WWE 2K22 review: Don’t like the show? Book it yourself

digitaltrends.com:

For frustrated wrestling fans, WWE 2K22 provides the ultimate power fantasy — and no, it doesn’t really have anything to do with the fighting itself. For anyone who’s found themselves annoyed watching WWE over the past few years by such things as controversial creative decisions and a revolving door of promising talent, it gives players a chance to prove that they actually could book the show better than Vince McMahon.

To make that possible, publisher 2K Sports did something that WWE itself would never dare to do: Take a break to try and fix the product. After the much-maligned WWE 2K20, the studio canceled the game’s 2021 entry and resolved to come back stronger with a cleaner 2022 edition. It wasn’t enough time to pull off a total reversal, but there’s a renewed sense of momentum this time around that could set the studio up for a big spot down the line. Think of it as a table carefully set up at ringside, ready for someone to crash through it eventually.

For wrestling fans, WWE 2K22 is a robust tussling simulator that seemingly packs two years of content into one game. Even if it doesn’t land all of its big moves, it snaps the series’ losing streak when it needed a win the most.

Like previous installments, WWE 2K22 is a professional wrestling simulator that captures the spectacle and action of a WWE show. It reproduces everything from superstars to entrances to arenas (it even includes the virtual “Thunderdome” experience created during the COVID-19 pandemic as an option).

For longtime fans, it’s a detailed simulation, even if it’s visually inconsistent at times. Big-name wrestlers like The Rock look incredible, approaching uncanny valley levels of realism. Lower-card fighters don’t always get the same treatment,