The WWE 2K series as a whole is the epitome of the Growth Mindset. The mistakes of the past presented an opportunity for growth in future titles. Mistakes are often expected, and then corrected. Anything that is worth doing is worth doing badly, as there’s always room for improvement. It seems as though since Visual Concepts took over the reins of the 2K grappler, risks have been taken in order to improve down the track, for better or for worse.

For the most part, WWE 2K24 plays almost identical to last year’s edition. The combo system has been improved, allowing for more opportunities for reversals and smoother transitions to other moves based on how you finish your combo. General gameplay has not changed a lot since last year, but the degree of fluidity has seen a definite improvement.

All the gameplay elements are explained in expert detail by Drew Gulak, who at this point has had a running storyline with Xavier Woods within the past couple of 2K titles. It is cool to see some continuation of a feud being played out in a tutorial mode over the course of multiple games and gets pretty meta as a result.

The look and feel of the game as a whole is the slickest we have seen in a WWE 2K title. Menu icons pop with colour and presents a sense of attitude that sets the tone of the game as a whole. Character models have improved, even down to the NXT stars who often do not get to see the same level of detail as your Roman Reigns and Randy Ortons. There is still a gap in quality, but that gap is shrinking fast.

The only place I can see Visual Concepts taking things further is improving the entrances. Wrestlers are not seen coming from the Gorilla Position, instead beginning their journey in the centre of the stage. The large Augmented Reality graphics that WWE use on television is also missing. It would be fantastic to see entrances more closely match what we see on WWE TV, as the rest of the product seeks to emulate what we see on television as closely as possible.

New additions to the match-types in this year’s version include Gauntlet, Casket, Ambulance, Special Guest Referee matches as well as Backstage Brawls. The Gauntlet Match, where the idea is to get through a number of opponents in successive 1v1 matches in the hope to be the final wrestler standing at the end, is one of those matches that never should have disappeared in the first place. The same goes for Special Referee matches, which have featured a number of times in games in the past. I understand that each game needs to have some unique features to them, but removing elements only to reimplement them later while also presenting them as brand-new additions does feel off.

The most anticipated match-types, Ambulance and Casket, can be rather hit and miss. They are much like playing a ladder match, where people and AI alike are mostly invested in climbing the ladder over and over again to win rather than playing the match itself. Every time I played both Ambulance and Casket, where the goal is to put your incapacitate your opponent enough that they can be thrown into the ambulance/casket without resistance, I found that I kept getting thrown in over and over again even at full health where it was easy to recover and get myself out of the situation.

Much like War Games last year, there are some tweaks that need to happen for next year which will make all these new modes more engaging in general. Thankfully, this seems to be happening as most of my complaints about War Games last year have been fixed.

This year’s 2K Showcase focuses on WrestleMania. As this year marks the 40th year of WrestleMania, the Showcase lets us revisit some of WrestleMania’s best ever matches over the past 39 events. Most of the included matches are certified bangers, and it was a joy to revisit a lot of these matches that I have not sat down and watched in a long time. Veteran commentator Corey Graves introduces each match by explaining the back story and how each match came to be and narrates the live-action parts of each match as well.

I personally do not have an issue with the fact that not every WrestleMania is represented, as many wrestlers that could have been showcased work for other companies and therefore cannot be licensed for this game. What I did find frustrating is the length of some of the live action segments of these matches. There is one segment in Stone Cold Steve Austin vs The Rock that went for seven minutes straight. Most of this segment was without commentary as well, so having no audio other than generic rock music playing in the background does make some of these matches a bit of a slog to get through. There are also so many things blurred out in earlier matches as well, and it just feels weird to have legends like Earl Hebner and “Mean” Gene Okerlund wiped from history.

MyRise tries something different this year for each of its two stories. The women’s story, “Unleashed” involves you playing a wrestler who owns her own promotion but gets an opportunity to express herself on the biggest stage of them all in WWE. The men’s story, “Undisputed,” sees your wrestler gain the WWE Universal Undisputed Championship after it’s been vacated by Roman Reigns.

Both stories have a lot of branching elements to them, and your choices very well determine the path that you take within these modes. The dialogue remains as cheesy as ever, but it is improving. It is also difficult to take a lot of it seriously since the mode tries to blend how the company works in its day-to-day proceedings while also sticking to Kayfabe at the same time. When a wrestler complains about how they are being booked in the company, and then in the very next match you compete like there is not a predetermined outcome. It is all very strange, but it does continue to improve year in and year out.

MyGM mode has seen some significant improvements. 2K24 has seen the inclusion of roster trades, which we have seen on WWE TV on occasion. There are also talent scouts who can help get the right wrestler at the right price, and better contract negotiations. Like most other modes, this is the most balanced we have seen of this mode since it was first introduced in WWE 2K22.

MyFaction feels a lot better too. My biggest issue in the past was that it was its own mode separate from the rest of the game. Unique wrestlers that could be unlocked in this mode were not able to be played in other modes. This year fixes that and sees 2K have the unique opportunity to add extra costumes to wrestlers over time and allow them to be unlocked to be utilised in all other modes. Unlocking an action-figure version of John Cena, then carrying him over to fight The Undertaker in a Casket Match is a surreal experience. I can definitely see myself playing this more regularly if 2K keep incentivising it with unlockables.

The Creation Suite now includes the ability to create referees and signs that can be used in the crowd. I have always found it an annoyance that the likes of Charles Robinson and Jessika Carr were never featured in the game. Not only are they included now, but the creation suite allows us to create all the other referees in the WWE Universe. Adding signs also improves the overall presentation of wrestler entrances, and I have already seen quite a few recreations of the now famous “The Rock, The” signs which warms my heart. Creations do take some tinkering with, as a lot of things like hair still clips through clothes and belts.

Finally, the roster continues to impress. It mostly feels up to date, and 2K have ramped up their ability to include recent signings, with CM Punk and Nia Jax already announced as DLC. The only strange omission in the standard roster is Lyra Valkyria as the NXT Women’s Champion, but she is also announced as DLC. Overall, I continue to be impressed with how up to date the roster can be. It helps that a certain former boss is not releasing people every couple of months anymore.

WWE 2K24 continues to learn from its mistakes and improve over time. The team at Visual Concepts shows a love and commitment to pro-wrestling. For every mistake they make such as an imbalance in Ambulance and Casket matches, they make improvements across the board such as MyFaction mode and War Games matches. Hopefully, next year’s Showcase mode will see some improvements, but as an overall package, WWE 2K24 is a difficult one to pass up.