WWE 2K19

- Reviewed on PS4 -

WWE 2K19 released on October 9th, 2018. 

Including DLC characters (wrestlers / superstars), WWE 2K19 has an astonishing 252 playable characters from Raw, SmackDown, NXT, and more!

Even with some flaws here and there, WWE 2K19 is definitely one of my favorite WWE games out there and coming from a hardcore WWE fan perspective, that says a lot for this sport simulation title. 

This review WILL have Major Spoilers so keep that in mind before continuing...

WWE 2K19 has a lot of the same game modes as the previous titles with a few additions though. 

There is a lot more match rules that you can change and the amount of wrestlers in a match up is increased as well.

People around the wrestling gaming world tend not to enjoy sport simulation games (specifically for wrestling), but for me, I personally like this style of wrestling genre more than the arcade style and WWE 2K19 is by far the most visually impressive and gameplay impressive title in the series. 

WWE 2K games normally have a showcase mode where they take real wrestlers' stories and recreate them in a timeline manner and for 2K19, Daniel Bryan is the showcase superstar. 

Every showcase mode is the main source for unlocking collectibles (new wrestlers, arenas, titles, etc.) for free play (exhibition). 

If it wasn't for the collectibles however, I probably would not have played any showcase mode on any 2K wrestling game simply because I already know their stories as a hardcore WWE fan. In a way, collectibles (unlockables) saved this game mode for me throughout the years of the series. 

However, looking at the showcase mode and what it is meant to do in each title (in the WWE 2K series), I can fully understand why they added this mode. 

They added showcase mode because they can educate non wrestling (WWE) fans about that specific topic, whether that be Daniel Bryan, the 4 Horsewomen, WrestleMania, DX, etc. 

Like mentioned earlier, this game is a sports simulation game, not a wacky arcade style game like WWE All-Stars or WWE 2K Battlegrounds. 

You basically get to create your own stories and drama with all the 200 plus superstars (wrestlers) and that's exactly what I did / do!

You pick who you want to wrestle as, 
you pick your opponent, 
you pick your arena (show / PPV), 
and pick what title to fight for / defend (optional). 

Those are the main game concepts for WWE 2K19 and all the previous games in the WWE 2K lineup. 

As a WWE fan, I believe this entry into the WWE 2K series is the absolute best in the whole series. 

WWE 2K19 has amazing, realistic visuals (graphics) to make it seem like you're watching an actual WWE show instead of a game. 

This game also has an amazing line up of WWE Superstars past and present to choose from. 

You have to either buy these wrestlers with real money (accelerator pack) or save up in game money, though annoying, it is worth the hassle because it is so much fun to play as these great legends like Stone Cold, The Rock, Kurt Angle, etc. 

On the topic of playable superstars, WWE 2K19 also has additional wrestlers as a part of the many DLCs. 

I personally did not like 2Ks method of keeping these superstars like Bobby Lashley, EC3, Ricochet, and Lacy Evans behind a paywall when these wrestlers were in WWE present day of release. 

Even though this seemed like a cash grab, I did fall into the "trap" and bought the titans pack and after buying this pack, I used these superstars (like Lashley and EC3) all the time. 

Exhibition and Showcase mode are not the only game modes in WWE 2K19, there is a My Career mode where you create your own wrestler and play through a linear based story.

I liked the story of 2K19's My Career mode (as it is different every year), but towards the end I found myself just skipping cutscenes and trying to finish the story as fast as possible just for the rewards. 

So, although the story was great in the beginning, the ending where (SPOILER) you win the Universal Championship at WrestleMania felt rushed and not as rewarding as it should be, like in real life WWE. In other words, the My Career mode had a great plot, but not so good climax (ending). 

WWE 2K19 has online mode(s) where you can download other people's creations and also play against them online. 

WWE 2K has not had a great reputation of online match making and sadly this entry into the series did not fix that problem at all. Match making was terrible and constant lag / bugs made the online playing unbearable. 

I said earlier that I like sport simulation games better than arcade style games and that is true, however even for me, I could not last long playing constant match after match. I found myself eventually playing three or four matches then turning the game off or switching to another game. 

Pros: 

    - Realistic Graphics
    - Smooth Gameplay
    - Enormous Roster
    - Great Daniel Bryan Showcase
    - Amazing Character Creation 

Cons:

    - Bland My Career Mode Story
    - Too Much DLC Content
    - Bad Longevity (Short Period / Play Time Interest) 

My Rating for WWE 2K19 (on PS4):

4 / 5


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All Reviews, Ratings, Pros, Cons, and Opinions Shared on this Blog (Press A Reviews) are my (Connor Butler) own Thoughts and Feelings.



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