WWE 2K18: Latest News, Buzz and Reviews Ahead of Release Date

WWE 2K18 will launch on Oct. 17 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Windows. But unofficially, lots of people are playing the game right now thanks to early access for those who pre-ordered the Deluxe or Cena (Nuff) editions.

What's the early buzz? And should you plunk down your hard-earned cash for 2K's latest annual release? Here's a roundup of the latest news.

NXT Ratings

A week before the game came out, we had the ratings for all of the main roster. But thanks to the early release, we now have ratings for everyone else—the NXT performers, the Legends and the DLCs. Here are some interesting points that stand out.

Even after adding in the likes of Steve Austin, The Rock, Bret Hart and Andre the Giant, Roman Reigns is still the top-rated wrestler at 95.

It is difficult to compare wrestlers from across eras—the expectations for what an ideal superstar is change annually, let alone over decades. But it seems revisionist and overly complimentary to place Reigns above men who have accomplished far more than him. Heck, even the 2010 era John Cena was a 94, one point below Reigns. At least place those two even with one another.

Meanwhile, Andre the Giant is ranked at an 85. This puts him on the same level as Sheamus and one point above Neville. There is no possible way to justify that.

When fans complain about having Reigns shoved down their throats, they're talking about actions like this. The one wrestler who has actually given Reigns the most trouble in recent months is Braun Strowman. He's ranked at an 88, below Roman Reigns, but also below Seth Rollins, who he beat cleanly on Raw last week.

Consistency is important, and hopefully the 2K team can adjust these ratings on a weekly, or at least monthly, basis if need be.

Finn Balor or Demon Balor?

Here's something that hasn't gotten a lot of attention: the difference between Finn Balor, with no makeup and the leather jacket, and Demon Finn Balor, with all the creepy red lighting effects and the body paint. Finn Balor is rated an 88, but Demon Finn Balor is rated 92.

This makes sense from a kayfabe standpoint; the Demon is only brought out on special occasions for major matches. And in the past, 2K has had many wrestlers with varied ratings across multiple versions. But in those cases, the different ratings resulted by comparing different eras; Undertaker '91 versus Undertaker '00, for example.

This game takes the unique step of rating different characters from the same era. Dude Love is an 85, Mankind is an 89 and Cactus Jack '98 is an 88. Hopefully, this meta trend continues. Can a Sister Abigail version of Bray Wyatt be far behind?

Online Mode Is...Messy

Credit: WWE.com

Based on early reports on Reddit, the online mode is a source of frustration. There is no firewall between unrestricted online play, where players can use their Create a Wrestler (CAW) characters; and restricted play, where players can only select from the real wrestlers on the roster.

The result of this—which will become even more apparent months from now—is that to be competitive in online mode, you have to use your CAW and max it out at 100. Though this could change, there is currently no way to use a competitive, balanced wrestler, with logical strengths and weaknesses, effectively. 

The Creation Suite Is Greatly Enhanced

As of Monday morning, there are two positive reviews on Metacritic for WWE 2K18. Forbes has also published an early review, and it is, by and large, a positive reaction.

Critic Brian Mazique calls particular attention to the the Creation Suite, which is incredibly specific and detailed—for anyone who wants to create a wrestler outside of the established roster, it'll be easier than ever. Mazique highights the ability to layer clothes, of different material, one on top of the other and create stitch patterns.

Still, there is no face scanner similar to the one used in NBA 2K18. A well-tuned one, that takes multiple plot points on a person's face, would eliminate the need to shape the tip and contours of the nose, at least if the player is creating him or herself.

Brock and Braun Sitting in a Tree

The funniest viral videos last year were the ones that switched the wrestlers' entrances so that a superstar performed the body language and movements of a different wrestler—for example, the Undertaker swiveling his hips like Big E, or AJ Styles doing the Tango like Fandango.

This year, the funniest video so far has to be this one, which pairs Braun Strowman and Brock Lesnar with The Miz and Maryse's entrance. The little twirl before the kiss is perfect. There will no doubt be many more of these reimagined entrances to come.