WWE video games under the 2K Games banner have been nothing short of promise failing to meet reality with ideas & ambitions suffering from an engine that has been outdated for at least two gaming generations. Modifying the gameplay style, upping the graphics & even creating a new mode focusing on the journey of a created WWE Superstar hoping to become the World champion helped each recent entry in the “WWE 2K” library to be entertaining for a short while, but numerous bugs and poor planning have hurt the franchise from maintaining the high standard of quality the series once had. As if the negative perception connected to each offering was enough, Yukes – the developer for the series since its inception as “Smackdown” on the Playstation almost two decades ago – left 2K with the intent of creating their own grappling experience. With Visual Concepts taking the reigns after being a secondary developer alongside Yukes since “2K15”, this year’s iteration definitely had an air disappointment pre-release even if most of everything shown thus far seemed just like “WWE 2K19” with a special mode coming via DLC.
Did I Complete “WWE 2K20”?
As per the norm “WWE 2K20” provides a lengthy trophy/achievement list demanding the player take part in all the modes including its online offerings and testing out some of the new features & roster additions associated with this release. “2K Showcase” returns this year featuring an abridged look at the Four Horsewomen – Sasha Banks, Bayley, Charlotte & Becky Lynch – and their rise from NXT standouts to WWE mega-stars. The “2K Showcase” features its stereotypical objective-fueled design with an addition from last year’s iteration returning in the form of sit-down interviews/promos from the mode’s stars. The “2K Showcase” can last about ten hours if everything goes right. To compliment “2K Showcase” is a more narrative driven take on “MyCareer” mode similar to last year’s. Instead of being relegated to playing as a single created wrestler looking to become a Hall of Famer, the player takes control of “Red” and “Tre” – a pair of wrestling fanatics that turned their high school ambitions into becoming the best female and male wrestlers in WWE history. “MyCareer’s” story can take a player at least fifteen hours to finish, but most likely will last about twenty or more hours considering the necessities to finish certain sections and the difficulty level; as well as optional matches to earn extra Virtual Currency (VC). There is also the reusing of “Universe” mode, the returning implementation of “2K/MyPlayer Towers” that act similar to a series of gauntlet matches with special stipulations, & the pair of online modes, but nothing fills the completion quota better than the “2K Showcase” and “MyCareer” modes.
Did “WWE 2K20” Live Up to the Hype?
The gameplay seen in the last five iterations featuring a more simulated style of wrestling unlike the arcade nature of the earlier “Smackdown!” games during the Playstation & Playstation 2 eras is back again, but is a tad bit slower. A majority of the implementations from the other “WWE 2K” games return here including the reversal meter (which can be turned off in Exhibition and Universe), stamina meter, chain wrestling, the carry system, submission system (both the wheel and button-mashing versions), manual targeting by pressing the right analog stick, OMG moments, taunt buffs, Breakout options where a wrestler can attack their opponent before or after a match in Exhibition & Universe modes, & the “Payback” system featuring special attacks ranging from spewing poisonous green mist to calling for illegal interference. Some “Payback”/“Overcharge” abilities are solely attached to “MyPlayer” and the created wrestler made for “MyCareer” mode which is a little disappointing considering those are some of the most absurd & entertaining “Payback” abilities in the game. Unfortunately a lot of the action is hampered by poor hit detection and random moments when moves just down affect the person being struck. The AI is also dumber and stronger in this iteration by being able to kick out of pins with little to no health after taking a finisher even on the easiest difficulty all the while refusing to do something simple like break up a pin in a tag team bout.
Like the gameplay, a majority of the stipulation matches that gained adjustments or modifications such as Hell in a Cell feeling claustrophobic as the characters oddly move around the cage as if they’re stuck in a small corridor is in this version again. Thankfully the return of eight-person action flows a lot better even on a base model PS4 instead of chugging along with frame rate drops aplenty. The creation modes are mostly the same as well, but Create-A-Championship wasn’t available at launch unlike every other year. And just like almost everything else about this game a majority of the modes seen in “2K19” also return including the “Towers” mode that is much more extensive this time with a plethora of options including the “Roman Reigns Tower” that mixes the presentation of “Towers” mode and “2K Showcase” with Reigns himself verbally reflecting on the battles the player is about to complete. In regards to “2K Showcase” mode the formula hasn’t changed. The presentation of “2K Showcase”, be it the interviews or the in-game cutscenes, are masterfully done. The biggest issue with “2K Showcase” mode is here again in that there aren’t any checkpoints between the objectives needed for completion to potentially activate the next cutscene. Without these checkpoints and the matches themselves usually going extremely long it can make the mode incredibly exhaustive especially if something goes wrong and the player has to restart the entire match.
