WWE 2K17 Review: 6 Ups & 7 Downs

WWE 2K17 is finally in the hands of gamers worldwide, and with 2K's fourth time up to bat, there's a lot of hope that they will have ironed out the litany of issues that has been holding these games back for years and years.

Sadly, not quite. While in many ways 2K17 is an encouraging step forward for the series, bringing some of the best gameplay and customisation to the table in a long, long time, it's also depressingly beholden to an infuriating number of nagging legacy issues.

As such, fans should temper their expectations, as WWE 2K17 is ultimately a fairly middle-of-the-road offering overall: brilliant in some aspects and woefully lazy in others. Either way, it leaves a lot of room for 2K to improve things next year (and this conversation will probably then repeat itself again).

Here are 6 ups and 7 downs from WWE 2K17...

Downs...

7. The Lack Of 2K Showcase Mode

In recent years the 2K Showcase mode has been a brilliant cornerstone of the WWE 2K titles, allowing fans to relive classic matches and storylines in a gleeful burst of pure fan service.

Sadly, while 2K were planning to center Showcase around Brock Lesnar this year, due to several of his opponents not being included in the game, it had to be scrapped, with 2K instead investing more of their time and effort in the MyCareer mode.

Boy, is Showcase conspicuous by its absence or what? MyCareer is fun to a point but ultimately quite the slog, high on repetition and clunkiness and lacking the cinematic invention and nostalgia factor that made Showcase such a hit.

Hopefully 2K will pay attention to the fan outcry and clear all legal red tape in time for next year's game.