WWE makes a great come back

With it’s new career and mechanics, WWE 2K17 is shaping up to be one of the best games this year.

WWE 2K17 is around the corner and last week I was invited to play the game before launch, and quite frankly I was pleasantly surprised at how great the game was. 2K16, in my opinion wasn’t a big step up from 2K15 which was a pretty good year for WWE, however with WWE 2K17 we see a major shift in focus and tons of improvements and additions.

One of the major changes is the removal of the 2K showcase mode, which was reliving past storylines, Historical WWE Moments across generations. However this year they have opted to do away with that in an effort to let players make their own WWE journey.

There is an increased focus on Universe mode and Career Mode. Career mode starts with a try out for NXT and then as you progress you get a chance to be a Paul Heyman Guy. This is the newest addition as you get propelled to new heights with the backing of the greatest manager in wrestling history. You need to keep an eye out for competition and even manage your popularity and merchandise sales, as all of it contributes in determining whether you get a title shot at PPV’s.

Another great new feature is that you can now cut promos. Now, call out your rivals, generate heat and get over with the crowd, adding to the career experience.

The Universe mode now allows you three save slots. Unfortunately, the game does not include the brand split, but you can incorporate it through one of the most in depth creation suites in the history of WWE games. Not only can you make your own shows, arenas, championships and move sets, but also make custom titantron intro videos and victory celebrations. Edit highlights of your matches into custom movies for your superstars and decide how they celebrate in the ring!

One of the most important things in a WWE game is to be able to play with your favourite superstars and WWE 2K17 gives you 130 and more to start off with. There are tons of new additions like Samoa Joe, Carmella and Fin Balor in the main roster, with the likes of Nia Jax, Apollo Crews and Shinsuke Nakamura from NXT available with the Collector’s Edition, and of course Goldberg as a pre-order bonus.

Some, especially most divas, look like they didn’t get enough time and effort in design, though it is a great improvement from what we have been used. At the end of the game the new backstage brawl, crowd fighting and new mechanics, combined with how real the game felt and looked, makes me believe this might be one of the best WWE games in a long time.