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W2k19 better than its immediate predecessors
WWE 2k19 is definitely better than last year’s edition. As a matter of fact, it’s better than the other three iterations prior to that.
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Ready to rumble: In the game, there are also challenges that are practically impossible to win, such as a handicap match that pits you against three enemy wrestlers. (Courtesy of WWE and 2K Sports/-)
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ike other video game series that have been around for a while and have new releases annually, the WWE game series walks a careful balance between keeping a familiar feel in all their games while adding new ideas to each one.
In other words, it’s got a checklist of things it has to have, while giving some incentive for fans to keep on buying.
Of course, there are always hard-core fans who will keep buying these games every time a new one comes out. But for the rest of us, the question is — as it has always been — “Is it worth it?”
Well, it depends. For one thing, it’s received a significant overhaul in one of its key modes.
“MyCareer”, the single-player mode that was first introduced in 2k15 feels like it had some actual ideas behind it. Your character grows with a story that keeps our attention, infusing a lot of emotional value that was certainly not there before.
It’s easy to get attached to your character, owing a lot to independent wrestler AJ Kirsch, whose voice acting adds a strong sense of authenticity to the character.
Aside from the strong voice acting, the development of the storyline presents a good amount of drama and twists that definitely involved a lot more writing than in previous iterations.
It is quite fun to see how your character evolves from his days in the independent wrestling circuit (in a fictional organization called BCW) into the spotlight of the major leagues — that being the WWE, naturally.
Not that everything is perfect. While starting off your MyCareer character as a weakling makes some dramatic sense, it doesn’t exactly feel fair that his growth in strength progresses in such a sluggish manner.
As with many new games, there are opportunities to enhance your character’s skills through the purchase of loot boxes, but they certainly feel less earned and involve paying real money that adds up to quite a bit. That said, the MyPlayer skill tree feels much easier to follow, so players will be able to keep track on how much they’ve progressed far easier than ever before.
There are also challenges that are practically impossible to win, such as a handicap match that pits you against three enemy wrestlers, as well as a gauntlet-style fight where after each successive battle your health bar remains at whatever level it was after the last fight.
Without purchasing upgrades or tremendous gaming skills, the only way to win these brawls is basically to do a sissy dance and resort to cheat-like tactics such as hitting-and-running ad infinitum.
Other than MyCareer, however, 2k19 offers up other goodies that are to its benefit. The “Showcase” mode makes a return, this time with a focus on the immensely-popular wrestler Daniel Bryan (also an Indonesian wrestling fans’ favorite).
Like before, it comes complete with a short documentary on the highlighted wrestler and involves gameplay that is essentially about executing moves that Bryan did in actual matches. It certainly helps that Bryan is one those sympathetic figures whose story makes for a pleasant watch.
The “Towers” is also another strong offering, in which players can battle through a list of WWE superstars. Each tower offers up specific concepts and themes and changes every few weeks, such as particular type of players or matches. This is great for those looking for a new kind of challenge every few times they log in.
The best of these involve the US$1 Million Challenge, which will pit player against AJ Styles for the cash prize within the game.
The in-game fighting itself has only changed a little. So if you were never a fan of the way the game engine flows the fight, you will not find much to change your mind here. There are some new elements, such as payback — which gives player two additional abilities to win matches, which are a counter attack and an instant finisher — but it really doesn’t feel like much was changed in the basic framework.
The visuals itself have improved, with shading and coloring that has improved far, giving an increasingly realistic sense of weight and individuality to the characters and brawls. In close ups and cut scenes, these are even more apparent.
There are of course still those classic matches, including the Royal Rumble, which this time lets players pick the order in which the WWE fighters enter the ring (which means you can come up with a tactical order), as well as Steel Cage matches that are as exciting as before.
There’s also a fun Money in the Bank mode, where players must defend a money-filled briefcase.
WWE 2k19 is definitely better than its immediate predecessors, but not by much. Whether the improvements in the game happens to be in a mode that you play most in is the major deciding factor.
Those looking for a stronger MyCareer mode will find value in this game, but others may want to check out a few more videos and tinker a bit more about whether to reach into their pockets for this year’s wrestling game extravaganza.
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WWE 2K19
Developer: Yuke’s Visual Concepts
Publisher: 2K Sports
Platforms:Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Reviewed with PlayStation 4
