The current state of the WWE 2K series is a painful cycle for wrestling fans worldwide. Despite reinventing core mechanics after their 2020 fiasco, yearly releases have fallen back into the same harmful habits the franchise managed to escape.
Repetitive gameplay, lacklustre content, and outdated WWE rosters have plagued the series now more than ever, putting the WWE 2K boat in make-or-break territory, with players begging for their licensing agreement to end soon for a much-needed overhaul.
Until then, fans are left fantasizing about the good old days of WWF No Mercy, SmackDown: Here Comes The Pain, Day of Reckoning, but my personal favorite is and always will be WWE ‘12, Yukes’ love letter to wrestling and wrestling fans.
The very first title post-SmackDown vs. RAW era, WWE ‘12, was released on November 22, 2011, for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and the Nintendo Wii. The 13th overall game sold more than 810,000 units in its first two weeks, immediately doubling its predecessor, SvR 2011, and setting a new sales record for WWE video games at the time.
The seven-game series, SmackDown vs. RAW, ended because the branding had become outdated as the WWE brand split faded momentarily in the early 2010s. From there, THQ and Yukes decided to go with FIFA/Madden NFL-esque naming, with a bold (company + year) formula for their next two installments before 2K took over licensing rights in 2013.
Being exclusively published on a single console generation gave Yukes enough time to polish their brand-new Predator Technology, a physics and animation system that seamlessly blended in-ring action between grapples, holds, and spots. This, along with realistic camera angles, entrances, and face scans, boosted WWE ‘12’s presentation over the previous yearly release.
A dramatic soundtrack welcomed you into the main menu, where the ring was your oyster, now capable of running a 40-man Royal Rumble match alongside fan favorites like Steel Cage matches, Hell in a Cell matches, and Extreme Rules matches, just to name a few.
Weapon physics were enhanced, patching annoying glitches that now allowed for flashier, crazier bumps on tables, ladders, and chairs. The smoother gameplay was easy to pick up and play, while remaining very enjoyable for tryhards to master.
Its innovative targeting system made the new Breaking Point submissions feel all the more rewarding and realistic, whilst Superstars’ Comebacks added that extra layer of realism, matching TV’s and PPV’s pace down to a tee.
All of this opened the door for their best version of Universe Mode to date, where the players booked as they saw fit. With customizable weeks, programmed finishes, scripted segments, and an in-game WWE Draft, Universe Mode took on a life of its own every show, elevating the single-player experience to its maximum capacity yet.
It really goes beyond saying that WWE ‘12 wouldn’t have hit the same if it weren’t for its Road to Wrestlemania campaign. Featuring three connecting stories in the span of two and a half in-game years, The Villain, The Outsider, and The Hero in that order.
Filled with iconic moments through and through, like Rey Mysterio’s second heel turn, Edge’s heel WWE Title run, WCW’s revenge, and belt-collector Sheamus; RTWM in WWE '12 was a core memory for anyone who ever picked up this game. Wrapping your story with Jacob Cass, your custom superstar under a fixed name with original dialogue, commentary, and storyline, was the cherry on the top rope.
This game really went above and beyond to deliver on many levels, including its already popular Creation Suite, releasing the most customizable entry yet. Players spent hundreds of hours in Create-a-Superstar, Create-a-Finisher, and, for the first time ever, Create-an-Arena. Community Creation servers went bananas back in the day, replicating then-rivals Impact Zone, NJPW Tokyo Dome, and original promotions, all available to download for Xbox and PlayStation free of charge.
All in all, this installment accomplished the impossible in the count of 1-2-3. Getting rid of a household name like SmackDown vs. RAW, building a physics and presentation system from scratch, and providing the platform for community creators to thrive, all in the span of a single release.
WWE ‘12 is a killer repackaging, both on the mic and in the ring, truly the sweet spot between the arcade gameplay that made the series thrive in the '90s and the simulation that has kept it real with fans for over a decade in 2K. A five-star piece of art on a 20x20 canvas.
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