While many matches could be done through regular gameplay usage, these also featured cinematics that couldn’t be replicated with pure gameplay and thus were more accurate to what was seen on the show they were featured on than a traditional in-game match. Last year’s entry was hurt by the lack of the 2K Showcase mode, which previously allowed you to recreate many historic encounters over the years with in-game reenactments. It’s a far better version of this kind of mode than we’ve seen in quite some time and keeps you engaged from beginning to end.

It’s very much like the old story modes with some otherworldly elements creeping in to add some comedy, but giving you something to play to either get used to the core gameplay or just enjoy making a character when you otherwise wouldn’t, and seeing a story play out. The actual story is a fairly compelling one with some twists and turns, and even the debut of the Wyatt compound as a fighting area. Instead of wandering aimlessly around the building, you just have a simple menu-driven hub which is far better. The overall flow of the career mode is much snappier now. Gaining popularity leads to podcast recaps of your in-game events – including one with a Jim Ross expy. There’s a surprisingly on-the-nose part of the story with your creation losing his WWE gig and then striking out to become a bigger star outside of WWE – akin to what happened over the past two years with Cody Rhodes and All In’s success. The feel of a show in a gym is replicated shockingly well as commentating is done over the PA system – complete with pretty accurate sound mixing. Instead of just beginning in NXT, you start out at a low-rent independent show, work your way up to the top there, and then work internationally. The M圜areer mode that debuted last year is back and has been revamped to be a far more dramatic affair. Last year’s entry saw a return to form for things like backstage brawling and an increased freedom in things like submission systems – which 2K19 sees to do even better than before. Things like the cage match have felt archaic for many years, and jittery features in things like the Hell in a Cell make them feel unfinished.

The series has always excelled at offering a lot of variety, but at the expense of quality in some cases. Since 2K took the series over half a decade ago, we have seen a lot of incremental changes from year to year – but little in the way of radical improvements for game modes. WWE 2K19 is the latest entry in the long-running WWE simulation, and it sets its sights on creating the best-playing experience in franchise history.

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