WWE 2K18 Review: Analyzing Updates to MyCareer Mode

WWE 2K18 launched Tuesday, boasting a bevy of new features from an emphasis on the presentation of the WWE universe, fan-requested updates and MyCareer mode. 

Reviews so far have highlighted the updates surrounding MyCareer mode, which is one of two arms branching off from MyPlayer and the creation suite as a whole. 

That creation suite once again offers one of the most robust experiences in a sporting game. With the nature of WWE encouraging players to join the fray of the WWE universe, it only makes sense 2K Sports once again has a strong offering when it comes to the creation process. 

While the bold Road to Glory is one angle players can use after creating a superstar, major changes to MyCareer mode make it a contender for the biggest highlight of this year's offering. 

Maybe the biggest talking point about the updates to the mode comes in the form of a new free-roam feature. Based on where a created wrestler stands in his career, players will get to roam backstage at events.

These free-roam opportunities can take place at the Performance Center, NXT, at a pay-per-view or others and add one more layer of realism and immersion to the experience. Getting to chat with random wrestlers and those in charge of the show makes for a memorable time and adds some WWE flavor to what once used to be a text-only affair. 

The stories and progressions themselves are altered as well, as expected. In WWE 2K18, players can choose one of two arcs: Company Man or Fan Favorite. These play out exactly as fans would expect. The Company Man arc has a player's character working with general managers and those in charge as did the game's cover star Seth Rollins at one point with The Authority. The Fan Favorite tests himself every night and earns the respect of everyone—think someone like A.J. Styles. 

A 2K Sports developer blog explained that this is how it wanted to give players as many options as possible based off feedback:

"This is no easy task, as everyone has a different vision for his or her WWE Superstar. We pay close attention to this vision, and at the end of each WWE 2K iteration, we take a long and hard look at what our fans want in future MyCAREER offerings. The two things that stood out most to us following WWE 2K17 were the lack of free-roaming backstage and a shift back to telling a compelling story through self-created WWE Superstars..."

The innovations to promos make a return in this year's offering as well. How the game scores a player's promo is different, though most of the tried-and-true formula is still here: Pick a topic that makes sense and while under a time limit, stick to the topic to win over the crowd or best another wrestler. 

One of the points the developers went on to make in the blog post is the extensive work put into making sure no two superstars feel the same while cutting promos. It sounds like an obvious feature, though this year's game will really broadcast the difference viewers mostly take for granted during broadcasts. 

It's worth mentioning this new-look MyCareer mode isn't necessarily a single-player experience. When starting the mode, players can choose to allow invasions. Creations from friends can invade a player's MyCareer universe and partake in storylines and backstage, ranging from tag-team partners to rivals and beyond. 

MyCareer feels fresh this year, to say the least. It isn't brand new like Road to Glory, an online offering where players let their creations clash while attempting to earn their way into real-world pay-per-views. 

But it sounds like 2K Sports has another complete experience on its hands. It weaves nicely into what has the look of a total package, with the innovative free-roam leaps and storyline changes meshing well with the superb broadcast-esque presentation to offer something new to fans ready to dive right back into the WWE universe.