WWE 2K22 Preview: Booyaka. Booyaka. Six-one-nine

WWE 2K22 Preview

Between the end of the 80s and the beginning of the 90s, when the world of American wrestling hit the TV schedules of half the world with the force of a hurricane, the discipline was almost entirely the prerogative of characters with sculptural physicists, from Herculean strength, men and women so physically prepared that they can face challenges that are practically impossible for anyone else.

Just think of the names that made the old Catch famous among the general public: Hulk Hogan, André the Giant, Yokozuna, Ricky Steamboat, James Brian 'Ultimate Warrior' Helwig, The Rock, The Undertaker, just to name a few.

In the following twenty years, however, 'sport-entertainment' has changed a lot, both under the point view of the stories that are told weekly, both in terms of struggled. Athletes no longer rely on brute force alone to send crowds into raptures but are also capable of acrobatics contrary to any law of physics between acrobatic jumps from ropes, evolutions from the top of the poles and moves with a very high rate of risk. >
Watch on YouTube. And if there is anyone who has paved the way for such a drastic revolution in the way of understanding wrestling, it is surely Óscar Gutiérrez Rubio, better known by the ring name of Rey Mysterio.

WWE 2K22

Developer: Visual Concepts Publisher: 2K Games / 2K Sports Availability: 11/03/2022 (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X | S, PC) The legendary masked luchador, born in San Diego, in California (telephone code 619, editor's note), from a family of Mexican-born wrestlers, arrived in WWE, the main wrestling federation on the planet, only in 2002 but had already had the opportunity to build a name in previous years in the rings of the now defunct ECW and WCW.

Beyond the vibrantly colored costumes, beyond the breathtaking maneuvers always performed with incredible precision, beyond an innate charisma that has attracted the attention of enthusiasts in the years to come, what has Mysterio has always been characterized by the will to go beyond any limit imposed by the old conception of matter. Suffice it to say that he was the first athlete in the 'light weight' category to participate in a heavyweight match valid for the title ... and to win it!

In short, we are talking about an authentic pioneer, a precursor of a new way of understanding wrestling, of an athlete who has inspired dozens of other past, present and future superstars, as well as a true pop icon of the last two decades.

Rey Mysterio is the cover star WWE 2K22 and his career will be featured in the game's Showcase mode. Today, to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of his first appearance in the WWE 'squared circle', Rey Mysterio has been chosen as the cover star for WWE 2K22, the famous 2K Sports wrestling simulator that, for the first time, also lands on consoles of the new generation.

After the disastrous misstep of the 2020 edition plagued by macroscopic technical and structural errors and received with disdain by critics and the public, Visual Concepts and 2K Sports have well thought of redesigning the title right up to the foundations in order to give fans a valid product, cared for in every part and very rich in content. And we must tell you that, judging from what has been shown so far, the road seems the right one.

A few days ago we were able to participate in a presentation event dedicated to the title, hosted by the famous podcaster and youtuber Sam Roberts, from WWE ring announcer Byron Saxton and Rey Mysterio himself who has been very enthusiastic about this new milestone in his stellar career.

"Representing the culture of lucha libre as a cover Superstar for WWE 2K22 is a moment of great pride not only for me but also for the generations to come after me, "said Mysterio," I can't wait to share the stories behind the great moments of my career with a dedicated community of players, connecting with fans of WWE in a whole new way as they play through my 2K Showcase. Here you will see things you have never seen before, so get ready for this crazy ride. "

The developers seem to have r capitalized on the criticisms received in recent years and are taking the 2022 edition in a new direction. As the cover star of the title, in fact, Mr. 619's career will be the protagonist of the popular Showcase mode that allows players to experience firsthand some of the highlights of his career in the last twenty years of wrestling. According to Rey himself, some legendary matches will be included such as the one against the late Eddie Guerrero at Wrestlemania 21, the one on Raw against Shawn Michaels a few days after Guerrero's departure or the spectacular one against The Undertaker at the Royal Rumble in 2010 (and we could bet that the triple-threat with Randy Orton and Kurt Angle at Wrestlemania 22 will also be part of the Showcase).

This is a great way to retrace the most important stages of Rey Mysterio's career complete with interviews made for the occasion and stock footage coming directly from the golden age of wrestling on TV. If you miss those years or simply want to discover the story of one of the greatest athletes who ever walked the ring, this is an opportunity you won't want to miss.

What about the news in terms of gameplay and content? At present we have not yet had the opportunity to test WWE 2K22 with our hands but the developers have already begun to reveal some important elements that could determine the success of this edition which, apparently, will be different from the past 'as a look, as a feeling and like power ', whatever that means.

The title will give you the chance to experience firsthand some of the most important rivalries in WWE history. Visual Concepts has redesigned the engine behind the title from the beginning which should now ensure smoother and more realistic animations as well as more accurate facial expressions and has also implemented a completely new control scheme.

Where in the past the 2K simulator tended to favor the spectacular action at the expense of technicalities and the purest competition, this new iteration of the brand seems willing to mix the cards on the table by introducing mechanics similar to fighting games more traditional. In this respect, however, we reserve the right to pronounce ourselves only after having tried firsthand the innovations conceived by the development team: until then we will maintain a shy enthusiasm.

And then there is you, the most requested mode and coveted by the community, the one introduced in the 2006 edition of Smackdown Vs. Raw but then left in oblivion in the following years. Yes, finally the phantom GM Mode will return to WWE 2K22 and will allow users to create their own wrestling promotion by choosing their roster, establishing meetings and managing the path of the various superstars. This is great news, but it will need to be thoroughly tested as soon as it is possible.

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Visual Concepts has redesigned the control scheme and also the engine behind its wrestling simulator. Ultimately, WWE 2K22 is taking shape as Visual Concepts and 2K Sports' response to the (right) criticism leveled by the press and public on past incarnations of the brand. The road, from the point of view of the gameplay, seems the correct one and the introduction of a Showcase dedicated to the famous Rey Mysterio is a rather tempting prospect.

We will return to talk about the title in the coming weeks, as we get closer as of launch date scheduled for March 11, 2022 on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X | S and PC. Then we'll see if WWE 2K22 really 'hits differently' than what we know.