izigame.me

I have played most of the WWE games in recent years (that are on steam still), ups and downs here and there, clocking in about 200h in each, (2k17, 2k20, 2k22, 2k23) playing the game random matches, story etc... making characters, streaming AI only to friends to watch the stupid stuff happen.
This years game, contrary to the reviews runs so much smoother than previous years games, maybe I missed the initial launch scuff and crashes, or i got lucky.
I have not done everything in this game yet, so i don't have an opinion on everything so far, will probably have to come back and update.
What most people probably want to see though Pro's and Con's

PROS:
Runs smoother, loads into matches a lot quicker than it use to, doesn't stutter as much or at all in character creation when moving between different clothing options.

Looks a lot nicer, even compared to last years game, and Im pretty sure its the same engine still.

The amount of matches is nice, the new addition of special referee (which hasn't been seen since the MUCH earlier games is a welcome comeback)
Casket and ambulance matches, these are ok but definitely not the best (slight con AI is super aggressive when trying to "put them away" and it takes a lot of effort, i normally play on legend, but still currently on normal and they REALLY don't want to lose the match when you go into the mini game)
Gauntlet/Gauntlet eliminator/Gauntlet turmoil are probably the highlight of the new matches. Can do 4/5/6/8/10/20/30 versions of these.
Gauntlet is 1v1 and when someone loses, winner stays on next person comes in. Winner is who pins the last person.
Gauntlet eliminator, starts as a 1v1 and people get added like a royal rumble till the ring fills, timer stops and waits for someone to get eliminated, person comes in about 30sec - 1min, but you aren't restricted to the ring you can go in and out of it.
Gauntlet turmoil, you ever just hate that one person and want to punish them, this is the match, it takes handicap matches and says "suffer." This match is 1v3/4/5/7/9/19/29, One person verses an entire team, best of luck to the one man.
That's the new stuff.
Some older matches got "new" stuff backstage brawl now has 2v2 and fatal 4 way modes, and a new area you can go into.

Multiple ring announcers, adds a nice feel, can choose which one you want for the match, this doesn't really matter if you don't watch the entrances though.
Lots of referee choices too this time, some being generic ref 1-4 and some being the actual ref's from WWE, male and female.

Wrestlers now have the ability to THROW weapons at each other which is just funny. My first time witnessing this, Wrestler one downs Wrestler two, goes outside the ring, gets a chair from under the ring, as he's coming back in Wrestler two gets up, Wrestler one just throws it at him from across the ring hitting him in the face, and he hits the floor.

Random but the blood is better, on the Wrestler, and the fact it actually drips on the floor like the old games.

CONS:
My first gripe, which probably shouldn't be this but, some of the caged matches... don't fade the caged wall facing the camera enough? If that makes sense, its basically too obstructive blocks too much vision, and your attention gets grabbed by the wall too much, so you can't see the fight too well, im not sure why its like that in this game, because it was never an issue with the previous one's
The match types that do this are, Hell in a cell, elimination chamber. Im honestly not sure why these two do this, i double checked for hell in a cell if it was to do with having more than 2 wrestlers in the cell, it was not.
Steel cage and War games are completely fine, they don't have the issue, the cage wall fades fine (checked if more than 2 for Steel cage would be an issue, it isn't, just seems to be a hell in a cell issue.)

The AI, which should be the first gripe, but its not that often it does this, however its slightly irritating. They will just zone out sometimes and just stand there if its more than a 1v1 until someone comes to smack them.
This could be seen as an issue for others, which it kind of is, but its sometimes funny. If they down someone in the ring, the person still stood up will sometimes go out the ring "for a quick walk" then come back in.
(This is from purely AI only matches from what I've seen, they don't do this if you are actually playing someone)

During pins they won't interrupt them sometimes, they will just stand there and let the match end even if they could have prevented it, I've noticed that being a thing with some of the previous games, Im not sure if its a bug with the AI or its so matches can actually end because if they were smart they could stop the match from ending every time.

PERSONAL CONS:
Obviously this happens, contracts and such but certain people not being in from previous or older games, so certain moves sometimes aren't in, but the big thing being music and entrances, messes with making characters, i get it i do, but gripe none the less.

Why is there still not opposite gender fighting, it sometimes happens in IRL wrestling for a short moment, older games allowed you to have Men Vs Women matches, and to top it off the AEW game (not sure if its actually any good though) allows Men to fight Women.
Yes there's mixed gender 2v2 matches, but its not the same, if the opposite gender hits one and other, match is over because of DQ, that's not the case with IRL WWE. (all the time with IRL anyway)

OVERALL:
Yeah I like the game, it runs better than previous years games, character creation is better, new matches are good, some do need polish, would be good to see more of the older games matches in which they slowly seem to be adding, would be nice to see special ref being allowed for more matches than normal 1v1, and game does have its WWE jank still, but its nothing game breaking from what I've seen.

Will come back to edit if something majorly changes.