WWE 2K19 Early Reviews: 7 Things We Learned

4. The 'Payback' System Isn't Character Specific

Lastly from Stuff, there's news on the 'Payback' mechanic that's purring quietly in the background of 2K19's feature set. It's nothing new to series veterans. They'll remember different 'Fighting Styles' from SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 that became standard when THQ had the reins. Things like playing possum and pulling tights when pinning return here.

This time though, they're not limited to characters of a certain alignment.

That means a heel like Pete Dunne will still be able to make a roaring comeback (something more commonly associated with beloved babyfaces such as Daniel Bryan, for example) and faces will be able to cheat if they feel the heat is on. These skills are assigned pre-match, and it seems you're able to pick two per wrestler.

It remains to be seen what this is like in practice, but it does sound good. Payback may well add unique dynamics to each individual match, and that's cause for celebration in a series that hasn't exactly put much emphasis on pre-bout tactics before.