WWE 2K20 Review

WWE 2K20 has finally arrived, giving wrestling gamers around the world the chance to finally find out whether all the bad press the game has received during the build to its release is warranted. WWE 2K's titles are often criticized for feeling like the same game every year with a different cover star. However, 2K20 has looked as if the game has become even worse. If 2K was trying to build on WWE 2K19 and create a wrestling game 12 months better than its last - which should be the bare minimum when it comes to fan expectations - then it has failed.

WWE 2K20 has been criticized for a lot of things during the build-up to its release. Subpar graphics, wacky glitches, and an overall regression compared to previous years. Having now played extensively, we can confirm that all of that and so much more is indeed true. Bad graphics can be forgiven if the gameplay and action are good enough, but in 2K20's case, it is not.

Updated Roster: Good. Downgraded Graphics: Bad.

WWE 2K falls into the same category as titles such as FIFA and Madden in that it releases an updated game every single year. That means, at the very least, it needs to include an updated roster. Aside from making money, that's the main reason games like these are released annually. That's where WWE 2K20 gets a thumbs up. The roster has indeed been updated, and the gradual reveal during the weeks prior to the game's release was the only thing that kept fans interested in what the game had to offer.

WWE 2K20 needs to be more than just WWE 2K19 with newer Superstars, though. That should go without saying. It should be an overall better game than the year before, which should also go without saying. 2K20 just isn't, and it feels as if it isn't even trying to be. WWE 2K20 should give wrestling fans the chance to be as immersed in the wide, wide world of WWE like never before. If it's trying to be a lesser version of what has come before, however, then mission accomplished.

If It Ain't Broke, Why Fix It?

As touched upon already, the graphics and the glitches are perhaps the biggest issues. As you can see from the comparison shots above, the graphics seem to have gotten worse over the course of 12 months. What would cause that to happen is anyone's guess? The usual issues that have plagued wrestling games for as long as we can remember continue to rear their ugly heads too. Wrestlers' hair still looks super weird despite advances in other games, and the championships are flatter than a Lance Storm promo.

Despite WWE 2K games remaining the same each year, or in 2K20's case getting worse, most of us continue to buy them. Over the years, players will have become accustomed to the controller layout that has now been in place for a long time. So why wouldn't 2K now decide to switch things up? Players now need to press triangle on PS4, Y on Xbox One, to reverse a move, and awkwardly push square and X (A and X on Xbox One) to perform signature and finishing moves, which is different from years past.

Showcase Mode Saves The Day

As shocking as this may now seem, it's not all bad. WWE 2K's Showcase Mode has returned, and this time around it is celebrating WWE's Women's Revolution. Players will get the chance to play through some of the most iconic and industry-changing matches the WWE's Four Horsewomen have had over the course of the past five years. The mode starts with Charlotte Flair's NXT Title match against Natalya, a bout that put The Queen on the map. It also includes cutscenes during which Flair and the other horsewomen talk players through what happened and how it shaped their careers. WWE 2K gets a big plus for this at the very least.

If unfamiliar with the controls, which all players will be to an extent due to the changes, the Showcase Mode is actually a great place to start. It gives players specific tasks to perform, and players can check exactly how to perform them in the pause menu, thus helping out with the new controller layout. MyCareer Mode is also a great way to do this, another aspect of the game that has been done right. Maybe that's where all of the developer's focus went this year. It would certainly explain the rest of the game.

If you have been on social media at any point in the last 24 hours or so, you will know that the above is just the tip of the iceberg. Players are discovering more issues with WWE 2K20 almost as fast as we can write about them. Modern-day gaming allows developers to patch issues in real-time, and WWE 2K is going to be doing an awful lot of patching in the coming days. Patches or not, a game that feels as unfinished as this one is inexcusable. 2K has a lot to answer for and had better work 24/7 between now and the release of WWE 2K21 to make up for it.