WWE 2K24 Review: Finished Story Or New Chapter For The Franchise?

WWE 2K24 is the third installment of the franchise since 2K took a year off to re-tool the game after the release of WWE 2K20.

WWE 2K22 introduced a new control scheme that featured dodges and breakers while also treating fans to 'Slingshot Tech' which blended gameplay with WWE footage seamlessly.

WWE 2K23 gave us War Games matches and brought back GM Mode.

So what does WWE 2K24 bring?

A lot. Tons of quality of life updates, tweaks to MyFaction, new match types and more. 2K was kind enough to provide me with a review code for the game and I've spent about 20 hours playing through it.

Below, you'll see my thoughts in bullet points.

WWE 2K24 - The Good

The roster is massive. Obviously you won't be playing as Vince McMahon and Brock Lesnar due to current legal issues. But the number of available superstars is pushing 200 and will only get bigger through DLC and MyFaction (we'll get to that later).

CM Punk is IN THE GAME. He'll be added via DLC in April.

YOU CAN THROW WEAPONS NOW AND IT IS HILARIOUS.

The new match types are super fun. I enjoy the Ambulance Match a bit more, but that's just because I had an incredible sequence where, when playing as Randy Orton, I hit an RKO on Finn Balor on top of an ambulance, then threw him off the top, then tossed him into the back and slammed the doors for the win. That's so cool.

Special Referee matches are fun and hilarious, especially when playing with your friends.

Double Title Matches are in and work across multiple modes. Plus, there are a small number of double-title entrances added. They look great and really add to the immersion.

Create-A-Sign is very fun and can be immersive or totally wacky - the choice is yours.

The additions to Universe Mode are great, but I would've liked to see even more. The new match types are all available, the ability to edit third-party rivalry actions is a GAME CHANGER and having three ring announcers is a lot of fun.

2K listened to fans and is changing the way MyFaction works. 'Persona' cards in MyFaction are available to use across all modes. These are the cards that feature different attires/eras. For example, I've pulled a 2009 Sheamus 'Persona' card - so I can use 09 Sheamus (complete with his old theme!) in Universe Mode.

I won't spoil anything - but the MyRise storylines are fun. Some are a little more wacky and some feel like something you'd see on WWE programming. I enjoyed them.

Blood now runs from the head to the chest and then stains the mat. Looks great.

Cody Rhodes' theme song 'Kingdom' is available to listen to in the menu and to use for CAWs. I know this was a concern for a lot of people.

There's been some minor additions that really add quite a bit in the ring. You can now change direction while running off the ropes and can Irish Whip from a kneeling position. There's also some new situational controls (like when you're attacking an opponent in the corner).

The 'Trading Blows' mini game is AWESOME. There's nothing cooler than breaking this out towards the end of the match when both wrestlers are exhausted.

WWE 2K24 - The Bad

I harped on this last year, too, but the soundtrack is just not working for me. I thought 2K22 had a good soundtrack, but John Cena (who did the tracks last year) and Post Malone (who did this year's) do not share my taste in music.

Universe Mode continues to get better - but it still kind of feels like it isn't where it should be. Some sort of story creation feature would be awesome.

The Showcase Mode is cool to celebrate Wrestlemania. And Slingshot Tech is cool visually. But while I enjoyed last year's, this didn't quite do it for me. I think it's largely because the match selection was a tad strange (no Hollywood Hogan vs The Rock?!?) and the objectives sometimes get tedious.

Speaking of those objectives, I once spent nearly 10 minutes trying to do a top rope neckbreaker because my opponent kept reversing it. Kind of frustrating.

MyFaction still isn't something I'm overly interested in. I'll be trying to pick up the 'Persona' cards, but the game modes within MyFaction don't really interest me. I just don't think it lends itself to wrestling fans. It seems like it would make more sense to release new personas throughout the year for a set price.

A lot of wrestlers have recycled entrances.

WWE 2K24 - Overall Thoughts

I said in my WWE 2K23 review that it was the best wrestling game I've played since SmackDown: Here Comes The Pain.

Thankfully, 2K continues to build on a really strong foundation. The gameplay is in a good enough place that they could spend this iteration focusing on quality of life updates that the fanbase wanted.

And it's clear that they listen to the fans. But on a yearly development cycle, it can feel like they're a year behind when it comes to adding things in. That's because they're already working on WWE 2K25 and they won't be able to address all the stuff the fans say about 2K24 in time. But trust me, they're listening and they're wrestling fans. They want these games to be fun.

And that's abundantly clear when you're playing.

If WWE 2K23 was the best wrestling game I'd played since HCTP and WWE 2K24 is better than 2K23 in pretty much every conceivable way, then I suppose I have to acknowledge my Video Game Tribal Chief.

WWE 2K24 is a must-buy for any wrestling fan. The customization suite is still the industry standard, the QOL updates have added some really nice touches and the new match types are super-fun and will be a blast playing with friends.

You can Finish The Story with WWE 2K24 now.

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