WWE 2K22 is finally here and has seen the series completely overhauled following the disastrous release of WWE 2K20 in 2019. The launch led to 2K canceling WWE 2K21 completely and taking its time to give fans the wrestling game that they were begging for.
Sports games have long been one of the most popular genres, and WWE has been at the forefront alongside other franchises such as FIFA and Madden. The WWE has been releasing games since 1987 with the release of the first WWE game titled MicroLeague Wrestlin g. Wrestling video games saw just as much competition as the companies licensing them, with both the WWE and WCW releasing video games regularly throughout the 1980s and 1990s before WCW went out of business in 2001.
An interesting TikTok video has shown a comparison between the recently released WWE 2K22 and WWF WrestleMania which was released on the Nintendo Entertainment System in North America and Europe in 1989. The video compared the two by using two wrestling legends that appear in both games to show how far games have come in the last 33 years.
In the video, the player uses Hulk Hogan and Ted DiBiase for the comparison, with the Hulkster simply kicking DiBiase to the ground due to the limited moveset and mobility available in WWF WrestleMania, and in WWE 2K22 the player uses Hogan's iconic Leg Drop finishing move before winning the match via pinfall.
WWF WrestleMania features just six Superstars to choose from: Hulk Hogan, André the Giant, "Macho Man" Randy Savage, "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase, Bam Bam Bigelow, and The Honky Tonk Man. This isn't very many, especially when compared to the stacked roster of over 120 Superstars and Legends that feature in WWE 2K22, which will also be increasing by 28 following the release of five WWE 2K22 DLC Packs in the coming months.
It is fascinating to see games like this compared with each other as it allows gamers to see just how far gaming has come in a relatively short space of time, with video games going from 8-bit/16-bit largely 2D games to fully 3D worlds that are getting close to photorealism in some instances.
Over the last 35 years, WWE has licensed more than 60 video games, with most being arcade or simulation style wrestling games, with many popular ones including the Smackdown vs Raw series, WWF No Mercy, and the Mortal Kombat-style In Your House game, while the wrestling giant has also seen its Superstars feature in a Twisted Metal-style game with Crush Hour, and even a pinball game.
WWE 2K22 is available now on PC via Steam, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.