'WWE 2K17': Latest News and Buzz for Release Week

The waiting, wondering and longing is over; Suplex City is set to open its gates when WWE 2K17 arrives this week.

Goldberg's addition as a pre-order character and Brock Lesnar's role as cover star has generated much of the buzz for the latest installment of the WWE video game series, but it's not the stars that will make this game; it's the small things. 2K has worked out to improve the finer points of the game, even to the point of sacrificing the popular Showcase mode from previous editions.

Fans won't have to wait long to experience those changes firsthand. WWE 2K17 will be out for PlayStation, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on Tuesday.

The first reviews of the game offer a glimpse of whether 2K was able to outdo WWE 2K16. And a number of new videos showed off several of the tweaks developers made this year.

Initial Reviews 

More outlets will release reviews in the coming week and provide a better picture of whether WWE 2K17 is a hit or a flop. For now, the early returns are mixed.

Omar Majeed of Segment Next wasn't hugely impressed with the game. This Gen Gaming handed out far more praise.

Majeed wrote that the Universe and MyCareer modes are better, but he still isn't sold on them. He wrote,"Even with these additions and refinements, both of these simulation modes retain their clunky and repetitive nature. It is therefore baffling how the developers decided to leave out the entire Showcase mode from this year's offerings."

He stated that one's enjoyment will depend on what modes one prefers. 

"If the prospect of brawling in backstage corridors excites you and if you plan to put significant time into My Career and Universe modes, then WWE 2K17 is the game for you," Majeed wrote. He awarded WWE 2K17 a 7-out-of-10 rating.

This Gen Gaming came away more impressed with virtual WWE action.

Its review talked up the improved flow multiwrestler matches, the ability to fight throughout the arena and the promo portion of Universe mode, which it called a "surprisingly great feature in the game."

Overall, the write-up was enthusiastically positive. It stated, "I'm happy to say that not only is this better than WWE 2K16, it's the best wrestling game in many years." This Gen Gaming gave WWE 2K17 an 8.5 out of 10.

Details, Details, Details

Many of the changes that developers made with WWE 2K17 may not be noticeable at first glance.

The game will have improved taunts, additional moves and more choices for filters. That last item will interest those who spend a ton of time in games' creation suites.

2K showed off the new filters available in Create-A-Show mode, including sepia and one that mimics the look of a shoddy VHS:

Another video from the WWE 2K YouTube page laid out the game's basic controls. While that may not sound like anything newsworthy, a few of the items stand out.

For example, taunts will have added impact. Some taunts will get your opponent to rise to their feet. Some will add a damage bonus. 

And one can do these taunts from a variety of positions, which is something we haven't seen to this point.

SmackTalks provided a list of abilities available to players:

One can spear a foe through the TV monitor or administer The New Day's Unicorn Stampede. These are the kind of details that could easily get lost as one focuses on the graphics and roster. Ultimately, they bolster the game, though.

And Jason Dunning of PlayStationLifeStyle.net provided the amount of space the game will take up on players' consoles. He wrote, "According to PlayStation 4 owners who’ve already pre-loaded the digital version of WWE 2K17, the Day 1 update is 11GB, bringing the total size of the game and update to around 58GB."

More Marketing Fun

Whether WWE 2K17 is remembered as a leap forward or a stumble, one can't deny how creative the company has been with marketing the game.

From revealing the game's roster via the Suplex City census to allowing fans to superimpose themselves into the fictional metropolis, there have been plenty buzz-creating elements incorporated into the marketing strategy. 

More recently, 2K put out a video tour of Suplex City, complete with the song "Downtown" in the background.

Alberto Del Rio was originally part of that commercial, but his exit from the company appears to have changed that. As Pro Wrestling Spotlight pointed out, Del Rio was no longer in the ad when it aired more recently:

2K didn't stop there. It has since crafted infomercials for the Lesnar-run city.

In one, a fake ad for Goldberg's Gym invites fans to train with the powerhouse using bear traps. Suplex City TV then featured Paul Heyman as an ambulance-chasing attorney: 

The phone number in the ads actually works, by the way. They don't connect to Goldberg's Gym or Heyman's law office but feature a recorded message.

Fans of WWE video games have to be hoping 2K's developers were as successful as its marketing team.