticipating what attack your opponent is going to launch next. All of this is retained this year without many major alterations. While you shouldn’t expect any big mechanical changes, WWE 2K23 generally feels speedier and more fluid than its predecessor. Animations feel less canned, flowing into each other more naturally, and the input lag that’s been an aggravating constant for this series feels like less of a problem. Speaking of long-standing problems, after several failed experiments, getting the 1-2-3 finally feels right, thanks to a new pinning minigame that does a good job of balancing accessibility and challenge.

　　For the first time in a while, it also feels like the needle is moving forward when it comes to WWE 2K’s visual presentation. WWE 2K20 was a true eyesore and while WWE 2K22 returned the series to a more presentable state, it could have pushed further. WWE 2K23, which we played on what appeared to be Xbox Series X development kits, is the first game in the series that really feels “next-gen.” Character models have been refined over last year, a statement that thankfully includes female wrestlers, who have often been neglected. The wrestlers are further brought to life with improved lighting and intricate animation work that makes each superstar feel unique.

　　The new WarGames match (a tag-team donnybrook in two rings surrounded by a cage) is also a solid new highlight. The camera zooms out smoothly to capture what’s happening in both rings and despite there eventually being six bodies in the match, the action never felt overly chaotic. A lot of little WarGames-specific touches, like every new entrant stopping to throw new weapons into the ring, are captured too. It’s clear WWE 2K23’s devs know their WarGames.

　　The new 2K Showcase focused on John Cena offers a clever conceit, as you play as the Jorted One’s various famous opponents rather than the man himself. This addresses the somewhat repetitive nature of past Showcases, as you now get to take control of a wide range of different stars instead of just one.

　　Unfortunately, other longstanding issues with the Showcase format have not been solved. The objectives you have to complete within each match remain too finicky. You’ll often find yourself in a frustrating position where you could easily get the victory if it were a regular match, but you can’t maneuver your opponent into a very specific spot for a very specific move in order to progress. And if you lose, you have to do the whole match and all its objectives over again. A checkpoint system that allows you to start from your last completed objective, or perhaps the ability to skip some objectives altogether, might reduce frustration. That said, it feels like an even deeper rethink of Showcase mode is in order at some point.

Current Thoughts on WWE 2K23

　　The Deluxe and Icon Editions of WWE 2K23 launch on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, and PS5 on March 14, while the standard edition launches on March 17.