Every so often, a wrestler slinks back to the gym and reinvents themselves as an entirely new character. Everyone know it’s the same person, but the suspension of disbelief brings wrestling fans into a new world inhabited by the new persona. For example, when John Cena first arrived onto the scene, he debuted as The Prototype before coming up with the more popular Doctor of Thuganomics in WWE. Another example of successful reinvention, Batista first debuted as the vampiric Leviathan before becoming the Animal.

It’s apropos that reinvention is at the heart of WWE 2K23. For those that disliked the pre-2020 era of the WWE 2K series, this year’s entry is a culmination of the reinvention started by last year’s WWE 2K22. Make no mistake, though; it’s the same wrestling simulator, but a fresh coat of paint keeps the series fresh for another year.

And his name is…

John Cena! Anyone who lived through WWE’s Ruthless Aggression era knows his name. In WWE 2K23, Cena’s career in the squared circle takes center stage. Much like Rey Mysterio’s spotlight in the previous game, Cena’s showcase takes players on the defining moment of the champ’s illustrious career including his debut against Kurt Angle and his stand against ECW’s Rob Van Dam.

If you’ve followed Cena’s career, you might’ve noticed something from these two examples: They’re both losses for Cena. This is one thing that breathes new life to the series. It’s not afraid to showcase the losses of WWE’s biggest star. You play as Cena’s opponents and unlock them as playable characters, instead of just a seemingly limitless number of Cena skins.

Also, Cena’s commentary seems more willing to skirt the limits of kayfabe. (In wrestling parlance, “kayfabe” refers to the illusion of wrestling. For example, in kayfabe, Mark Calaway is The Undertaker, an actual dead man.) Throughout his commentary, Cena references the various fan dialogue around his career including the Five Moves of Doom (or the belief that Cena knows and does only five wrestling moves). It’s an openness that refreshingly pervades the entire game.

It’s a lock

Another area where kayfabe seesaws in and out is the new MyRise story. Instead of the comically overused rise-to-the-top story, 2K23’s The Lock storyline starts players off as an already established star from the indies in Japan. They debut in WWE and instantly grab the Intercontinental Title from a pre-Bloodline Sami Zayn. However, instead of carrying over success from the indies, you are burdened with a toothless gimmick by management called The Lock. It’s a truly terrible gimmick, but it echoes the real-life tension that WWE repackages strong indie wrestlers into generic, brand-safe gimmicks. It’s even hilariously ironic that Shawn Michaels, a major proponent for indie wrestlers in modern-day WWE, is the one forcing The Lock on your character.

Now, if you prefer the more standard story, The Legacy, a storyline exclusive for female characters, offers the standard story you’ll find in these game modes. Though a retread of the rags-to-riches story, the storyline is a good one, nonetheless. Players debut as the niece of a prominent (but fictitious) Hall of Famer. The struggle is breaking out from the shadow of their more popular relative.

Both are fun to play through. Even better, 2K listened to feedback from last year and de-emphasized social media squabbles. While the characters still use Twitter, there’s more effort to actually play the game than just tweet through missions.

The manager returns

Both the Universe and the MyGM mode return for WWE 2K23. If you want to take a more managerial approach to a wrestling sim, these modes are for you. As always, Universe mode lets you book your own show or, alternatively, play as a Superstar from week to week. Players also have the option to deal interactions before, during, or after a match including beatdown and interference.

On the other hand, MyGM is a more strategic version of the same mechanics. Players are tasked with going up against a rival manager in an effort to be the better show raking in the most money and viewers from the other. There are a lot more options this time around, including the addition of Austin Creed (or more popularly known as Xavier Woods) and Tyler Breeze as characters, recreating their rivalry from UpUpDownDown, an actual wrestler-run gaming channel led by Creed.

As a managerial sim, the MyGM mode is a more streamlined approach that doesn’t require rote memorization of arcane mechanics. It’s simple enough to play through between MyRise and MyFaction sessions.

A microtransactional nightmare

Speaking of MyFaction, this year’s mode has an unfortunate change: a seeming dependence on buying more cards. Now, don’t get me wrong; plus NBA 2K’s MyTEAM, 2K is notorious for riddling their games with microtransactions. This year is no different.

However, in last year’s MyFaction mode, I scraped by with the mode’s in-game rewards. This year is different. WWE 2K23 is seemingly less willing to award players with meaningful cards for just playing through the mode. In the Proving Grounds section, for example, you’ll have to win every match on Legendary difficulty to get a single booster pack. All other sections sprinkle booster pack rewards sparingly.

Overall, in both looks and gameplay, MyFaction remains a lower tier reskin of the NBA franchise’s MyTEAM mode. It’s hardly rewarding enough to play through to the end, especially when it demands more money from you.

WAR GAMES!

Besides Cena, the spotlight is also on the new WarGames match type. As in the real match, two rings are set up beside each other while covered by a single cage. Two factions with three to four wrestlers each go against each other, and one from each faction start the match. At set intervals, another wrestler from one faction enters, giving that faction an edge until the next interval. It’s brutally chaotic but somehow more systematic than other multi-person match types in the game.

Besides the new match type, WWE 2K23 easily offers one of the most expansive options for a wrestling simulator including a plethora of Superstars, rings, match types, and championships. Despite the WWE banner, the title shines when it lets players be themselves and customize everything about the in-ring experience.

Is this your Match?

If you loved WWE 2K22, there’s a lot more to love in WWE 2K23. 2K finally listened to its fans with sweeping changes, while keeping most of the features that made last year’s title so memorable. WWE 2K23 is the wrestling simulator to beat this year.