WWE 2K17 REVIEW

In the last few years, the WWE 2K series has more or less bucked the iterative trend of the annual sports games it gets some of its DNA from by making risky but ultimately worthwhile changes to its formerly arcade-style formula. By comparison WWE 2K17 feels like more of a fine-tuning year. There are some welcome gameplay tweaks and additions that keep the in-ring action in top form, but while it takes a few small steps forward in some ways it has either remained stationary or slid backward in areas that have needed improvement for a while now.

The first and most important thing, above and beyond the minutiae that’s so easy to get caught up in with wrestling games, is whether the actual wrestling feels right. And like last year’s game, 2K17 delivers the goods. It has a weighty, deliberate feel that really sells the power and impact of each open-hand chop and every double-underhook suplex. Developers Yukes and Visual Concepts have steadily added layers of tactical depth in the last few years that reward timing, planning, and decision-making in a way that makes matches fun beyond the simple joy of playing as your favorite wrestler. All of that holds true this year; even more so thanks to a handful of adjustments and additions.

The single most significant improvement is to multi-person matches, which in the past have always been such an awkward mess that I usually avoided them altogether. This year, subtle changes to the default targeting system and a clever new mechanic has changed all of that for me. Manual targeting is now the default targeting method, and 2K17 does a better overall job of making your current target clear. Snappier target-switching helps too, allowing me to reverse an attack from one opponent and then quickly switch targets, whip around, and wail on someone behind me without feeling like I'm mired in mud.

Round Robin

The real gem, though, is the new rollout mechanic. Like last year’s Working Holds, it represents another example of how wrestling’s theatrical elements can be co-opted to enhance gameplay. If you've ever seen a Triple Threat or Fatal 4-Way on TV, you know it isn't three or four wrestlers wailing on each other for 10 minutes. One guy takes a big bump, rolls out of the ring, and takes a breather while lettings the other two put on a show for a while, and that's exactly what this new system enables. Not only does this make these types of matches look and feel more like their real-life counterparts, it also makes them less chaotic and, as a result, a lot more fun.