WWE 2k20 Review (PS4)
I think a lot of eager fans were anxious to see what the next generation and beginner of a new decade of WWE wrestling videogames was going to be capable of. Especially after coming off the very strong and DAMN good outing that we got in the form of WWE 2K19. Well, a lot of major things can go wrong when a COMPLETELY new and inexperienced team of dev's who have no history or knowledge of creating a wrestling simulator are given the task with such little time to work on it due to the release date pending. I will say this, for this to be their VERY FIRST WWE game to craft, from scratch to finished product, I think they actually did a lot better than most people would do. I mean, a LOT of content goes into these WWE games on a yearly basis, and that is the cold truth that these rookies were faced with. So, I will be keeping that in mind as I write this review and attempt to give them the benefit of the doubt about most aspects, however, not ALL issues this game hides are forgivable or even excusable.
I mean, getting first acquainted with the game can be very deceiving. It looks pretty damn good. Of course you still can;t help but notice the sometimes very awkward hair standing up on the female competitors but for the most part, the developers used a solid engine base and character/face designs that do in deed look like their real life counterparts. I wanted to get that outta the way first because it is some of the only praise the game will be getting in this review. While I DEFINITELY think this game is WAY better than Gamespot's absurdly low review score of 2, the game will still drive players mad as they attempt to overlook the plethora of gameplay glitches and bugs that haunt almost every aspect of this title.
I was immediately very pleased to see my personal favorite mode in WWE games to return, the Showcase Mode. It covers Becky Lynch, Bailey, Charlotte Flair & a few other top female athletes who were all instrumental in the Women's division becoming a main event selling point and ushered a new movement in the industry. The matches give you objectives to try and follow for rewards such as new attire for the ladies or new arenas. A few of the situations the mode pits players in can be a little unfair and hard to perfect because of the poorly designed mechanics one must go through just to perform what SHOULD be a simple task. But, I was happy nonetheless to see the Showcase again included as it went absent from the 2K games for a few years to everyone's dismay. I would've preferred to get to participate in even just a few male superstars pivotal matches but alas, the game does not give players that option.
The roster consists of a fairly average size amount of hot talent and some WWE legends as well. Hollywood Hulk Hogan & Sting are among a few, and the even more can be unlocked as you progress through the games different modes, mainly My Career Mode, where you create your version of a male AND Female WWE superstar. I will go into more about that mode later, but it doesn't take a hardcore WWE aficionado to know that even the games most basic matches function very sporadically and glitchy. You jump off the ropes only to somehow end up on the outside of the ring, wrestlers entrances are ruined due to glitchy opponent character animations being in the way. For a better example of this, I was playing a match as Charlotte Flair and after watching my entrance with seemingly no real issues or lag, when my opponent began making her way to the ring, she was doing her little waving at the crowd while standing on the turnbuckle in the ring, only my character was standing an glitching in and out in the very SAME position as her, which resulted in a hilarious glitchy scene of my character getting trampled on. The same issues and complications arise from almost any special match such as Hell In A Cell, TLC. Me and my nephew came to the realization that if you play the Royal Rumble on this game, you CANNOT pick Hulk Hogan or the game will freeze up and be forced to reset by your console. Other things such as picking up weapons or simply returning to the ring at times can be far too tasking and unpredictable. Which leads me to another HUGE problem I have with 2k20.
The controls are the most bizarre combinations & finger twisters that you would NEVER believe that this is a wrestling game you are playing. I mean, I get that to include all the wrestlers many varying and differing moves and Finishers can prolly be a large plate to fill, but the mass confusion 2k20's controls causes are absurd. You must hold R2 while pushing Square and then following it up with X to lift your opponent into the Powerbomb position and that is just for THAT. The most easy and accessible movements/commands are made into such a frustrating and drawn out concept that it really does take away from the experience. What was wrong with the basic, yet deep control setup that 2k19 incorporated. Why change and fix what is most certainly not broken?!
The Create A Player mode or My Career mode is much like the previous 2k games mode was. EXCEPT this time, players are REQUIRED to not only create a male superstar but also a female superstar. The choices of attire, facial features, or even moves and entrances that are on offer is basically A or B. All the normal looking facial features and aspects must be unlocked by the ridiculous LOOT boxes, which must be played repeatedly and grinded into the ground for hours upon hours to even unlock. So, I'm guessing most people did what I did and just went with the weird & unusual starting pre-sets to choose from, resulting in a person who does not AT ALL resemble themselves or perform ANY moves or Finishers that they personally like. It is ridiculous to force players to create these 2 ugly, and very strange looking people and then force them to spend every waking hour playing repetitive and grueling glitchfests for matches just to be able to choose a normal and average looking human being. Aside from the hideous design choices the dev's decided to go with, the mode plays out much the same way 2K19's did. Original content with real voice acting by superstars are included as your zeroes get their start in the industry. There are some surprises in store and some ridiculous antics that WWE is famous for including on it's TV programs every week, so all in all, the My Player mode is a hit and a miss. It will prolly best be played as it is the best method for obtaining the games version of currency or points, which can then be spent on WWE legends or championship belts or arenas. It will become very repetitive to be a part of once you have reached the end, so like I said, the mode is a hit and a miss.
Well, you can see the why the game has received such a negative response from the fans. A lot of people look forward every year to see what new and exciting features the new 2K WWE game will have on offer. And this year was a disgrace. A game that should never have been allowed to release until the bugs and glitches were rectified. And yet, the game released in a form that is embarrassing both to the fans who bought it, but the wrestling professionals they aim to depict. You will find better wrestling on the last console generations line-up of wrestling titles than you will here. And that is a sad fact that will forever stain this games name. Now, I know precautions and preparations have already been claimed to be happening according to the creators in regards to the future 2k titles, and as it turns out, the dev's have already announced that there will NOT be a WWE 2k21 title released this year, as the team is going to attempt to take the necessary time and resources to craft the best experience they can for the following years scheduled WWE title. Well, I don't think anyone will need to convinced that this is probably the best choice to be made, even so, it is a bittersweet announcement all the same.