“MyPlayer” is the overall banner for a “Towers” mode solely made for the “MyPlayer” created character, online competition for people who want to take their fledging created wrestlers online, and “MyCareer” mode. The latter is what really shines just like last year as “MyCareer” stays on a focused narrative that sees the player take two created would-be wrestlers with one being the first female available for the mode in history from indie wrestling darlings to WWE Hall of Famers. The mostly-fully voiced mode doesn’t take itself too seriously, is more streamlined than its previous versions, and even has a mild branching plot; all the while not forcing the player to wander around backstage to have useless conversations while the returning side quests boil down to fights backstage. The skill tree returns, but in a more obtuse & randomized manner. With a honeycomb-like presentation, the skill tree hides every attribute the player can spend points on; making it impossible to focus on certain stats the player wants to improve upon. Thankfully the points – both attribute & skill points – are given rather generously while completing “MyCareer” and by the mode’s end each “MyPlayer” character used in “MyCareer” will be pretty powerful & on par with most WWE Superstar ratings; though they can’t be exported for use outside of the “MyPlayer” modes. Though building up a “MyPlayer” character’s skills & attributes isn’t as annoying as last year’s iteration, visual customization is just as bad thanks to the return of loot packs. Unlike last year’s version, the currency needed to open loot packs are given at a set amount (1000 silver and 100 gold) with the Virtual Currency gained through completing matches in any mode and “MyCareer’s” chapters being the only way to replenish those points spent to purchase said packs unlike in “2K18” where the opened packs themselves offered more loot pack specific currency. These loot card packs provide clothes, moves, performance additions such as taunts & entrance options, and even boosts like having a stored finisher at the start of an online match or Tower. The luck of the draw can leave a player getting stuff they don’t want with the only option of purchasing specifically locked creation items is by spending VC at outrageous prices.
“Universe” mode where the player can somewhat be Vince McMahon by making rivalries & running the respective brands including their own created versions has attained some nice fixes & streamlining including making it easier to manage Superstars on the brands and rivalries, but still feels like it’s stuck in the same template presented almost a decade ago. The new cutscenes in the mode are all text based and rarely do more than provide the same open-ended narrative style that the previous versions did with people randomly teaming up, breaking apart, and wrestlers just showing up to do commentary without any voice.
The usual online modes are also available outside of “MyPlayer” for those who simply want to play as a WWE Superstar, but there’s still that problem with laggy connections causing issues with the pin system where the person getting counted down can’t kick out – not to mention the reversal timing being inconsistent from match to match. Lobbies return in this year’s version so gamers can have special matches together online, but it doesn’t change the fact online grappling is still tough to enjoy.
The only new & highly promoted mode is “2K Originals” featuring monster-fied versions of WWE wrestlers in grandiose, horror movie-esque environments. Sadly “2K Originals” is strictly DLC with gamers not having a chance to even play a free tower like “Mortal Kombat 11” that allows for non-“Kombat Pack” owners to play as the newest DLC fighter in the game’s “Towers of Time” for the first week. To enjoy “2K Originals” the player has to shell out between a quarter to half the price of the game depending on if they buy the DLC by itself or the thirty-dollar season pass. It’s always disappointing when a new game mode is locked behind a paywall.
Graphics are a mixed bag with some odd character models, terrible hair physics, and the same stiff & robotic movement – though most of the lighting and weapons look excellent. The game’s biggest problem is just how unstable “WWE 2K20” is including crashing multiple times, graphical glitches no matter what the player does, and issues that have never been seen in other WWE game including being unable to download uploaded pictures for customization like face photos. Players who did use created content by other gamers have found themselves breaking their own game with frozen loading screens & matches practically imploding. Some moments like trying to complete objectives in “MyCareer” won’t succeed even if they player does everything right as long as said player is connected to the internet (which is seemingly strictly a PS4 problem). Never has a WWE game or maybe any major wrestling game for that matter come out this broken where even the day one patch does nothing to fix a majority of these issues.
After “WWE 2K19” took a large step in the right direction for the series, this iteration shouldn’t exist in its current form. A majority of everything from the previous games is done better elsewhere be it the gameplay, visual presentation or technical stability. “MyCareer” and “2K Showcase” are on par with last year’s offering. Other things like creation options and “Universe” mode are practically the same. And then there’s the new “2K Originals” mode completely behind a pay wall. This game needed to be delayed and will go down as one of the biggest embarrassments in the franchise’s history.
Should You Play “WWE 2K20”?
Not unless you have sixty to ninety dollars to burn. With little progression or innovation in terms of gameplay, hit detection problems & glitches aplenty, a highly promoted mode being strictly DLC, no real additions to the creation options, “MyCareer” & “2K Showcase” being fun for just a short while, and so many technical issues there’s no reason why this game should even exist in its current form. If you really want to check this out, rent it or simply wait until it’s in the bargain bin with, potentially, a lot of the problems patched out. But the best option is to just let this one roll past you like Io Shirai in a Hell in a Cell match.
