If there’s one thingWWEfans can agree on, it’s thatWWE 2K22is a marked improvement over theuniversally-pannedWWE 2K20. It’s a solid foundation by which the franchise can continue to grow, and serves as a reason for EA not to take over theWWE 2Klicense. Indeed,WWE 2K22doesn’t just take a few steps in the right direction—it sprints toward it.
However, that doesn’t meanWWE 2K22doesn’t have a few faults that will hopefully be ironed out across the next few games. The game comes packed with content, which should remain largely the same, but it needs to improve that content.WWE 2K23, if it does release an annualized title, would need a few improvements to MyRise, among others.
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WWE 2K22 MyRise: Improved Storylines
One thing that stands out about MyRise is the whole power fantasy of taking a superstar or diva through the Performance Center to the top of the game. However, there’s a clear gap in thebest storylines in MyRise—some storylines like the relationship with Mandy Rose or the allegiance with Seth Rollins stand out. However, many are largely forgettable or are one-offs.WWE 2Kshould look to past games and create more interesting storylines, setting players in them and letting them react, instead of limiting players to a handful.
None of the storylines inWWE 2K22hold a candle to games likeWWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2008, where Teddy Long gets ran over in a huge mystery or players face off with the Undertaker in a Buried Alive match, orHere Comes the Pain, where the players can form a faction in rivalry to a new faction of Mr. McMahon’s, resulting in an Elimination Chamber match for the WWE title.
Not to mention, the timeline in MyRise feels off, as players can pick and choose when they pursue certain storylines. It’s interesting, but it still doesn’t hold a candle to playing through storylines from past games. The thingWWE 2Kreally needs to capture is the idea that this is Sports Entertainment, but thegame itself focuses on the Sport. No, the interesting storylines are just as important as the sheer physicality, and the next game needs to really bring it all together.
WWE 2K22 MyRise: Improved Storytelling
Speaking of, there are three things that thenextWWE 2Kgamehas to really drive home: the roles of face/heel characters, backgrounds, and social media. Faces vs. Heels are a classic element of the brand, but the game essentially boils it down to how some characters DM the player, as well as limits access to certain storylines (until players change alignment inWWE 2K22). In other words, it doesn’t feel like so much of a choice between being a face or a heel character, and more of just choosing which set of storylines to pursue.
The choice of backgrounds inWWE 2K22is also pretty nice, but sadly, it changes a little dialogue, gives some early buffs, and that’s about it. Instead, it would be more interesting if these backgrounds had a more thorough reach throughout the game. Indeed, it might be a stretch to say, but the waybackgrounds impactDragon Age: Originsor evenCyberpunk 2077would make each MyRise storyline all the more engaging.
Furthermore, the majority of storylines are delivered through Social Media in the game, and that makes each of them weaker.Social media certainly has its role in WWE, and it’s a good fit for the game. But it should be more contextual and not the main delivery source. The feud should play a big role in a story-driven cinematic and match method, with social media options used to contextualize or throw mud—not deliver entire storylines. Here, if it were to adopt the approach of games likeHere Comes the PainandSvR 2008, and use social media more sparingly and as more of an attachment, it would go to improve the overall storytelling and make the storylines even more interesting.
WWE 2K22is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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