WWE 2K23: Expert Reviews Roundup and Latest Launch Trailers

The Standard, Deluxe and Icon editions of WWE 2K23 are now available on all platforms, and reviews place it among the best wrestling games in recent history.

An offering that takes all that worked so well in 2022 and builds on it to continue WWE and 2K's return to form, this latest entry in the franchise offers little in the way of new but ensures what is there is vastly improved from its initial outing.

In the eyes of top reviewers, this is far from a bad thing.

Shaun Cichacki of Attack of the Fanboy offered up the most reverent praise for the game with a review that may ruffle the feathers of longtime wrestling gamers but also serves as a testament to what the developers have achieved:

"Step aside, No Mercy, there's a new late-night living room champion in the building.

"After just a few matches, I found myself jumping onto my dashboard and immediately deleting WWE 2K22 from my console, as this is an improvement in almost every possible way. From the improved opponent, AI that can be tweaked to your liking, to the commentary making every match feel alive, Visual Concepts and 2K Sports have almost perfected this genre."

It is a glowing review, particularly the suggestion that the game compares to No Mercy. The 2000 Nintendo 64 release is widely considered the greatest wresting game ever produced, thanks to its expansive roster, gameplay and overall fun factor.

The graphics in WWE 2K23 are undoubtedly the best seen, and the gameplay is vastly improved from other offerings of the last five years, but time will tell if it can last the way No Mercy has some two decades after its release.

Gamerant's Dalton Cooper offered up the following in his four-star review of the game:

"WWE 2K23 isn't a complete reinvention in the way WWE 2K22 was, but instead takes what was established in last year's installment and improves on it. Basically, every game mode and feature in WWE 2K22 is back in WWE 2K23 but expanded with more options. The result is a deeper, more content-rich wrestling game that is the best the series has been in years."

Ryan Woodrow of Sports Illustrated echoed that sentiment, stating, "small but meaningful improvements are the name of the game this year."

He added: "It's understandable and what we expected. 2K22 saw such a huge overhaul to the series, and there's no point in throwing that all away just for the sake of novelty. WWE 2K23 takes the solid foundations of last year's game, picks at every detail of every game mode, and finds ways to make it better."

There is such a thing as too much, too soon, and 2KSports and Visual Concepts have avoided that trap by resisting the urge to throw everything at the wall and see what sticks by focusing first on what they knew to be successful from last year's offering and doing what they could to improve upon it.

We see that in the improved MyGM mode, which features more match types, multiplayer options and fresh general manager choices. Ditto MyFranchise, which now includes multiplayer online options. This is something that drastically enhanced a mode that had plenty of potential a season ago and simply needed more attention during the development of this year's release.

DigitalTrends' Giovanni Colantonio offered a word of caution in his review, though.

"WWE 2K23 is another successful chapter in the wrestling series' comeback story, but the red flags of annualization are starting to appear already," he said.

One of the biggest complaints about the popular Madden NFL game is that every year the same game is repackaged with new rosters and a flashy new cover, but people still flock to buy it despite the minimal changes or upgrades.

Colantonio warns that WWE could find itself in the same boat if it does not constantly work to fix bugs, maintain modes, evolve them and introduce new elements to keep gamers from fatigue.

And that is where developers and WWE must work to ensure they do not fall into the same traps that the game did during the mid-to-late 2010s, where complacency bred a weaker annual offering before the crushing disappointment of 2020.

Yes, this year's addition to the franchise is better than the 2022 version. Yes, it offers better, more complete modes than before. The roster is better, the graphics are GOAT status and the gameplay is solid. It's crisp, clean and fun.

As they celebrate their hard work and what is sure to be a considerable success, it will be on the developers to build on this while introducing new and exciting innovations to keep fans coming back.

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