With the exception of WWE 2K16, the common thread of the WWE 2K games for the last few years has been “one step forward, at least two steps back.” WWE 2K18

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The big new addition to the gameplay this year is the ability to lift and carry opponents in four different positions – fireman’s carry, cradle, over the shoulder, and power bomb – and then walk them around freely before slamming them. This opens up a number of fun options, especially for big men like Braun Strowman, who can hoist smaller wrestlers up and then power bomb them straight out of the ring. That feels awesome, especially when it’s in a Battle Royale or Royal Rumble match.

Hot tags have also been revamped to occur more frequently and no longer have cutscenes associated with them that interrupt the action. When a character receives a hot tag, they simply come in with a buff that allows them to run roughshod over anyone in the ring.

“ Eight-man matches add an extra touch of chaos.

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As far as big, noticeable changes to the wrestling gameplay go, that’s pretty much it. Nothing groundbreaking on the scale of the reversal system added in 2K16, nor anything that substantially improves how certain match types are played. As someone who plays every year, that’s a bit disappointing.

“ Nothing saves Universe from feeling dull and repetitive.

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Rather than bring back or revitalize the fantastic 2K Showcase mode that elevated the single-player experience of every WWE 2K game it was in before disappearing in 2K17, Yukes appears to be stuck on trying to make the floundering MyCareer mode work. Like previous years, MyCareer centers around creating your own superstar who rises through the ranks of the WWE. It begins at the WWE Performance Center and runs through getting your first taste of championship gold at NXT, to getting called up to the main roster, to being a main event star worthy of Wrestlemania.

“ To put it mildly, MyCareer's writing is not up to the task.

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Dialogue between you and the wrestlers that roam around backstage is completely banal, the trash talk and insults that are exchanged would sound juvenile even on an elementary schoolyard – Akam of the feared tag-team known as the Authors of Pain tells me “You seem paper-thin, paper boy.” To which I can respond: “You’ll find that I’m a rock-man.” – and perhaps the worst part of it all is that the awful promo system from WWE 2K17 returns, which makes any feuds and storylines to arise from this mode utterly meaningless.

Promos are performed by first selecting a vague dialogue choice that starts you ranting on a particular topic, like how you’re fed up with how overlooked you are as a wrestler. After that first choice, you must choose between four more vague dialogue options with the goal of maintaining the same tone you started with. The more you keep to the same tone, the better your promo score.

“ There’s so much wrong with this promo system.

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Tied to MyCareer is its online counterpart, called Road to Glory, which allows you to take your created character and compete against others online in daily match types to earn stars to qualify for Pay Per View events. As of this writing, I’ve been unable to test what playing in a Pay Per View event actually means since the first one is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 20, but it’s definitely something I look forward to checking out.

It’s also worth mentioning that loot boxes are a part of the progression system in WWE 2K18. You can purchase bronze, silver, or gold loot boxes that contain new moves, attire, or stat boosts that affect Road to Glory mode. These loot boxes can only be purchased with virtual currency, which eliminates the problem of “pay-to-win,” but they do come with the inherent problem of adding a secondary luck-based barrier between you and the gear you want. If you want your MyCareer character to have glowing super saiyan hair like Goku from Dragon Ball Z, all you can do is cross your fingers and hope that you get it and grind more currency until you do.

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