Expectations were mediocre at best when I picked up WWE 2k19, the newest installment in the WWE gaming series. Having played wrestling games almost every year since the late 90s, I was aware that I could be buying the same exact game, only with an updated roster. (And possibly a few extra features) In recent years, the WWE games have lacked replay value and a captivating one player story mode. To my surprise, 2k really brought it this year with phenomenal new story modes and more fluid action in the ring.
The first game mode I selected was the 8 man tag match. Unlike last year’s game there was no lag, and game play was smooth. The added payback abilities such as resiliency and instant recovery are a nice touch as well. I picked a lot of my faves including Rey Mysterio, Styles, Jeff Hardy, and Johnny Gargano. They all looked fantastic. I was however super bummed that the Jeff Hardy model was almost an exact duplicate of the one from last year’s game (DLC). Also the 2k19 ads featured a lot of Jeff Hardy with his amazing face paint art, yet none of it is featured in the game. Other notable misses include Kyle O’Reilly’s entrance with no belt guitar strumming, but I’m really just being picky!
Graphics and gameplay flow are on point. I especially love the reversals and pacing of the matches. This year’s game features great new animations and moves. I thought some of the lighting was a little low in the last game, particularly during the entrances, but 2k19 looks great. Some entrances, such as Naomi’s Glow entrance, really stand out. I will however say, the character models in the character select screen are kind of weird looking at times (Check out Kofi/Ronda for example).
Nice extras include the ability to cash in your Money in the Bank with the hit of a button and you can actually defend the briefcase in a match. Also lots of new features in steel cage matches allowing for more moves in the cage and from what I’ve heard you can break through the cage walls.
The lack of Tomasso Ciampa and Nikki Cross, who were both in last year’s game, is a bit perplexing. I am almost certain the absence of the current NXT champion is by design as there was a deleted tweet by him: “A lot of people are wondering why The Champ is not in the game. Well, it’s quite simple. I’m The Champ for a reason. I don’t lose. Not in real life. Sure as hell not in your fantasy world.”
Solid heel move. We’ll see if he makes the game in some clever unlockable way or DLC down the line. Regardless, the idea of this being a heel tactic by the actual character is pretty cool. I’m hoping for something clever to come of this, but you never know. As for fan favorite Nikki Cross, I have absolutely no clue why she is not in the game. DLC will see other fan favorites Ricochet, Dakota Kai, EC3 and more heading to the game in coming months.
I’ve only played a little bit of the Daniel Bryan Showcase mode, but let me tell you it is absolutely fantastic. Before and after each match there is a legit interview with Bryan narrating his career, even showing footage courtesy of ROH (Never thought I’d see the day). I thought I knew a lot about the former American Dragon’s career, but man did I learn a lot about his past. It’s actually really intriguing to hear him talk about his career when you’re not even playing matches. Does anybody else remember Velocity? Because your first bout is again John Cena in the Velocity arena. Pretty sure I unlocked that arena too. Love it. Currently, I’m feuding with the Miz (US Title) and the game even brings back heel Michael Cole on commentary, which is super annoying but very accurate!
As for the commentary, I will say it is light years ahead of what it’s been. It’s so much better, as there is a lot more fluid conversation between Cole, Graves, and Saxton. Now let’s get Renee Young in there for next year.
The My Career mode this year is really fun. Basically you create your wrestler with very limited attire and move set options Your character (no female option yet surprisingly) makes his way through the indies ultimately trying to obtain an NXT contract. (and beyond) The story line is actually pretty fresh, and the voice overs by superstars like HHH, Matt Bloom, Daniel Bryan Alexa Bliss and Strowman are key. (However, it is painfully obvious that John Cena is not being performed by the champ himself) Lots of unlockables and choices to be made along the way (like a mini Telltale game).
I absolutely was delighted to unlock the “high school gym” arena. I even fought an indy match in Mexico where the commentary was in Spanish! Nice touch. A fun My Player mode was something this series desperately needed and the focus on the indies, agents, and promoters is really great. There’s also a bit of a who done it element which is fun. This mode has me hooked!
Speaking of hooked, the Million Dollar Tower mode featuring AJ Styles is incredibly difficult, as it should be. Your goal is to beat 15 opponents consecutively in different types of matches with no health regeneration. AJ Styles actually explains this to the player in a nice little video. Let me tell you I’ve barely gotten through four straight opponents, but with a chance at a million dollars I think we’ll all keep trying to topple all fifteen. I’m assuming it’s nearly impossible, but man is it fun to try. Plus, I believe the winner gets to go play vs. the actual AJ Styles for the prize, so that’s rad.
Another positive is the ability to gain VC points more easily to unlock characters, arenas, titles, etc. I still haven’t unlocked all the characters from last year’s game and probably never will. It’s still early and I’m already rolling along. The game also features Loot packs that are fairly easily obtained in the MyPlayer mode to unlock more moves, attire, and more. This is a huge step in the right direction.
My only gripes with this game are a few minor glitches that always come with these types of games –guys teleporting, floating, voice-over issues, etc. My biggest issue that I hoped would be fixed is that the signature/finisher buttons should activate more quickly. Sometimes you can’t hit your finisher when you hit the button due to the prompt not appearing in time or a pin feature being activated instead. This cost me a lot of matches in previous years, and still is. Also, I did not venture too much into the Create modes which are always fun. (I hear it’s actually fantastic). But again we cannot import our own music into the game for player entrances. That’s something I sorely miss.
WWE2k really did their homework this time around. With fantastic story modes, voice overs, and new in ring animations I really can’t put the game down. What I really appreciate is the wrestling history featured in this game as I actually did learn a lot. (Especially about Daniel Bryan) Another pleasant surprise were the references to guys trying to make names for themselves in the indies and footage being used from other promotions in this game. Not to mention the references to guys like Balor, Nakamura, and Styles making names for themselves all in Japan. his game has it all: Replay value, great story lines, new characters, and even a contest to win a million bucks! This may indeed be the wrestling game we’ve all been waiting for. Believe that!
Rating: 9 out of 10
-Rob Crowther IV
