WWE 2K17 (4)

Ramen Reigns

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! You are about to witness the longest-running franchise in all of sports entertainment hit the ring. The beast incarnate that is the WWE series. Weighing in at a combined total of more than your collective moms and hailing from Yuke’s unknown, prepare yourself! For a ride! TO SUPLEX CITY!

Although you might be better off taking a detour this year.

WWE 2K17 (3)

Ever since 2K landed the rights to the WWE franchise following the demise of THQ in a No-Holds Barred Bankruptcy I Quit match several years ago, the results have been mixed. As if it were following Star Trek movie logic, each successive game was either brilliant main event stuff or middling mid-card filler. WWE 2K17 is that mid-card entry. It’s the No-Chin Music of a James Ellsworth finisher with a band that hardly feels tuned up at all, running in the background.

WWE 2K17 (6)

On the surface, WWE 2K17 looks good. The visuals are as uncannily accurate as ever, the combat has been tweaked once again and the creation options are second to none. But the second you boot it up, the biggest problem makes itself know right away: There’s an overwhelming lack of direction here. Say what you like about previous WWE 2K games, but the Showcase mode has always been brilliant stuff.

WWE 2K17 (14)

The WWE brand knows how to tell a tale, and reliving the glory days of the likes of Triple H and CM Punk in a manner where every punch thrown told a story was the kind of magic that made the idea of sports entertainment so fascinating. But this year, there’s none of that. There’s no look back at the legends of the WWE through the hazy goggles of nostalgia and a slick video package, as WWE 2K17 focuses instead on your career inside the ring with your chosen wrassler.

WWE 2K17 (11)

MyCareer is an absolute grind, a plodding journey to the top of the card that’s about as engaging as that training video your company forces you to watch. When it comes to narratives, the WWE has given birth to some great feuds over the years. Think Chris Jericho;s battles with Shawn Michaels from 2003 that saw the Heartbreak kid have a retina detached. Daniel Bryan versus the Authority, a feud that saw the underdog finally claim what he was due or even Brock Lensar’s war with The Undertaker.

WWE 2K17 (12)

Stories and rivalries which shaped the industry in meaningful ways. Content that is otherwise non-existent in WWE 2K17. And really, it has the chops to be more than that. But instead, MyCareer devolves into matches without consequences and promos which miss the mark entirely. Promos in particular feel completely disconnected, mute sessions where your wrassler either panders or insults a crowd based on vague options and writing that should have been shoved into a shredder.

WWE 2K17 (8)

It’s monotonous stuff done to the sound of silence and feels like an idea being thrown into the beta stages of testing. Sure, there’s some effort attached to it but promos are far from complete in WWE 2K17 and the entire system needs a lot more practice on the mic before its ready for the ring. Manwhile, the combat may have been refined further but numerous other problems still persist.

WWE 2K17 (13)

When a WWE game nails combat, it’s meant to be a balance between shifting momentums that has the crowd on its feet. An idea where the outcome of a bout can be decided with a canny use of an elbow to break out of an F5 or a sneaky rake to the eyes to turn the tides. The outcome of a bout is always meant to be in the air, until that one signature move sets up the opposition for a trademark finisher to end the fight on a high note.

WWE 2K17 (9)

And really, WWE 2K17 doesn’t stray too far from the template set by WWE 2K16. But along the way, something was dropped. There’s a lack of that crucial momentum to the in-ring experience feels slower than the Great Khali’s ring entrance, while reversals suffer greatly. Sure, the window to pull off a Reversal may be a tad bit wider, but the connection between button prompt and keeping a keen eye on the animations of the onscreen wrasslers is totally disconnected, creating a confusing window of time within which to act.

WWE 2K17 (5)

And that’s a shame. There’s at least been some effort to extend the ring antics beyond the four corners, to take the fight backstage and through the crowd itself. But it all ends up feeling like you’re controlling an inaction figure at times instead of the titan you see on TV every week. Maybe it’s indicative of the current TV product, which is itself battling to create weekly drama that fails to balance nonsense with high stakes.

