WWE 2K23 Hands-On Preview

ign.com:

After the infamous WWE 2K20 misstep, the hugely popular WWE 2K22 arrived last year to course-correct the series and revolutionize the way we play simulations of the squared circle. Hot on its heels and looking to capitalise on its predecessor’s revolution this year is WWE 2K23. But from what I’ve played so far, it feels less like it’s standing on the shoulders of the giant, and rather peaking over cautiously.

As to be expected, WWE 2K23 comes with all the bells, whistles, and powerbombs you’d expect from a new WWE game. There’s a whole new roster featuring the likes of the returning Cody Rhodes and the up-and-coming NXT champion, Bron Breakker. Also receiving a yearly upgrade is the wrestler’s attire, music, and general presentation. It’s all as up-to-date as it could be, but outside of these upgrades, I couldn’t help but shake the feeling that, at its core, it was largely the same game as before.

Much like the way lots of sports games iterate on their established winning formula, everything in terms of gameplay in WWE 2K23 has rolled over from the previous game. So much so that despite only having an hour to play the game, I immediately felt at home with the breaker system, combos, reversals, and all the grappling intricacies. If you’re familiar with 2K22, you’ll know exactly what to expect.

That’s not to say there aren’t a few new clever additions though. The first to stand out is the arrival of the long-awaited and heavily requested match type; WarGames. For the first time in the series, WWE 2K23 extends the canvas with the addition of an extra ring. WarGames features two rings side-by-side with a cage surrounding both, with entrants from either a three or four-man team entering in intervals. From a glance, this could