WWE 2K24 (PlayStation 5) Review

"Finish the Story" is the tagline and it feels as if developer Visual concepts took this to heart by creating a polished product that as previously mentioned, builds firmly upon its predecessor in an effort to create a complete package. Showcase mode is once again the main marketing selling point and where most of the fun comes from if you are a purveyor of wrestling lore. Celebrating 40 years of Wrestlemania provides some fantastic moments as long as they are superstars that have either a good working relationship with WWE or haven't been wiped from memory if they went on to make an Impact! In some other riskier promotions. Underrated in the ring Corey Graves provides the history lessons to a respectable standard but it does feel slightly disjointed when previous efforts have focused purely on one person, who was able to give first hand accounts of what went on in the squared circle.

The single player experiences are the main draw for an anti-social reviewer and the modes available ensure there is something for everyone. Universe mode allows a rigid or free-form experience based on the character chosen. Some have their own dedicated path to follow whereas others will ensure that brands can be chosen, choose to take a shot at a certain title, enter a match type of choice when the mood takes, in short, the more fun of the two. This can be changed at any point however and allows for a lot of fluidity to keep things fresh. MyRise also has two distinct paths to follow, one starting as champion of an unknown division finding his place in the world of WWE while the other throws you right in at the top, competing for the vacated title held by long term champion Roman *yawn* Reigns. These modes live or die by the interactions with others and in both, a fun story spanning the roster ensures a good time to be had. MyGM mode isn't a personal favourite but is in no way a mode that lets the team down. For those who like to tinker more than Twist of Fate, 4 shows can be managed concurrently with all the features expected. Manage the budget, set rivalries, create promos and ensure an audience wow'ing main event, all the stuff Magnus does on a daily basis. For those willing to spend the time, a truly time-consuming, addictive endeavour. Speaking of all-consuming, MyFaction is back like a bad thing Dwayne Johnson can smell cooking. Still baffling but seemingly involving cards being used instead of wrestlers. Additional items can be unlocked through the various parts of the mode but all in all, for us oldies anyway, far too much effort for little reward. Especially when the alternative can be putting LA Knight on a table, lighting said table on fire, then jumping off a ladder through it.

Roster wise, the current line up of superstars seems relatively up to date, even at the detriment of some all-time classic personalities being unavailable. Still, if this tickles your pickle, a surprisingly good job has been made to ensure not only a selection of options matching up with what is happening on the product weekly, but also what seems to be the largest amount of inclusions to date. Does this mean that Adam Copeland isn't missed? Not at all. But at least there are a few others who can deliver a spear or two. In this case, Lesnar isn't more. With DLC including the Dudleys and the self-proclaimed most overrated in the world CM punk on its way, the future is looking bright.

Match types remain relatively unchanged but with a few new types to whet the whistle, by far the most fun being the Guest Referee. Sold essentially as a free for all, ruin wrestlers lives fest, matches can be called in however the wind is blowing on that day. Particularly satisfying is waiting for the pin and wandering off in the other direction, with Superstars looking and acting as frustrated as can be hoped. All matches, regardless of what is chosen, sparkle with a really strong attention to detail in order to match the TV experience as closely as possible. Locations, look great, Superstars for the most part also do the same, sporting their signature struts to the ring, with personality shining through at all times, especially with the fantastic Samantha Irvin introducing them. Gameplay wise the formula essentially remains the same with some new risk-reward features such as the opportunity to pummel each other until submission. Fun and easy to grasp as with most of the gameplay elements to be found here. As with all great games, Easy to start, difficult to master. Once mastered, challenges can be found in the online mode, doing exactly what they say on the tin, giving the same single player experience but against people who will undoubtedly be unplayable within a week of release.