WWE 2K17 (7)

After WWE 2K16 took a massive step forward in the right direction last year, WWE 2K17 feels like it fell backwards off of a steel cage, creating an experience that is mediocre at best. The Yukes template is starting to show its age, something that no glossy layer of high definition visuals can hide. It’s time for something new, something fresh to give the dated mechanics a much-needed shake-up. Basically, WWE 2K17 isn’t the best game there ever was, ever is or ever will be.

WWE 2K17 (2)

But hey! At least we’re finally getting that Brock Lesnar and Bill Goldberg rematch to one of the worst Wrestlemania matches of all time because of WWE 2K17, right? That’s got to count for something.

Last Updated: November 10, 2016

WWE 2K17
WWE 2K17 isn’t exactly a step forward for the franchise. At best, it’s stuck in the past and completely lacking in any of the features that made 2K’s beast incarnate a strong contender from previous encounters. And that’s the bottom line.
5.5
WWE 2K17 was reviewed on PlayStation 4
69 / 100

14 Comments

  1. Came here for GavBrony wrestling, left disappointed.

    Reply

  2. Andre Fourie

    November 10, 2016 at 13:39

    Anyone really play this poefies?

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0

      November 10, 2016 at 13:41

      Haven’t bought one in ages, because there’s always a new one next year

      Reply

      • Andre Fourie

        November 10, 2016 at 13:44

        Like Fifa (*pukes in mouth). LOL. I dont know how people play this crap. Different strokes for different folks I guess.

        Reply

        • Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0

          November 10, 2016 at 13:49

          True

          Reply

  3. Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0

    November 10, 2016 at 13:41

    • Andre Fourie

      November 10, 2016 at 13:48

      XD

      Reply

      • Andre Fourie

        November 10, 2016 at 13:48

        That was seriously a kak movie.

        Reply

        • Lord Chaos

          November 10, 2016 at 13:49

          Just stole the words out of my mouth.
          Hate this actor as well.

          Reply

        • Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0

          November 10, 2016 at 13:49

          I’ve seen worse, but yeah, James Franco really hammed it up

          Reply

  4. 40 Insane Frogs

    November 10, 2016 at 14:28

    I’m enjoying it more than last year’s version, but I agree with Darryn this isn’t much of a step forward. They added some nice customisation options but… that’s about it. :/ 5.5 sounds about right!

    Reply

  5. Bruce Bielie

    November 10, 2016 at 14:33

    In a Pile drived haze I bought last years iteration and boy was I sad! The levels of simulation that game had was insane for a product based on essentially a soap opera on horse steroids!

    Reply

  6. For the Emperor!

    November 10, 2016 at 15:11

    I have not gotten 2K17 yet, and I do not thing I will. Observation on MyCareer after following a channel (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLraiQ_FBbRB2r2G5gzR6PXySgj-izO1Ci), there is a big issue with WWE2K16 I had, that mostly seems to persist: Fighting the same people over and over again (if I have to break Brock one more time…)
    Other issues I had with 2K16, was that rivalries didn’t feel like they meant anything. Especially when you lose the title to Daniel Bryan, only to see Brock suddenly be the title holder again and Bryan dropping to 7th in the rankings! I want that maggot Brock to earn the title, not get it by default. And it seems in 2K17 from watching the channel that Brock is always champ, no matter what. Really breaks any “immersion” there might be in MyCareer ffs. And seriously, after 1 little attack getting asked if this is a rivalry, or when you are 50/50 with the Authority getting asked after each match “unhappy with you” or “taken a liking to you”. FFS, such frustration. And I still haven’t unlocked the Hells Gate 🙁
    OK OK, rant over. Not getting 2K17

    Reply

  7. Fox1 - Retro

    November 11, 2016 at 10:26

    2K16 was a step backward. I never saw why the game was praised so much. The basic moves were err too basic and the simple things like kicking, well that could only happen after some punching. This a UFC can GITS. Bring me MK9 and KI.

    Reply

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