WWE 2K19

Pros

• Greatly improved career mode
• New characters, soundtrack, and venues
• Graphics have been updated

Cons

• Career mode is monotonous at the start
• Some glitches and balance bugs

WWE 2K19 is one of the most engaging and eye-catching games in this popular wrestling series.

While wrestling games are no longer as popular as they used to be, the WWE franchise continues to produce world-class titles every single year. In this game, you are going to enjoy a wide variety of new mechanics as well as a huge leap in graphics. WWE has also updated their roster with a few new names and added a slew of new locations. This game should seem familiar to those who are fans of this franchise, but WWE has included enough upgrades to make this new release worth every penny.

For the average player, the MyCareer mode is going to be the most enticing aspect of this game. WWE has fixed some of the biggest career bugs that plagued previous releases, and this finally feels like a full and complete title. Every single character in the game is expertly designed, and the voice acting is superb throughout 2K19. As an added bonus, you won’t have to worry about hearing the same four or five phrases every few seconds. Between the announcers and wrestlers, there are thousands of voice clips, catchphrases, and monologues.

Even though the career mode used to start in NXT, your character will now begin in an indie organization known as BCW. Starting at a much lower rung adds quite a bit of authenticity to this game, and you are going to work your way through a wide variety of second-rate locations ranging from high school gymnasiums to parking lot stages. After you have won enough matches, the WWE’s head trainer should eventually notice you, and that is when your character’s career is going to take off.

The biggest drawback of MyCareer is the slow progression at the start of the game. During your first few matches, your character is going to be incredibly underpowered, and the initial move list is extremely paltry. You also won’t be able to customize your entrance until you have won quite a few matches, and that will be a major turnoff for some people. That being said, your options are going to skyrocket as soon as you break out of the BCW and move to the WWE.

As your character wins a handful of matches and becomes more famous, you will need to carefully choose how you would like to raise their stats. The stat system in WWE 2K19 is phenomenal, and you can put your experience points into three separate skill trees. Each skill tree has a variety of moves and bonuses to choose from, and you can do quite a bit to personalize your fighting style. The skill trees that you put points into will also impact your base stats, and that adds another bit of complexity to the game. Becoming the best fighter in WWE is going to be a long journey, but this game doesn’t feel like you have to grind your way through boring matches.

In addition to the career mode, WWE 2K19 also has a showcase option. In that mode, you follow the career of Daniel Bryan, and each match is going to cover a famous moment in his career. The cutscenes before and after the matches have been expertly recreated, and you are definitely going to enjoy the showcase mode if you are a fan of Daniel Bryan or the history of professional wrestling. Unfortunately, there are no checkpoints during that mode, and some of the matches can easily last for 30 minutes or longer.

Beyond those two game types, you can choose from many different mini-games and side quests. You also have the option of playing online with friends or competing with strangers from around the world. While those types of matches can be fun, you should learn the basic mechanics of the game before you go up against any opponents online. The online tournaments are especially difficult, and those types of matches are usually dominated by players who have been honing their skills for multiple months.

With the improved career mode, updated roster, and eye-catching new graphics, WWE 2K19 is definitely a AAA title. While there are still a few bugs to work out, this game can easily provide you with hundreds of hours of entertainment, and it is a must-have for fans of professional wrestling.

Pros

• Greatly improved career mode
• New characters, soundtrack, and venues
• Graphics have been updated

Cons

• Career mode is monotonous at the start
• Some glitches and balance bugs