In a complex and multifaceted reality such as that of video game development, software houses can happen to stumble upon the creation of not exactly exciting titles.
Among the many examples, one of the most sensational is that of WWE 2K20 (which we told you about in our review) : an incomplete, poorly maintained and at times disastrous title that represents the lowest point in the history of WWE productions.
But if it is true that because of a video game you can fall, it is equally true that thanks to a video game you can get up again. Will the guys at 2K Sports make it with the new WWE 2K22 ?
WWE 2K22 (here is a handy link to buy it on the fly) is a title that comes after two years of silence on the part of Visual Concepts, which took advantage of this time to rethink from the foundations an outdated game structure, which showed all its limits in the chapter published in 2020.
Judging by the final result we can say without a doubt that it was time well spent.
WWE 2K22 comes with a much more defined and well-crafted graphic design than its predecessor. The new lighting management is excellent and allows you to better appreciate the different superstars who in this title reach a level of detail never seen in the saga. Or at least most of them.
In fact, if some members of the roster are truly impeccable, such as cover man Rey Mysterio, others are decidedly more rough: Ric Flair, for example, has certainly seen better days.
Further limits are easily visible in the graphic rendering of the long hair of wrestlers, which are practically never convincing. Net of these problems, however, the work done by Visual Concepts from a technical point of view is really good, even considering the excellent sound that the game can boast of between effects, commentary and obviously soundtrack.
Given the precedents, the real unknown of this new chapter of the WWE series was the gameplay and after many hours of play we can say that the restyling of the videogame experience is promoted with flying colors.
The title is fluid, engaging and intuitive, with the introduction of mechanics such as light and heavy holds, a new reversal system that can be performed by pressing A, B or X, depending on the attack of our opponent, and defensive techniques such as the parry and dodging, potentially interesting but, pad in hand, very marginal in the game experience. To complete the package are added the inevitable special moves such as finisher and comeback.
Seen all together it might seem like many, too many elements to master, but the control mapping work was great and therefore you will only need a few keys to be phenomenal wrestlers and create devastating combos. But be careful not to let your guard down.
As the WWE teaches, it only takes a moment of distraction to lose a match that seemed won and in this title the story does not change.
The feeling is that Visual Concepts has focused on the adrenaline factor. Matches tend to be dynamic and fast paced (with the exception of Ladder Matches which sometimes seem truly endless), thanks to the elimination of much of the downtime that was present in WWE 2K20. For example, the moments when the fighters are down to catch their breath is now a maneuver can be instantaneous, consuming one of the 3 special loadable bars during the match.
Despite the significant improvements compared to the past, on the play front some problems can still be easily encountered, including an AI that is not exactly flawless, sometimes inaccurate collisions and various uncertainties in the interactions with the ring (poles, aprons, ring-edges, etc.), as well as in the lock of one's own objective in matches with more than two fighters involved.
Moving on to the modes available in the game we have several, including old acquaintances and some returns.
One of the most interesting is the showcase dedicated to Rey Mysterio, in which we will be able to relive 12 great matches in the career of the San Diego elf: from the beginning, in 1997, to recent times, all told by the voice of Rey himself. The gem of this mode lies in the transitions between the gameplay and the original match footage, unlockable by performing particular actions required by the game, which will underline the extreme visual and content fidelity that WWE 2K22 has reserved for these encounters.
The classic career mode is also back, namely Universe, where we will be able to play the role of a single Superstar, or face all the matches of the various events available. Speaking of career we cannot fail to mention also My Rise, where you will create your own wrestler and start the climb in World Wrestling Entertainment starting from the Performance Center in Orlando, up to the peaks of the show.
We also have a welcome return in WWE 2K22 that we haven't seen since Smack Down Vs Raw 2008: GM mode. Here the goal will be, in fact, to be the best general manager possible for our show, generating higher ratings than the competition. To do this we will have to create our roster of superstars and, week after week, organize meetings, challenges and rivalries to obtain the best possible results, obviously always keeping in mind the available budget.
On the multiplayer side we find My Faction which recalls similar modes already seen in many other sports games such as FIFA or NBA 2K. Even here, in fact, we will be able to open different packs of stickers to compose our team with wrestlers of different degrees of rarity with which to face various challenges. The potential of this mode, however, is undermined by the fact that the aforementioned challenges will be against the CPU and not against other players, which we would have liked very much.
Finally, the editor returns with which we will be able to vent our imagination with our creations, or download those of the community, and the Exhibition mode, where we will be able to get into the ring without too many words to face any type of match currently existing.
All these elements make up a solid title, rich in content and above all fun, capable of leaving behind the mistakes of the past to start from a new, winning formula.
We can tell: WWE is back on our consoles in a big way.
WWE 2K22 comes at a pivotal time for the series. After a previous title harshly (and rightly) criticized, 2K Sports and Visual Concepts have had to rethink the game from its foundations to face the elusive "halfway point", and after many hours spent playing their new title we can say that they did. great.
We are talking about a solid and fun title, not only when compared to its predecessor but also when taken individually. A must for all wrestling lovers and also for those who want to approach (or re-approach) this world. The flaws remain and are sometimes very evident, but none of these can undermine a gaming experience that is always pleasant.
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