WWE 2k23 (Xbox One/SX)

Während WWE 2K22 ein Jahr des Wiederaufbaus für die Serie war, geht es bei WWE 2K23 darum, auf diesem Fundament aufzubauen, den Spielern mehr für ihr Geld zu bieten und alles einen Schritt nach vorne zu bringen. Es gibt sicherlich noch viel Raum für Verbesserungen, aber WWE 2K23 ist mit Sicherheit eines der besten Wrestling-Spiele des letzten Jahrzehnts.

As a wrestling fan, I want to create five-star classic matches, with back-and-forth action, near falls, and iconic moments, but ultimately WWE 2K23 cannot facilitate that. Messy and overly complicated controls hamper those efforts, but it’s 2K’s obsession with players winning matches that ensure this professional wrestling game misses the point entirely.

Building on the reasonably solid gameplay foundation of WWE 2K22, WWE 2K23 manages to finally find a comfortable spot. It is, at its core, the same general game that we get year after year. It kind of sucks that we have to keep paying for small improvements. However, small improvements got us here, and here is a pretty decent place to be.

WWE 2K23 sees the series return to form by building on the solid foundations laid down last year to improve both its in-ring action and suite of game modes.

WWE 2K23’s more incremental bells and whistles means it’s technically an overall stronger package than 2K22. However, unlike last year, it doesn’t benefit from the rose-colored excitement of getting to play a big wrestling sim again after a years-long absence.