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WWE 2K17: Cutting weight

Let's get this out of the way right at the start. WWE 2k17 is a more-than-capable wrestling game. Its roster is enormous, and the much-hyped return of Goldberg to the universe is welcome, despite the fact that it is long overdue. Improvements have been made to almost every portion of the game. The developers have finally given their due to the female superstars who have led the Women's Revolution in the WWE and included them in the game. The loading times are down considerably – everything is a whole lot smoother and more true to life.

But it's hard to look at this game as anything other than a disappointment.

WWE 2k16 was widely regarded as an ambitious-but-flawed game. It tried to do a whole bunch of things, succeeding at many of them but failing at others. The physics were wonky, in-ring interactions were stilted, and the MyCareer mode was a slog, to put it lightly. That said, the developers over at Yuke's had rebuilt the fighting system largely from the ground up last year, so gamers and WWE fans could forgive a lot – especially when so many extras were added.

One of WWE 2k16's best features was its "Showcase Mode", a campaign of sorts that saw the player follow Stone Cold Steve Austin's career in professional wrestling from start to finish. It was high-action, and encouraged players not just to win matches, but to recreate them as they happened in real life. It, honestly, was unlike anything I had experienced in a wrestling game before, and it was utterly and completely engrossing.

Which brings me to WWE 2k17.

In a completely unexpected move, the game cut the mode whole-hog. It makes no sense, especially given the game's long-running marketing campaign focusing on the return of Goldberg – why not give him center stage? Or, if not him, why not track Brock Lesnar's career? Why not, well, anybody?

At the end of the day, the 2K Showcase in WWE 2k16 wasn't essential to the game itself, but it displayed a nod to the drama of the WWE of the past and present, the high-flying antics that happen in the ring and the specific moments that go down in history in the minds of wrestling fans. It grounded the game, and offered an entry point for WWE fans to get invested in the game (and vice versa, for video game fans to get invested in the WWE). The developers have apologized for the feature's absence, citing the difficulty of licensing all the needed characters for a Brock Lesnar showcase, and though the apology is appreciated, the game is still sorely missing this mode.

In lieu of the mode, WWE 2k17 offers expanded and refined MyCareer and WWE Universe modes. The former has seen the most love, with a progression that includes in-ring promos and backstage brawls. A much-welcome change also allows you to earn credits anywhere in-game to accelerate your character's growth. These are all great changes, and really deepen enjoyment of the MyCareer mode.

WWE Universe has undergone more subtle changes, ones more focused on making the mode true to life after the WWE's brand split. The mode now feels much more like you're playing through these shows and pay-per-views as they happen, rather than a completely open sandbox. There are still customization options, to be sure, but there's a bit more structure for you to play around with.

Speaking of customization, WWE 2k17 does offer a whole bunch of customization options for those of you who really want to recreate Game of Thrones characters and have them duke it out in the ring. There are also options to custom-create character intro videos, which is a great addition, if a bit time-consuming to explore fully.

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the game's glitches. Many times in MyCareer mode, character audio would completely cut out, necessitating a restart. Even after that, when cutting promos and interviews, audio was very intermittent. Early in the game, my character had an epic lip-sync battle with Enzo Amore – that's probably not how the developers intended it to go. Hopefully these issues get patched soon.

Overall, as I said above, it really is hard to look at this game and not be disappointed. Most yearly games are iterative, sure, but each tries to add new and exciting features, gameplay hooks, or modes. WWE 2k17 didn't do any of that, and in fact, cut a mode out wholesale. Yes, the fighting is smoother and more true-to-life. Yes, the online modes are much more robust. Yes, the menus make more sense. Yes, they finally recognize the Women's Revolution. But there's just something about this game that lets you down. It doesn't feel like a celebration. And for a game based on a league in which muscular individuals in crazy costumes perform amazing feats of athleticism, this somber, muted tone is frankly unacceptable.

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