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WWE 2K19 Review

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Old 10-20-2018, 05:59 PM   #17
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Re: WWE 2K19 Review

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Originally Posted by stocksy
All due respect to the reviewer but early review every year since 2k took over have been like this... listing why it’s the best we have ever had... the wrestling community gets hyped and then the deflation and the yearly flaws are all still present and joined by new mates.

This year will sadly be the same.

A few red flags in this article to alert me that normal business is resumed.

Much like the yearly Pro Evo is best game ever reviews... fool me once and all that.

This will feel and look very much like last years with some improvements... but also with so so much missing...


2 steps forward and 5 backward has been formula since 2k14.

I’d love to stand correcting but cmon... I’m right.
The article literally says it's not the best we've ever gotten. But that overall it's still pretty damn good.
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Old 10-20-2018, 06:40 PM   #18
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Re: WWE 2K19 Review

In my review, I would say that there are a couple things I disagree with in this review, but mostly, I feel I agree.

I should add a disclaimer that I play virtually only Universe Mode exclusively. It is just my preferred mode of play. In my experiences with Showcase and stuff like that in the past, I have believed it to be well done. I like the concept of a MyCareer Mode. But for my time, I love the idea of running the WWE and booking my own feuds and storylines and having control of the champions, matches, stables, all of that. It comes from my time playing Promotion Wars on PC back in the day, and my overall affinity for franchise modes and GM modes and things like that in wrestling and sports games. So know that that is the context in which my review of the game is coming.

With that said, I am not willing to 100% say for sure and for certain that WWE2K19 is the best WWF / WWE game that we have ever gotten - but I'm pretty close to it. I would definitely say it is the best of the Smackdown / Smackdown v. Raw / WWE / WWE2K long line of titles. Where it compares with legends like Wrestlemania 2000 or WWF No Mercy is a bit harder to say. In terms of features, obviously it is superior. Those old N64 games didn't have anything even close to a Universe Mode back then, so obviously in terms of features, I will take this over those older games anyday. In terms of gameplay, the old N64 games are held up very highly in terms of gameplay - and rightfully so. There may never be a wrestling game again that ever captures the essence of sitting around with friends and wrestling with each other for hours at a time. On the flip side, those games came out nearly 20 years ago, and as such, our lives have changed as well, so with any game, I'm not going to sit around with big groups of friends playing for hours at a time. In terms of raw gameplay, I think that WWE2K19 holds up. It's 20 years later, with 2 decades worth of technological updates and game evolution, so yes, I think if we take off the nostalgia glasses and look objectively, WWE2K19 has better gameplay that Wrestlemania 2000 and No Mercy (in the same way that Madden 19 has better gameplay at this point than NFL2K5. The debate tho is, would NFL / WWE games be better if there was competition and old developers were still allowed to be in the mix? idk, but I *do* like what I am getting from 2K. A lot)

Now, going to Universe Mode. After the N64 days, I started to wane on my wrestling interest. I always enjoyed the concept of wrestling, and so as such, I would every so often check out a WWE game. Typically every few years, so I did miss a lot of those older Smackdown games, including the highly regarded Here Comes The Pain. I started getting somewhat back into wrestling games during the original Smackdown vs. Raw title. It had been a few years since I had played a wrestling game, and I got a little bit of mileage out of that one. But really, my interest in wrestling games shot back up in Smackdown vs. Raw 2006 when I had my first exposure to GM Mode. I loved the very concept of it, and do have some somewhat fond memories of drafting my own rosters and running my own show against the other brand. I stuck with that game until I got an X-Box 360, and upgraded to the more recent Smackdown vs. Raw 2008, and again, I very much enjoyed the GM Mode and got a bit of play from that as well. Then when GM Mode was dropped in 2009, I stopped getting newer WWE games.

That was until Smackdown vs. Raw 2011 when Universe Mode was introduced. I have gotten the WWE release every year since then (though not always at release) and gotten involved in my Universe Modes with varying degrees of depth. I would say that WWE '12 and WWE '13 were the heights of my Universe Mode playthroughs, and by the time WWE2K14 came out, it started to wane out a bit, for various reasons not all related to gameplay, but some of them definitely related to the direction of the mode. The mode started to lose some of the spontaneity as it introduced pre-determined feuds that isolated cutscenes and stories to those. While I did like how the mode seemed to be cleaned up a bit, it seemed less like my own personal living, breathing, and growing WWE world, and my interest waned. That's not to say I didn't find enjoyment from it tho, as I still got a bit of time from each Universe Mode the series has released. But it reached its lowest point with WWE2K18, which ironically was a huge step in the right direction that I wanted to see, but I had just reached a point of burnout that I couldn't overcome.

Now, I've basically had a year off in 2K18 (though I did play through Universe Mode a little bit), so I've had some time to recover coming into 2K19. And the YouTube reviews started to come out that got a chance to really dig into the Universe Mode, and quite frankly, I liked everything I saw. Not all of the changes were huge, but then again, I didn't really want any huge changes. But every change made was a step towards the product I would ultimately love to see. Everything added to Universe Mode this year has acted to *enhance* my enjoyment. Spontaneous cut scenes are back (I believe those came back in 2K18) meaning stories and feuds can develop anywhere. More options for championships, MITB, higher degree of control of booking via being able to sim a winner, divisions and match tables and ensure you aren't getting oddball matches prebooked that ruin rivalry matches and storylines, more options to cash in, tweaked promos, and a slightly enhanced run-in system all add to me having a higher level of control over my Universe Mode.

