WWE 2K22 Review – A Big Step In The Right Direction

WWE 2K22’s long road to release stands as a redemption story as dramatic as any of the TV storylines. The series took a few years off to regroup following the trainwreck that was 2019’s 2K20, and the time away allowed it to learn some useful new holds. Though it doesn’t catapult the franchise to bold new heights, a revamped gameplay engine and a renewed focus on approachability make it the most entertaining – and most of all, playable – WWE game in some time.

It eliminates some of the complex mechanics that make the 2K games difficult to use. It adopts an arcade-style style approach instead. 2K22 may not be the sequel to the Smackdown show, but simplified grappling makes it easier and faster. It is simplified to light and heavy moves, and mapped down to just two buttons. I found this easier to use and remember. Combinations of melee are rewarded for big hits with simple inputs. This gives button-mashers an option to attack. Speaking of which, I love that pins and submissions ditch the annoying “stop the needle” minigames and return to the more fun intensity of slamming buttons to break free.

The Breaker counter forces advanced players not to constantly counter each other. It requires you press the same button that you believe your opponent will use, and you can predict the incoming moves. While Breakers can only be used for strikes or grapple-based attacks, a universal reverse is available for every other type of attack. I feel mixed about this new feature. I was often frustrated by the element of chance because it meant that I took a lot of offense when I guess wrong, regardless of how my reversal timing. This allows the players to play against one another instead of finding ways to interrupt long counter-fests. I won almost all of my matches, although I took some beatings. No matter how many powerbombs or other goodies they consume, the more skillful player will win. Breakers aren’t the perfect solution, but I lean more in favor of them.

2K22 is easier overall, but execution of certain maneuvers feels complicated. It could have been simpler to distinguish between different springboard or apron attack commands. Although the tutorial walks the players through the basic concepts of the game, it is not sufficient to cover the most important mechanics such as positioning your opponents and entering the/exiting the rings. Some actions, such as picking up objects, can feel slow and unresponsive. 

Overall, 2K22 is a great program. 2K22 looks great. Character models look a lot like their real-world counterparts. Smoother animations reproduce superstar-specific details. And, better cinematography, lighting, and editing make everybody seem even more beautiful. I especially love the era-specific lighting for historical arenas, like Halloween Havoc ’97. The roster is horrifically outdated thanks to the inclusion of numerous superstars who departed WWE in 2021, but this works in 2K22’s favor. Ember Moon and Keith Lee may perform now elsewhere but it beats having an actual thin roster. 

Best of all, I didn’t encounter any catastrophic glitches. Although minor glitches like a snagging or warping of geometry or spaghetti ropes occasionally happen, they are generally harmless and humorous. They didn’t happen often enough to spoil the experience. It’s a completely different story online. As of publishing, the servers feel unstable; queuing up for a match often greets you with connection error messages or notifying you a room is full when spots appear open. The match can sometimes feel slow and unresponsive. This will hopefully be improved quickly, but players may want to avoid online play until things stabilize. 

Showcase is one of the many modes offered by 2K22. The interactive documentary allows players to follow the career of Rey Mysterio, a cover star. They can play a variety of matches. Previous Showcases did a great job covering their respective topics, but 2K22’s falls short of the mark. Although the presentation rocks per usual – the mid-match transitions to actual footage of the fight you’re playing is notably rad – most of the chosen bouts made me scratch my head. 

The wide 1997-2005 stretch of Rey’s career only focuses on Eddie Guerrero, in which you wrestle him twice, and one of them is the mode’s sole WCW offering. Rey’s WrestleMania 22 World Title win is absent since Kurt Angle isn’t in the game. Big feuds against the likes of Chavo Guerrero, Chris Jericho, CM Punk, and Cody Rhodes don’t make the cut either due to the listed names working for rival organizations. They’re replaced by less memorable bouts, such as Mysterio’s SummerSlam 2009 Intercontinental Title defense against Dolph Ziggler or a random Raw match against Gran Metalik. I don’t expect Showcase to hit every milestone of Rey’s career, but this feels like an abridged summary of his run that plucked out most of the truly great stuff.

Following Rey’s career may have been underwhelming, but I had a better time building the legacy of my own superstar in MyRise. Creating a wrestler from scratch, including choosing their background RPG-style, had me engaged in my star’s fate from the get-go and the mode is pleasantly dense. My role was to guide my Hollywood-trained Hollywood transplant from the Performance Center up to NXT and onto the main roster. I also enjoyed the choice-driven situations, some of which are hilariously silly. To force my opponent into a chicken costume for one month, I won a match and went on to fight big social stars to get them in the ring. Are the words often silly or campy? The real thing is often just as good. I was able to laugh at the joke, rather than facepalm. 

For stat points extra, you can tackle simple sidequests like beating MVP up for violating dress codes. However, I found it fascinating how seemingly ordinary stories turn into big angles. In order to establish myself, I attacked a Mayor Kane on the backstage. The incident turned into a lengthy side story with multiple matches that culminated in a Hell in a Cell fight against The Undertaker. You can choose from a variety of story lines depending on how your face/heel aligns, which adds an element to replayability. I don’t know if I’m compelled enough to make another full run, but MyRise had me thinking about what titles to chase and the shenanigans I’d instigate when I was away from the mode. This was always something that I longed to return to. 

The Creation Suite isn’t significantly better than what’s been offered before, but it remains a fun time sink. It was a lot of fun making titantron videos and champions. Universe Mode offers more opportunities to play Vince McMahon. You can book matches, shows, rivalries and many more. You can now follow an individual career as well, but Universe is about making your own fun and doesn’t offer enough tangible rewards to keep my interest for long. Universe Mode is a lot less interesting than MyGM which allows you to direct a brand, including booking stars, booking shows and appeasing characters to win ratings battles against other brands. I was satisfied with this destination. My experience was great. I created quality competitions and rivalries by matching star in-ring styles strategically and managed my budget to put on amazing shows. MyGM provides a detailed level of information but also offers guidance which kept me informed and on the right track. MyGM was similar to MyRise. It hooked me unexpectedly and had me constantly thinking about other things, such as how I could build my next show or what talent to sign. 

MyFaction feels separate from the main game and is another exciting destination. Fans of WWE mobile games like Supercard may feel right at home as you buy card packs (using real and in-game currency) to assemble a “faction” of the best cards based on their stats and other perks. You’ll battle other factions, but the combat unfolds in the ring rather than as a pure TCG. There’s not much more to it than that. You can take part in daily, weekly and tower challenges. However, it all boils down into playing matches and purchasing cards. Packs are reasonably priced, and you’ll earn enough currency to buy a pack by playing a small batch of matches, but you’ll always go farther using your wallet as per the norm with this stuff. MyFaction adds the satisfaction of watching meters fill up while playing random matches, but it’s not my favorite mode and is worth ignoring if the card aspect doesn’t speak to you. 

2K22 is the Next No Mercy? No, but it’s a substantially improved comeback that’s more fun to play than WWE games have felt in ages. Plus, the sheer amount of modes, all of which are at least decent, means there’s something enjoyable to gnaw on outside of random exhibition matches or online play. There’s still work to be done, but like a retired veteran returning to put on a surprisingly solid match, WWE 2K22 manages to shake off the ring rust and perform better than the naysayers expected.