Latest WWE game not an instant classic

As someone who's played every WWE game since 2005, it's fair to say I've seen the best and worst of Smackdown versus Raw and, in more recent years, the 2K series has offered.

WWE2K17
For:
Out now for PC and all major consoles
From:  Yuke’s/Visual Concepts/2K Sports
Rating: (M) ★★★

The latest incarnation of the franchise is yet another solid addition, but a couple of glaring issues don't make it an instant classic.

One of the first things I noticed was that WWE2K17 doesn't have what I considered to be one of the most enjoyable gameplay modes from years past - Showcase.

WWE2K16 featured ``Stone Cold'' Steve Austin, which allowed gamers to play as the ``Texas Rattlesnake'' in some of his most important matches from the late 1980s, right up until the early 2000s.

With cut scenes and footage from his various promos and matches thrown in, it was a great experience that offered something different from just going after championships and attempting to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Much like 2K16, if you choose to create your own character you'll start as a rookie at the WWE Performance centre.

Win two matches and cut a couple of promos, and you'll find yourself on the main roster.

Not a particularly steep learning curve.

Speaking of cutting promos, that's one of the biggest changes from 2K16.

In 2K17, you cut promos in the ring as opposed to giving backstage interviews, which is still there, but not in as greater numbers.

Basically, you stand in the ring and a number of dialogue options appear.

You have to choose what to say based on your character's persona - heel or face - within a specific time limit.

The crowd reacts either positively or negatively to what you say, and you get a promo rating which earns you points to spend based on how good it is.

Crowd reactions are different in each city which adds a bit of realism and overall, the new system works pretty well.

As far as gameplay is concerned, there's no real difference between 2K17 and 2K16.

There's a few new moves and few new superstars available, such as A.J. Styles, but nothing else that really sets it apart from its predecessor.

Visually it's as good as ever, albeit with the occasional glitch that makes characters look particularly ungainly.

One thing that really disappointed was the recycled commentary provided by Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler and JBL.

It's word for word, exactly the same as 2K16.

There are a few new lines, but those are too few and far between to be inspiring.

It's a real shame a bit more effort wasn't put into this aspect of the game.

Another part of the game that's more or less the same are the controls themselves, but that's not a bad thing as it allows for a smooth transition.

It seemed to me there were not quite as many options available when it came to the create a character option, but then again, I've always considered that to be a case of less is more.

While 2K17 is a solid effort, it's almost a step back from 2K16.

Fans of the genre will like but not love it, but for the casual gamer with a passing interest it's a great starting point.

 - by Daniel Birchfield

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