WWE 2K17 Early Reviews: 10 Things We Learned
2. A Mixed Bag Beyond The Ring
One of WWE 2K17’s biggest selling points was the renewed ability to fight in new areas outside the ring. Though this feature was constant throughout early WWE games, it had been stripped away in recent incarnations, but while WWE’s current PG trappings have largely removed this from the real-life product, crowd and backstage brawls have been restored in 2K17.
The execution is a mixed bag. According to reviews, fighting at ringside feels better than ever thanks to the implementation of new, TV-style camera angles. Ringside battles were often viewed through a single hard camera in previous games, but the new angles really make you feel like part of the action, and brawling in the crowd works incredibly well. There’s an area near the announce table jam-packed with weapons, and you can bludgeon your opponent until your heart’s content.
Backstage fighting isn’t as successful, however. While it’s nice to have the option of throwing wrestlers around the corridors again, it’s limited to one on one affairs, and let down by a lack of variety. The old SmackDown games featured a wide number of backstage environments, but 2K17 only includes a handful. A wasted opportunity.