Version tested: PlayStation 4 Pro
WWE 2K20 faithfully mirrors what is happening to Stamford's company in real life!
Current WWE programming is a disaster. Plain and simple. The company's flagship shows, RAW and SmackDown, are the worst in a while. Then there is NXT, the show that wrestling fans like. Still, it's scheduled for Wednesday night at the same time as AEW Dynamite, possibly the biggest wrestling show in the world right now. Then we have PPVs like Hell in a Cell that inexplicably go to bury one of the most exciting Superstars WWE has right now. We just had to complete the picture, adding the proverbial icing on the cake, thanks to WWE 2K20, a game just as messy as its real-life counterparts, albeit for diametrically different reasons.
"On a technical level, the first solo production of Visual Concepts is a real flop"
You've probably already seen all the errors and bugs in WWE 2K20 and they are even more ridiculous and hilarious when you experience them yourself in the game. On a technical level, Visual Concepts' first solo production is a real flop. We can say anything about WWE 2K20, but one thing is for sure, something didn't work as expected. It is nothing short of incredible how WWE 2K20 was released. Releasing such a technically flawed game is a very questionable decision to make. With Yuke, the former lead developer of the series leaving the ring in the pipeline, why not take a year to truly rebuild the game and bring Visual Concepts' vision to life?
This makes the whole package offered in WWE 2K20 look mediocre, which is a shame because the ideas behind the new features and changes are truly outstanding and without a doubt, represent the best the series has ever had. Unfortunately, everything is buried as it happened to “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt in Hell in a Cell, due to the many technical problems that beset the game. For the rest of the review, we decided not to talk about the problems that plague the production anymore, it would be like raging on a dead man. Just know that they hinder virtually every aspect of the game. This includes MyCareer gameplay, 2K Showcase, 2K Towers, and online mode.
Four horsewomen
This year's 2K Showcase mode highlights the Four Horsewomen: Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch. While we think last year's iteration would have had a better timeline, especially with the PPV Evolution and the plethora of firsts achieved in the previous year, it's still nice to see the "women's revolution" portrayed in a video game. The four extraordinary athletes, along with nearly every female wrestler featured in WWE, have actually revolutionized sports entertainment and deserve the limelight. In Showcase mode, matches are free recreations of real matches which should exemplify the subjects in question, which in this case are the four Horsewomen.
The matches, like Bayley VS Sasha Banks at Brooklyn's NXT TakeOver and Becky Lynch VS Charlotte Flair at PPV Evolution, are fantastic and represent quite well the last five years of the women's division in WWE. Unfortunately, what is not convincing at all is the objective-based gameplay. While we play one of these matches, we will have to complete a list of objectives. Once the required activities are completed, some videos will be played that emphasize the iconic moments during the match and beyond. In fact, there are interviews and interesting behind the scenes that will go into deepening the relationships between the four fighters and their life outside the ring. For the most part, it's all pretty straightforward until you're prompted to perform a specific hold or submission with no indication of how to perform that particular move.
Match to goal
For example, about a quarter of the way through the first game with Charlotte and Natalya, he asked us to do a Backpack Stunner. If you are unfamiliar with specific wrestling moves, you either randomly figure out how to perform it or you will be stuck for too long until you inevitably lose or quit the match. What the game doesn't tell us is that we can go to "match objectives" in the pause menu, where we will actually be given hints and advice on how to complete each specific objective.
For some of the easier grabs, like the aforementioned Backpack Stunner, it would be nice if they put the button combination with the lens in the corner of the screen. That way we wouldn't waste too much time trying to figure out something so simple. There are so many wrestlers in this game; expecting someone to know how to make each specific move is a bit unlikely. Once we found out that there were hints available, the games became more fun. Although we reiterate that it would have been nice to know these tips were available before we started.
