WWE 2K18 REVIEW with in game photos and updates
WWE 2K18 Early Reviews: 10 Things We Learned
Those entrances, those beautiful entrances..
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It's no secret that WWE video games have needed a total overhaul for years now. Despite the evolution of gaming as a medium over the past 20 years, there are still elements of WWE 2K17 which remind long time gamers of the very first WWF SmackDown title from 2000.
2K18 is the latest to try and set this right, but early reviews suggest the game continues the mixed bag trend of recent releases. Are we set for more of the same here?
The WWE 2K18 review code that's out there right now is limited, and it's important to state that this isn't the finished product. Come the October 17 release date, it's expected that 2K will iron out any kinks and make 2K18 the biggest WWE video game yet.
Better get working then...
Commentary Is Still Disconnected2K Sports
Early reviews disappointedly suggest WWE 2K18's commentary (at least in the preview build) isn't a major improvement over prior titles. Those disconnected, ill-fitting and downright wrong comments from Michael Cole? They're still prevalent, only this time they're joined by similar nonsense from Byron Saxton and Corey Graves.
Hearing fresh voices behind the announce desk was only ever going to be a good thing, but it's deflating that 2K didn't spend more time making the commentary tie in with what players are doing inside the ring. There's no excuse for this when other sports titles like FIFA and 2K's own NBA franchise continue to improve with each year.
. The Improved Lighting Really Works
On the plus side, that new lighting engine shines down on superstars and brings them to life in new and exciting ways. Gone are the 'waxy' models of before, aside from a few exceptions. Names like Seth Rollins, Randy Orton and John Cena all look eerily reminiscent of their real-life counterparts, and this is all down to the brand spanking new lighting rig. Who would've thought that some changes to shading and how light kisses a model's frame would cause such drastic improvements?
On occasion, 2K18 already looks beautiful, and that's before the developers have tweaked things a little more pre-release. The fact characters look better in motion and in still images proves how much this new system has been a success for the series.
Entrances Are Immaculate
Squint your eyes during several entrance sequences in 2K18 and you may just be fooled into believing you're watching an episode of Raw or SmackDown. Again, that lighting is sublime, but characters appear to have more of an 'earthy' look facially. Wrinkles and blemishes go a long way to making these guys look like real people.
Yes, the entrance routines are a little on the long side, but they're entirely skippable. Although it would be nice to have the option of shorter clips, that's nit-picking to the extreme. For a game dedicated to appearing as a WWE simulation, 2K18 gets things spot on when it comes to entrances.
Character models no longer look like they've been pasted on to pre-rendered backgrounds, which has been a problem for years. Now, everything feels like a real-life set, and the wrestlers themselves are a big part of that. 2K deserve a pat on the back for getting entrances so right.
There Are New Selling Animations
Selling is such a huge part of pro wrestling. If that seems obvious, then consider just how little of it the cast of WWE 2K17 did. Sure, there were those short outbursts of motion following a major move or strike, but for the most part characters just lay on the ground motionless. That always needed to change.
New selling animations bring matches to life in a subtle way. Some gamers may not even have noticed the lack of selling in previous WWE games, but they will notice when 2K18's stars writhe and roll around the mat in agony following big moves. Why hasn't this happened before now?
For the first time in years, it's possible to watch a match play out in-game and feel the crunching impact of signature moves or heavy strikes. Characters fall to the canvas in much more convincing fashion, and this is aided by the wrestler dishing out the damage reacting to the pain too.
New Royal Rumble Eliminations Work Well
To go along with the new selling mechanics and facial expressions they've included, 2K decided to freshen up a popular multi-player match type by adding new eliminations to the Royal Rumble. In 2K17, the 30-man match was hard to win from the #1 spot, which is exactly how it should be. 2K18 is very much the same.
The Rumble is a grind. Attack every wrestler who enters the ring and it won't be long until you're hurled over the top rope and forced to pick another character to play as. New eliminations still follow the mini-game/quick time event formula, but it's cool to see 2K thinking outside the box when it comes to the Rumble.
In addition, it'll be interesting to experiment with a new 'carry' mechanic. Now, you can hoist opponents up onto your shoulders, and that should make eliminating them from the Rumble a little easier. We should be able to throw fresh entrants out of the ring and use the element of surprise occasionally.
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