The control system's revamp is really a particular highlight this season. Light attacks, heavy attacks and grapples are allotted to individual face buttons and could be chained together to form devastating combos against an opponent. Reversals can nonetheless be performed through the assigned reversal button; however Visual Concepts has added a 'breaker' option – a new kind of reversal that can quickly put you around the ball of the foot. These are executed by guessing exactly what the opponent is going to press – whether this is the light attack, heavy attack or grapple button – and pressing the related button at the same time. This will stop whatever move they're attempting to execute – maybe it's a chained combo or a few basic attacks – allowing you to then start happening the offensive yourself.
When executed correctly, breakers can alter the whole flow of a match. On harder difficulties, these become necessities and ultimately make matches in 2K22 feel more fluid and enjoyable to experience. They add an additional element of technique to this mixture, going for a step nearer to what we watch on television every week all the while contributing to the fun of the knowledge. After many years of the same old formula each year during these games, 2K22's gameplay feels as fresh and exciting as a wrestling game ever has.
This year's Showcase Mode covers the long-running career of one of my favourite wrestlers of all time, Rey Mysterio. Most of the matches contained in Showcase Mode are pivotal matches in Mysterio's career, like the Wrestlemania 21 match against Eddie Guerrero and the match for the World Heavyweight Championship against JBL at Judgment Day 2006. It was great to revisit all of them commentary from Mysterio himself, as it provided a deeper insight into the importance of each match. Given Mysterio's long-running history within the brand I had been disappointed that only one WCW match was included, and also the recent matches included were all relatively insignificant. It appears as though a lot of the classics – like the Wrestlemania 22 triple threat match and the match against Chris Jericho at The Bash in 2009 – weren't included due to the opponent either leaving WWE and/or integrating with rival brand AEW. All-in-all, it is a nice look back at probably the most storied careers in WWE history, but it could have been done more justice.
On that subject, WWE 2K22's roster may be the weakest in certain time. Neither good nor bad, likely to odd mixture of wrestlers in this year's entry. A surprisingly large chunk have now either departed WWE or have been released, yet still managed to get in to the game. In some ways this really is great, as still accessing wrestlers like Jeff Hardy (certainly one of my other all-time favourites) and Samoa Joe provides the roster some depth. Yet legends of yesteryear and notable up-and-comers are few in number. Lucky those omissions obtainable with the rather excellent creation suite, huh?
MyGM suffers a little because of this, but that also doesn't take away from what's among the best modes in WWE 2K22. Using the reins of the WWE General Manager and battling it out against a rival with the objective of becoming the top-rated show, MyGM sparkles by shining an easy on a different side of wrestling than what's offered within the game's other modes. Here, you choose which brand you're going to decide to try the very best, draft superstars to your chosen show and schedule matches and rivalries which will captivate everyone else.
Throughout the mode you can directly control superstars in matches or simulate to your heart's content – anything you do, success is dependent upon examining wrestler types and setting matches up between wrestlers who are able to produce exciting matches with one another. This is when MyGM could possibly get a little confusing, though, as dream matches you thought would be instant classics – like Drew McIntyre vs Goldberg, for instance – can earn underwhelming one-star ratings for being too boring. Drew McIntyre vs Riddle, though? Potential gold. It is a bit bizarre, also it most definitely feels a bit wrong to pit superstars like Rey Mysterio facing Brock Lesnar, but there's enough offered up in the mode to make it feel unique.
Throughout the MyGM season you're able to sign free agents (as most of the big hitters won't be obtainable in the draft, weirdly enough) on either timed or permanent contracts as well as legends. You're also able to utilize power cards, which can be earned by achieving a goal set from your commissioner every week. These give you bonuses to make use of in your superstars, by yourself show or from the rival logo and play a huge role in being released on top.
You're also given a financial budget in MyGM and need to keep a close eye on it as being you progress. You'll earn money for well-received shows which may be then used to buy more power cards, placed on a much better show (with a bigger arena, better lighting and pyros) and/or sign superstars to become listed on your brand. MyGM rewards strategy first of all, and I enjoyed carving out different rivalries with wrestlers and achieving them crescendo at PPVs.
It's unfortunate MyGM maxes out at 50 weeks long and only enables you to have two titles per brand (alongside a limited quantity of match types), though I'm hopeful this is a starting point for future iteration. I'd love to see more than just one rival brand to take on at the same time, while a long-winded schedule would demand some proper strategic planning. There is a lot of potential with the mode.
MyRISE requires a solid step forward this year, throwing out the wackiness observed in 2K20's MyCAREER mode. Starting out at the WWE performance centre, MyRISE takes your created superstar through the ranks of the WWE, ultimately carving a path toward winning titles and having ultimate glory like a legend of the business. The voice acting here's still a bit wonky, but it's a far more refined, grounded undertake wrestling this time around. The sheer number of products to do provides the mode more than enough endurance and is a marked improvement over previous iterations.
The well-loved Universe Mode returns in WWE 2K22, too, allowing you to play through like a superstar or control all areas of the WWE in Classic Mode. There's not a great deal that's changed here, but it's the go-to option for those that want to dive deep in to the business, manipulating the many different storylines that run each week. Superstar Mode bakes made that first move to just playing as you superstar, forming rivalries, competing in a variety of different matches and trying to win championships along the way. I discovered Classic Mode to be more rewarding than Superstar Mode, given the amount of possibilities within the former. It's another solid choice to sink the teeth into — just don't expect any shiny new changes.
2K22's MyFACTION mode, a single-player collectible card game that focuses on building a strong faction and competing against other factions, is rather dull. You get points for completing objectives, earn tokens to spend on WWE superstars and, obviously, buy virtual currency if you want.
I found MyFACTION to be the weakest mode obtainable in 2K22 as progression felt slow and I have a particular disdain for 4v4 matches. They'd go on for far too long and that i didn't feel like I had been really achieving anything by studying the mode's proving grounds or towers. Progression within the game's other modes will give you tokens to make use of in MyFACTION, but again I could not help but feel like it was minimal interesting mode from the bunch by a few margin – especially when there's a lot fun available elsewhere.
It has its own issues, but there's no doubting WWE 2K22 is the best 2K wrestling game in many years. The brand new modes on offer, the gameplay revamp and the reworking of controls creates an immensely engrossing experience. There's still some way to go in making MyGM feel truer to the strategic aim and also the Showcase Mode is missing some major matches in Rey Mysterio's career, but there's no doubting this is a a lot better product than what came before it.
