WWE 2K20: Expert Review Roundup and Analysis

Like a quality cocktail at a beach resort bar, the feedback from expert reviews on WWE 2K20 has been mixed. The wrestling franchise seems to have taken a few steps forward and even more steps back in this year's edition. 

Just look at the headlines. While Liam Martin of the Daily Express went with "WWE 2K20 Review: Terrible news for fans ahead of PS4, Xbox release date," Fortress of Solitude's Sergio Pereira used "WWE 2K20 Appears To Have Learnt From Past Mistakes."

Meanwhile, GiveMeSport's Oliver Browning headed off with "WWE 2K20 review: New features and gameplay changes give the wrestling franchise a new look," but Sammy Barker of PushSquare led with "WWE 2K20 Is an Astoundingly Buggy Mess on PS4."

After going through much of the current analysis, Martin summarized the game's status succinctly: "WWE fans will be disappointed to hear the latest news heading into the WWE 2K20 launch."

It's true. By all accounts, 2K20's creativity in the MyCareer and DLC packages has not overcome its gameplay and visual concerns. The wrestling simulator's graphics have been unfavorably compared to those of its predecessors, and its gameplay is uncomfortably buggy.

With those flaws in mind, Barker did not hold back in his criticism: "It's WWE 2K20's launch week, and it's becoming increasingly clear that 2K Sports should have probably cancelled this title."

Still, positives do exist for the franchise. Given the game's decision to highlight female Superstars and include a female story in MyCareer for the first time, Pereira cautiously suggested, "It looks as if WWE 2K20 is on the right track this time around."

Similarly, Browning credited the game for developing a theatrical career mode that "is very different from previous years."

Overall, 2K20 seems to be a disappointment, and the professional critics aren't the only ones saying so.

In just one day since its release, Metacritic's user score puts the game at a 1.4 out of 10. Or, as they qualify it, "overwhelming dislike." For comparison, the sole critic review Metacritic could find came from Forbes' Brian Mazique, who gave the game a 5.25. 

Costumes and cutscenes are cool, but gamers care more about gameplay and graphics. It's telling that, while Mazique afforded the game a moderate score, the people who actually had to pay for the WWE 2K20 playing experience couldn't even give the 2K franchise's latest installment a two.