2K20 really miserably lowered people's expectations. 2K22 is massive step up, but does not deserve anywhere near the amount of high praise it is receiving.
Starting with the good - The actual gameplay itself. No longer a battle of who has more reversals, the gameplay is varied, fast, and the funnest it's been in a long time. It has its issues as always, like quick recoveries being way too frequent. The graphics are easily the best they've ever been, especially for entrances, but they're still behind their time when compared to actual AAA games.
As always though, 2K gets one new thing right then tries to fix what wasn't broken - The great new gameplay is ruined by the button-mashing for kick outs and submissions. Controllers aren't cheap nowadays. Mashing is not only just not fun, it's not indicative of skill. The timed minigame from before was perfect, and it is still exists in this game, but is only available for offline modes - A mind numbing decision.
The game modes might be the worst part. Showcase Mode is still a boring checklist you'll never dream of going back to once you unlock all the different wrestlers/arenas. Universe Mode hasn't changed at all. The career mode is the best it's been in over a decade but that isn't saying much, although it is a step in the right direction with the multiple storylines structure. MyGM is a lackluster novelty that gets boring before you even finish your first playthrough. And now we have the brand new MyFaction - A mode that exists purely for microtransactions and is structured as if it were a mobile card game, given how absolutely unfun it is.
Starting with the good - The actual gameplay itself. No longer a battle of who has more reversals, the gameplay is varied, fast, and the funnest it's been in a long time. It has its issues as always, like quick recoveries being way too frequent. The graphics are easily the best they've ever been, especially for entrances, but they're still behind their time when compared to actual AAA games.
As always though, 2K gets one new thing right then tries to fix what wasn't broken - The great new gameplay is ruined by the button-mashing for kick outs and submissions. Controllers aren't cheap nowadays. Mashing is not only just not fun, it's not indicative of skill. The timed minigame from before was perfect, and it is still exists in this game, but is only available for offline modes - A mind numbing decision.
The game modes might be the worst part. Showcase Mode is still a boring checklist you'll never dream of going back to once you unlock all the different wrestlers/arenas. Universe Mode hasn't changed at all. The career mode is the best it's been in over a decade but that isn't saying much, although it is a step in the right direction with the multiple storylines structure. MyGM is a lackluster novelty that gets boring before you even finish your first playthrough. And now we have the brand new MyFaction - A mode that exists purely for microtransactions and is structured as if it were a mobile card game, given how absolutely unfun it is.