And then there comes the gameplay. I can't exactly put my finger on what it is, but the gameplay feels very smooth, crisp, and engaging this year. And where I disagree with the OP review is on paybacks. Paybacks have greatly changed my in ring experience this year, and for the better! I have had seeming squash matches turn into competitive near classics because my AI opponent used paybacks to shift the momentum and take control, and threaten victory if not out right take it! The review says that this is unrealistic, and I disagree. These sorts of momentum shifts are common in WWE wrestling, and now a feature is in place that adds to that. Plus, they are just fun! One of the funnest things I've ever been able to do in a WWE game has come this year, being able to turn off the arena lights as The Undertaker, appear behind my opponent, and hit them with a Tombstone Piledriver for the victory! Never before has that been a possibility for me! It has enhanced my in ring experience with the game, which then in turn enhances my Universe Mode experience, as now I become more excited to play through matches, knowing that different characters will play the match a different way, and unexpected results could occur that can change the direction of my entire Universe! That kind of unpredictability adds life to the mode and the product, and I hope will keep me playing longer than I have in quite some time.

Is WWE2K19 perfect? No. Is my Universe Mode *exactly* where I'd like it to be? Nope. I would still definitely love to see some more features and options to continue to enhance the experience, but I would say for the first time in awhile that everything added to the mode only enhanced my enjoyment, and nothing has detracted from it. This *might* be the best Universe Mode I've played yet (I'm still yet to figure out if my high affinity for the WWE '12 and WWE '13 years were because they actually were better, or if it was my nostalgia glasses painting them that way).

But despite how good it is, it is not yet perfect (and likely probably never will be, because nothing is ever perfect). Some things that I would still like to see:

*Roster - This year has a GREAT roster, and might be the biggest I've ever seen (I'm not sure the exact numbers of past rosters compared to this one). But it feels like every year, there is some omission that makes a less than perfect roster. Some of those are not the fault of 2K - Obviously we can't have CM Punk on the roster even though he could still be a fun addition. And I believe the NXT omissions are out of 2K's control as well. But we did lose legends like Mick Foley and JBL, guys who I've always loved using in my Universe Mode, and whom I could definitely find a role for this year.

*Run-Ins - To start with, they seem to be glitched this year. Sometimes when setting a run in for a particular match, it just flat out doesn't happen. Other times, they attack the wrong guy. I would definitely like to see this get fixed. Hopefully this year in a patch even. But also going forward, I would love to see more options for run-ins. As it is, I cannot set up a run in for a championship match. Or really any match that isn't a non-title 1 on 1. I would love to have the option to have run ins to screw guys out of titles or title opportunities. Overall, more control of run-ins would be very beneficial.

*GM Mode Options - Let me be clear - overall I prefer Universe Mode to GM Mode. That said, there were things about GM Mode that I quite liked, that I think would make for good options for Universe Mode. We do have a match rating system, which is good and all. But what about a fan response system? Even if you are controlling every show and not competing, it might be kind of neat to see how fans are responding to a particular feud, or the booking of a particular show, or the response of a particular PPV. Now, this isn't fool proof. A lot of the story telling of a Universe Mode comes from your own personal imagination, and that sort of thing doesn't factor in. I can do a long write up about a match and a feud and a PPV showdown and post it on these forums, or other groups, and get feedback about how engaging it was or how it didn't resonate. But an algorithm to determine in game fan response to a show wouldn't have access to that. It would have to take into consideration superstar OVR ratings, match rating, OMG! moments, feud intensity, etc. But it could be cool none the less. Also, a draft option to be able to run a draft across selected brands and do an organic, unscripted roster shakeup could be fun. A draft in the vein of the old GM Modes. And even a 1 brand option that allows you to run 1 brand and compete against the other brands. idk how practical that is within the confines of Universe Mode, and it does essentially bring back GM Mode, but I just feel like an On / Off option to be able to run 1 show in competition against the others, or the option to run all shows not in competition with the others, could be an interesting addition to the mode.

All said, I am having a *great* time with WWE2K19, and I'm hoping it can keep my attention for the long haul. It's already had a short term enjoyment that has been a long time missing.
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Old 10-18-2020, 11:16 PM   #19
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i'm not the biggest WWE fan by any means, but i picked up 2k19 (after reading how horrible 2k20 was) and seeing how good the creation suite is. and i have to say, WOW. what a great game. so glad i picked it up. even my 6 year old has a blast with it, especially after i created him in the game. the game play is pretty enjoyable, to say the least. have played some incredible matches, that ebb and flow with some unexpected outcomes at times. have had so much fun downloading so many amazing creations. even created a couple of my own. have to admit, this is one of my most played games. what a diamond in the rough this game is.
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Old 10-19-2021, 12:32 AM   #20
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Re: WWE 2K19 Review

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i'm not the biggest WWE fan by any means, but i picked up 2k19 (after reading how horrible 2k20 was) and seeing how good the creation suite is. and i have to say, WOW. what a great game. so glad i picked it up. even my 6 year old has a blast with it, especially after i created him in the game. the game play is pretty enjoyable, to say the least. have played some incredible matches, that ebb and flow with some unexpected outcomes at times. have had so much fun downloading so many amazing creations. even created a couple of my own. have to admit, this is one of my most played games. what a diamond in the rough this game is.
still loving this game in 2021 and with the recent news about (the much hyped) 2k22 and the planned dlc not working out due to some WWE roster changes and also losing wrestlers to AEW, it looks like 2k19 will still hold the title a bit longer.
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Old 10-26-2021, 03:45 AM   #21
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Re: WWE 2K19 Review

It's a really good game. The best of the 2K games for sure. I just played a few matches a couple days ago.
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Old 11-01-2021, 09:16 PM   #22
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Re: WWE 2K19 Review

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It's a really good game. The best of the 2K games for sure. I just played a few matches a couple days ago.
still has one of the best rosters to date and looks like the last of the non-microtransaction heavy wwe 2k games as well.
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