With WWE 2K17 being out for about three weeks now, the gaming community has really gotten a good chance to see what the new game is all about. Is 2K17 the definitive wrestling game? 

The game was released earlier this month on October 7th. It is the fifth wrestling game published by 2K. The game has the most extensive roster of any game to date, boasting almost 180 playable superstars from NXT newcomers to the old legends of the past. The roster isn’t the only thing that game has improved on. This is the best looking wrestling game that fans have seen. The player models are almost lifelike (give or take Dana Brooke). In all the huge roster and great graphics are a huge up for this years game.

One of the two biggest additions of this years game is the ability to fight backstage, in the crowd, and the promo engine. The last time players were granted the ability to fight backstage was way back in 2009 with the last installment of SmackDown vs Raw. In this game when fighting backstage players are restricted to one hallway with three separate rooms to enter, Triple H’s office and two locker rooms. This is a little bare bones compared to the plethora of locations in older games like the parking garage or a boiler room, but it is pretty great nonetheless. It gives the sense of hard hitting action that comes with brawling in the backstage and it is a lot of fun as well. On the other hand, there is the all new promo engine. It is a new addition in the games and it shows it. The promo engine does not seem as fleshed out as it should be. The lack of voice acting, though understandable, is just a tad bit awkward, and the choices aren’t really the best either. The gameplay this year is the smoothest it has ever been, and the two new additions can only get better from here.

The biggest draw for me in all these games has always been the career mode. The opportunity to create a superstar and take him through the ranks of the WWE is just such a thrilling experience, or it should be. The biggest complaint with the 2K WWE games has always been the lack of depth in the career modes. While 2K17 is an improvement it is still nowhere as enjoyable as it should be. The actual creation of your superstar is great. The creation suit is the best it has ever been, and it’s been overhauled to be a more player friendly, but after that that’s where the complaints come in. Just like last year nothing your superstar dose really seems to have an impact. Career mode as a whole just feels like a giant chore to do, and it gets stale after a while.

Everything considered, this is probably the best and  most realistic wrestling game fans have ever gotten. While it’s not perfect, it’s pretty darn close. Hopefully 2K can fix the career mode to truly make their games great. I would say if you’re a fan of wrestling this is a definite must have.