Following last year’s redesign and revamp of the WWE 2K series (read our WWE 2K22 review here) 2K is back again to the yearly release schedule. Thankfully, WWE 2K23 builds upon all of the great stuff that was in 2K22 as opposed to going back to paint-by numbers that led to the infamous WWE 2K20 debacle a few years back.

To do a full ground-up review of WWE 2K23 would be a fool’s chore, given how much of the game is built upon the engine redesign that brought us last year’s game, along with the fact that, quite simply, this is an enormous game. The different modes are numerous, so instead, we will focus on some of the different game modes, along with the fact that someone remembered a crucial fact about wrestling video games: They are supposed to be fun!

Before diving in, I want to get this out of the way right now – this is the funniest and most self-aware wrestling game I have ever played.

Why?

We will get into the specifics as we venture through the modes, but know that the “creative team” in charge of the game has a much better sense of the product and comedy than the actual WWE creative team has had at different points in the last 20 years.

Showcase Mode

Let’s start with the Showcase Mode. This year’s cover Superstar and spotlighted athlete is John Cena, celebrating his recent 20-year anniversary in WWE. Perhaps sensing how some of the smarter fans have felt about him over the years, instead of taking you on an adventure of Cena’s most significant victories (which, given his booking in the late 2000s and early 2010s, would have been a monstrous task), the dev team decided to take AJ Styles’ advice in 2016. Instead, they let you beat up John Cena! Narrated by Cena himself, you are taken through some of his most significant and landmark losses throughout his career. You will travel back to 2006 in the Hammerstein Ballroom and play as Rob Van Dam, winning the WWE Title from Cena at One Night Stand 2006 in front of one of the most hostile PPV crowds ever, before reliving battles with Edge, The Undertaker (both Big Evil and The Deadman), Brock Lesnar, The Rock, AJ Styles, Batista and Randy Orton. Of course, the big notion of the mode is how despite these losses, Cena always managed to come back and Never Give Up. But the humor and personality of Cena shine through in his voiceover moments, a stark contrast to Rey Mysterio’s lifeless narration last year.

And believe me when I tell you the last two battles of the mode made me pop huge, to the point I had to immediately call my brother, howling with laughter at what they accomplished. If there is one issue with this mode, it’s the glaring omission of Cena’s Money In The Bank 2011 match with CM Punk, arguably one of, if not the most significant loss and game-changing moments in his career, but it’s obvious why it isn’t included.

MyRise Mode

The MyRise mode also returns, allowing you to create your custom superstar who will follow one of two paths in a story mode. Due to time constraints, I will only focus on The Lock storyline, following a male superstar. Hyped up as the ‘Next Big Thing’ your custom star debuts on RAW and is set to win the Intercontinental Championship on his first night in the company. The only problem is you’re stuck with an over-the-top entrance, gear and gimmick. Throughout the mode, you will clash with management and have a choice to become a part of one of two famous stables (in this case, Evolution or The Hurt Business) before getting fired.

Hitting the indies running to reestablish yourself in the vein of Drew McIntyre or Bobby Lashley, you will compete in the UK and even participate in the game’s equivalent of the New Japan G1 Climax before forcing your way back into the WWE, competing in a War Games match against your former partner and now rival (who I kept thinking was a thinly veiled version of AEW’s Daniel Garcia).

I won’t go into too much detail, but it is an absolute rock-solid mode with many twists and turns. The female equivalent sees you play as the niece of a WWE Hall Of Famer trying to make your name in the business, though again, I haven’t played the full mode due to time restraints.

MyGM Mode

Returning modes include the ever-popular MyGM mode, which lets you choose a show, build your roster and run the company however you want. With choices between NXT, RAW, SmackDown, and WCW(?!), there is a lot to this mode, though it is primarily a more polished and updated version of the same mode from last year. The same can be said for Universe mode and the Creation Suite, which allows you to create anything and everything from an entrance to arenas. Perhaps the best part of this suite is the ability to share and download your creations, which essentially gives you anything and everything you could ever want in a wrestling game.

Overall

The tagline for WWE 2K23, “Even Stronger,” is a perfect choice.

They have built upon the redesign from last year and continued to perfect it. In my time with the game, I only ran into one graphical glitch involving a ladder weirdly separating two characters. Other than that, the game has run smoothly and perfectly. Even the online mode has very little lag, which is a sign that they have once again worked on perfecting what they can, strengthening the good and hiding the negatives, if there are any at all. 

As we always ask yearly, does the game stand up with the genre's titans like No Mercy, WCW/NWO Revenge, or SmackDown Here Comes The Pain?

And in the end, that all comes down to taste. But after the rough few years that 2K has seen, they have certainly done everything possible to earn the fans’ trust again.

2K23 is a marked improvement over 2K22, a revelation at the time. Don’t waste time debating it; grab a copy when you can, and maybe we will run into one another online!

A review copy of the game was provided by 2K Games and played on an Xbox Series S.

If you want to run the ropes together at some point, feel free to add me on Xbox Live, my gamertag is Mister Gore 13. Just send me a message letting me know you are adding me from The Signature Spot, so I know who you are!