WWE 2K19 was mostly seen as a significant improvement over 2K18. There were many nuances about the gameplay that made it feel more like a wrestling game and not a fighting game. As long as this trend continues, I think the series will win back a lot of its fans who may have lapsed over the last few years for many reasons. But as for 2K actually telling us what’s in the game instead of just showing us entrance videos, well that’s something they don’t like to do until the last minute. So it can only force us to speculate at this point.
So what does WWE 2K20 have to do to improve over 2K19 and become a true AAA sports game. Here are some things that could put them over that hump.
Better In-Ring Flow: A lot of times the wrestlers will just completely miss on a move and guys/gals will fly all over the place. 2K needs to find a way to have better transition animations along with more branching animations. This would go a long way in making matches look and feel more like what you see on TV.
Better Universe Mode:Â Universe mode isn’t bad, it just needs to be better. Setting up feuds and having total control over everything is great, but there needs to be cutscenes and promos. I know it would be a huge task to script promos into the mode for every feud, but it’s something that would add a whole other dimension to the mode. In short, it just doesn’t feel like a living breathing world, and it needs to be just that.
Custom Entrance Music:Â This feature has been long awaited. With the creation suite in this game, being able add entrance themes for created wrestlers would be just amazing. Being able to fill in the roster with missing superstars or legends from the past and have their actual theme music would keep a lot of people playing a lot longer.
Alternate Attires/Frequent Updates: This is something that should have been in the game for a long time. Wrestlers change up their gear quite often, and it would be nice if they could push out alternate attires or new looks of wrestlers as the year goes on. Nothing is more frustrating than when the game comes out and a wrestler’s attire, gear and looks are already outdated. Now that Visual Concepts is fully on board, we will hopefully start to see them taking this game a little more seriously when it comes to authenticity.
Signature Combos: The single signature move is great and all but in today’s WWE there are a lot of wrestlers who have signature combos, not just single moves. I know the game already has the comeback feature, but it’s rarely activated and only at certain point is it usable. There should be signature combos you can use at any time, or maybe at least when you have the momentum. I think using the quick time events to do it would work just fine. Many wrestlers have signature combos such as Seth Rollins’ gut kick then stomp or Aleister Black’s signature set of kicks,
Create-A-Story: One of my favorite modes ever was removed after WWE 2K14. This was a hugely popular mode where you could create a long intricate story. The best part was the ability to download other people’s created stories. As of now, we haven’t heard much about features for this year’s game, which is relatively standard for this game. But we can all hope that just maybe they brought it back.
New Momentum System:Â When you watch wrestling on TV, you see that matches are all about momentum. One wrestler takes control of the match for a bit while the other is struggling to get back into the match. This is different than the current comeback feature in that it should play out organically with a momentum system that can be moved back and forth by being given the opportunity to take back control in some way — whether it be button mashing or quick time events. Once you swing the momentum back to your side, then that’s when the comeback system should activate.
New Pinning System: The current pinning system isn’t horrible but sometimes you start a match and expect a five-star experience, and then bam, you missed the queue by a sliver and got pinned a minute into the match. I like the resiliency feature some wrestlers have and that should stay in the game. However, there should be a change to make sure you aren’t getting pinned after a simple mistake by your fingers. Perhaps a system where you can almost never be pinned by a simple move like a suplex or body slam, and then a harder kick out chance after being hit with a special or finishing maneuver.
More Match Types: This goes back many years. People have been wanting a Special Guest Referee mode, an I Quit Match and even a Casket Match. These are all things that used to be in the old Smackdown and Smackdown Vs. Raw titles. I’m not sure if there is an issue with the game engine that won’t allow these modes, or if it’s just something they don’t prioritize. It would be nice to have these modes, but I’m sure it’s a large undertaking, especially for something like a Casket Match or Buried Alive Match. Maybe with versions on the next-gen consoles we will see these matches make a comeback.
Better Graphics: Graphics are somewhat subjective. In the last few iterations of the game, the graphics have been pretty good, but there are some obvious issues such as some terrible faces. Becky Lynch was barely recognizable in last year’s game. Some look great and some are just really bad. You can tell who had their faces scanned and who skipped out. But the big problem I have is that it seems like people who create wrestlers through the creation suite seem to be able to make better faces than the developers themselves. Since this will most likely be the last game on this console generation, I expect a huge jump in graphics for 2K21.
These are just a few things I think can make WWE 2K20Â a much better game than its predecessor. Tell us what you think could make this year’s game great!
