WWE 2K22: Expert Review Roundup and Analysis

WWE 2K22 appears to have made the positive splash that developer Visual Concepts hoped for ahead of its full release on Friday. 

Making a return similar to the comebacks cover star Rey Mysterio has made in the past, 2K22 is the first entry in the long-running pro wrestling simulation since October 2019. 

After a hiatus, 2K22 has flexed some muscle as far as the work put into overhauling the series. Totally reworked combat, new tweaks to presentation and a litany of new and returning game modes serve as the big highlights. 

As expected, they are the focal point of most early reviews, too. 

Callum Smith of Dual Shockers, for example, dialed in on those changes to presentation, which include new camera work: 

"Returning fans from prior games will notice major changes with the camera. You cannot change the default camera at all, but you probably won’t have the desire to revert back to older games as the new direction is brilliant. The camera follows you when leaving the ring, it cuts to close-ups for specific moves so they feel really powerful, and it doesn’t make the ring feel small even in multi-man matches like a Royal Rumble."

It's obvious WWE 2K22 looks great, but that was to be expected with the power of next-generation consoles backing it. The fact that it feels great because the camera—a long-running adversary of players—has received a rework is a great sign. 

As for gameplay, Giovanni Colantonio of Digital Trends says the new combo system is a hit: "It's a bit of a button-masher, but that kind of works for this game. I love that I can hammer three main buttons and watch my wrestler suddenly pull off a Canadian Destroyer out of nowhere. It's casually satisfying, but still has enough depth for people who want to nail its systems down."

This reworked combat tosses aside the complex joystick controls and button modifiers of past entries in the series and really goes all-in on a control scheme similar to most fighters, even in the 2D realm. It doesn't sound like players will have to go wild pausing the game to comb through a combos list, either. Most Superstars have the same inputs, but the move at the end of the chain could be different. 

A bigger emphasis on blocks, dodges and especially counters helps the experience feel fresh, too. A strong counter system that asks players to hit the same button as their attacker at the same time actually helps new players avoid getting move-spammed until the point of eating a pin. 

As for actual game-mode analysis, Game Rant's Dalton Cooper wrote that the long-anticipated return of a MyGM mode falls a bit short because it ends up feeling shallow: 

"The WWE 2K22 version of General Manager mode doesn't give fans many match options, with players only able to book variations of singles and tag team matches. Beyond that, WWE 2K22 MyGM players only have two titles to work with on their respective brands, whereas previous takes on the mode allowed for tag team and mid-card titles as well."

Limitations aside, it sounds like the wealth of thought players have to put into running their own WWE show with their own custom-drafted roster, including a salary cap and free agents, is an immersive treat. 

Presumably, most WWE fans diving into 2K22 have spent some time fantasy-booking their own shows. So booking matches and feuds with factors such as personalities and styles while aiming for good match and overall show ratings should feed that appetite really well. 

That's just one game mode of many touched on in most reviews, too. It sounds like MyRise, the rebranded career mode, is the fun, unpredictable time most have come to expect from the mode. And 2K Showcase, chronicling the career of Mysterio, omits some big moments but is still a worthwhile tribute to a modern legend. 

Also discussed is the new mode called MyFaction, which takes cues from things like Madden's Ultimate Team to send players on a collect-a-thon mode that asks them to assemble a team and gather modifiers along the way. Players then take their factions into a robust array of challenges, including dailies and weeklies that will keep getting updated. 

Right before global launch, 2K22 has the sounds of a triumphant return for one of the biggest properties in sports video gaming. There's planned support in the form of five DLC packs too, so if nothing else, the game is here to stay after the series took a hiatus. 

Players can find out for themselves if the return has been worth the wait when the game launches on Friday.