MyCareer
Since female wrestling is so important in WWE 2K20, it makes sense that this year's MyCareer modes give the same space that Showcase mode does. And so it is. In fact, for the first time, we can create a male and female Superstar that will be playable in the story of MyCareer, Road to Glory and the other online modes. It's certainly a welcome addition considering how women's wrestling has taken WWE by storm. When we start MyCareer, we will then be called upon to create our own male and female Superstars. Choose their fighting style, appearance, combat outfit and entrance. It's a simplified editor, so you don't need to look at every single option WWE 2K20 has to offer. After we're done creating our characters, we can go back to the creation suite and refine these options to truly create the fighters of dreams.
"If there is anything to praise in this game, it is the tools of creation."
If there is anything to praise in this game, it is the crafting tools. However, it's a bit inconsistent that many of these options need to be unlocked. We understand that this is a system that is based on progression, but when the options literally called "generic" are not available because we have to buy them (through lootbox and Virtual Currency) or unlocking them, it becomes quite frustrating and it almost seems like we can't create the wrestlers we really want, and that's a real shame. The story follows Red (our female character) and Tre (our male character) as they attempt to become WWE Superstar.
Now, if you've played WWE 2K19's story mode before, you'll surely remember that the plot was pretty solid, much like a modern comedy, semi-likeable characters, and heartfelt moments that ultimately turned out to be quite enjoyable. However, this is not the case with WWE 2K20's story mode. The narrative line follows the same logic and still turns out to be good, but the semi-nice characters are few and far from those of the predecessor. Three and Red, at times convince, have a little fun joking, but in reality there is nothing too convincing about them or the story told in the 18 chapters proposed. The mode is similar to 2K Showcase's goal-based gameplay, but it's a bit simpler which makes it slightly more fun.
A roster almost with the flakes
The roster is definitely full-bodied and includes main event athletes such as: The Big Dog - Roman Reigns and current WWE Universal Champion - Seth “Freakin” Rollins, through iconic WWE legends, through to mid-carders and future NXT superstars. Scrolling through the list, however, it is inevitable not to notice some absences. Lio Rush, current Cruiserweight Champion is not there, without considering that RAW and SmackDown, have entered a new era, which has not been considered in the game. New looks and arenas, totally absent in WWE 2K20.
The graphics sector is mediocre, it seems to have gone back 10 years "
Graphics
We said at the beginning of the review that we would not talk about the technical problems. We will not do it, but in a small way we must at least mention the graphic part. The graphics sector is mediocre, it seems to have gone back 10 years. The polygonal models of the characters turn out to be angular and the environments, much appreciated in the past, this time turn out to be bare and dull. In action, there is a slight improvement, with convincing entrances and notable movements in the ring, even if there remains a certain distance between the most famous names and those not. It should be noted the presence of a new command scheme which, although “complicated”, only requires to be metabolized with a little practice and dedication. It would not hurt, now we are almost in 2020, a function that allows you to set the commands to your liking.
Final comment
Much of the drawbacks of the various modes could be overlooked if WWE 2K20 worked as intended. But the lack of polish and the graphics of the Xbox 360 / PS3 era make its flaws more noticeable by creating a really bad experience. It is so disappointing. This iteration has all the modes and features a WWE 2K game should have, but due to its poor optimization, WWE 2K20 is the worst entry in the franchise. We understand that the fact that Yuke left the project in the middle of development represented a real challenge for Visual Concepts, but for many, this should have been the chapter through which Visual Concepts should have demonstrated that it knows how to do it. In a way, WWE 2K20 is an authentic representation of the WWE product as a whole right now, and it's sad indeed.
To close:
Following the many negative comments on the technical quality of the product, the developers have officially intervened through Twitter, to have their say about it: “We are evaluating very carefully the feedback we receive on WWE 2K20 and we are aware of the many problems that some players have encountered. We are working hard - to investigate and solve problems as it should be ”.
pic.twitter.com/DyuJzia6qq
- # WWE2K20 (@WWEgames) October 25, 2019We just have to wait for the patch to understand if the package will improve or not. If so, we'll update the review!
