WWE 2K17 Early Reviews: 10 Things We Learned

WWE 2K17 has finally hit the market after months of of hype, and the game has a lot to live-up to. Last year’s incarnation represented a big leap forward from 2K15’s disappointment, and while far from perfect, 2K16 was a step in the right direction for wrestling games in general.

With streamlined gameplay, altered reversal and grappling systems, and a focus on realistic simulation-style gameplay over the arcade trappings of old, 2K16 improved on its predecessor's core gameplay. Though still relatively slow and clunky, the Creation Suite saw a number of new options added, while the unparalleled match choice and giant roster made for endless replayability.

Despite 2K16’s improvements, 2K17 entered development with a number of problems to resolve. The desolate and disjointed My Career mode has long been a bugbear in WWE games, as has the lacklustre commentary, and while 2K16’s Creation Suite was better than 2K15’s, it still wasn’t quite as comprehensive as in previous versions.

Have they pulled it off? It’ll be a few days before the reviews really start flooding through, but the early signs look relatively positive for 2K17. Consensus is that Yuke’s and Visual Concepts have developed another solid wrestling game that’s not a giant leap forward, but presents some notable improvements alongside a handful of regressions.

Here are 10 things we learned from WWE 2K17’s early reviews.

You know how the old cliché goes.

2K stumbled upon a winning formula with 2K16, and it looks like they’re treading the well-worn EA Sports path with 2K17. For the most part, this year’s game is marked only by a handful of changes to the core gameplay systems, with My Career, Universe, and the matches themselves functioning very similar to 2K16.

There are plenty of new features in 2K17, but none are big enough to make a significant impact on the all-round gameplay. If the early reviews are to be believed, 2K17 will provide a very similar experience to 2K16, so if you had fun with last year’s game, you’ll probably enjoy this one too.

It’s a smart move from the developers. While they won’t want to fall into the habit of releasing the same game with slightly updated rosters and stats every year, there’s no point in messing with a winning formula. It’s unlikely to convince anyone who’s already decided that the 2K games aren’t for them to change their mind, but such familiarity will likely appease the series’ loyal fanbase.