WWE 2K20 Review

It's because this game on release was a total cluster f***. Sorry to be so blunt, but it's true, oh so true.

With appalling graphic glitches, glaring omissions from the roster and....well the lack of the pre order material actually being availaible from the moment the box is cracked open. I hear you cry, wait he's gotta be joking? Pre order material NOT actually available? 

The box says includes the Bump in the Night pack, which you'd assume gives you the Fiend a.k.a Bray Wyatt from the get go. No. No DLC code, first you gotta play through the Bump in the Night themed scenarios and then unlock him. So that's a tad misleading to say the least. Now when you get him can you use him? 

Yes in EXHIBITION mode but whoa betide anyone who tries to use him in Universe mode. The game just freezes or when he does appear he is so badly glitched....oh my. Yowie wowie as he would say but for all the wrong reasons.

Look there should have been warning bells when 2K fouled up the NBA game this year. That took four or five patches to fix and it's STILL not completely fine. As of now WWE 2K20 is still a potential car wreck. 

It's very complicated as to the reasons why, but bottom line, graphic designers YUKES suddenly bailed on 2K. 2k panics, and hands the project to their internal graphic boys known as Visual Concepts. What could possibly go wrong...well check the online you tube video's or google the stills and you can see where it all went the way of the pear.

Three patches later? Well it needs at least one more and it's clear that this should not have been released in the state it was in. Now rumours of law suits are flying around, with the accompanying murmurs that Yukes want to do a rival title (possibly with the new comers to the wrestling scene, AEW), trading standards in the UK looking hard at the product, and the US equivalent doing the same...

But this sounds odd to say but despite all of this bad mojo, their ARE signs and hints that this game has potential. When it behaves the newly tweaked control system can be smooth, just takes some mastering but it's not impossible. 

It's clear that ladder match a.i has been improved, we have intergender tag matches (at last) and the graphics when not glitching are actually very sharp. But targeting and countering are still a problem and we have these gimmicks as some call them that just give us alternate 'skins' rather then filling the glaring gaps in the roster. For instance a three man faction has only the one man represented at the moment!

There's a shocking snub to the NXT UK roster (not even the NXT UK arena trimmings). So is it worth getting? Yes and no. NOT at full price and there have been refunds given on the game as far as some digital copies are concerned from Playstation and X Box market places. It's now, thanks to black friday deals, on offer for half price. Those deals are STILL ON! 

It shows promise but there failings and disappointments waiting. More patches are needed and where are the custom titles we like to make? At least now custom arenas and stars can be used in Universe mode but dang so much MORE needs to be done. My guess is we won't have a 2K21. It should be rested, failing that given to a new developer. I could go on about the lack of news concerning patches and the wall of silence from 2K but I won't. This is a mess but there are times when it DOES play and grudgingly, I admit, it CAN be enjoyable.

But oh dear, there is so much that holds it back...approach with extreme caution....