In the Ring with Jordan #7: WWE 2K18 first impressions and pros/cons

Today has been a day that I have been waiting months for. WWE 2K18's deluxe edition officially released today for people who preordered it, and I have spent a huge chunk of today divulging into this game. Without further ado, I'll provide my first impressions and go in-depth with some of the pros and cons I noticed.

This game is the best WWE game out there in terms of visuals. The new lighting system looks fantastic, and the character models look as real as they can get. If you fight against the Demon Finn Balor and beat him up for a while, his face paint actually smears from sweat. The little details stand out to someone like me who lives and breathes WWE.

WWE 2K18 has the largest roster out of any WWE game to date. It has majority of the current roster and also a large selection of legends to choose from. There are a ton of superstars to make for a great Universe mode. Speaking of the roster, WWE 2K18 really stepped their game up with the women's roster. They finally have a great selection of women so Nikki Bella VS Paige won't be the only rivalry made for the women.

Like I mentioned earlier, this year's game paid a lot of attention to detail. That is something that I have come to value and appreciate. The crowd taunts this year are 100% authentic. In previous games, there would be random chants that sound dubbed in and don't flow with the match whatsoever. This year, however, the chants apply to the tempo of the match and sound just like the regular WWE crowds. During Bobby Roode's entrance, you can actually hear fans singing his theme song. That stuck out to me and added that realism that WWE games needed.

The production truck in MyCareer looks very real, as the character models (especially Sasha Banks) look just like the actual wrestler. Once again, the detail aspect is what is shining.

Most of the arenas are pretty up to date, which is very helpful. Most players usually have to download the arenas for currently used pay-per-view events because they aren't featured in the game. Not necessarily the case in WWE 2K18.

The mode that I personally spent the most time playing today is MyCareer. I'm a sucker for MyCareer, considering I never got the privilege to play it on Xbox 360. This year's MyCareer definitely sticks out compared to the rest. So, without further ado, I'll give a brief run-down of MyCareer.

So the story starts off basically the same way as every year-- you talk to Matt Bloom, the NXT head trainer. He leads you in a tutorial and you choose some phrases to establish what type of gimmick you are going to have. That leads to a tutorial match with Tye Dillinger, and a complete squash match with Baron Corbin (Corbin squashes you, not vice versa). The thing that stood out to me was no voice acting. That is something that made WWE 2K16 and 17's MyCareer better. Especially considering I don't have an HD TV (another story for another time), it's really hard for me to try to read the subtitles. Voice acting would have helped that.

The new free roaming system has been really good, aside from occasional lagging when trying to run. A main problem I notice when I talk to talent backstage (that is an option this year) is that they don't "talk" like their actual character. One particular circumstance happened when I was talking to Akam backstage. He said something about eating donuts which I found very random and not realistic. I then chatted with Triple H and he told me to "suck it". While that would be accurate for Triple H in 2006, the Triple H of now should have said he was busy or something.

Call me tedious, but it's the little things that bothered me. A HUGE thing that stuck out to me negatively was the return of good 'ol Barron Blade. For those of you who don't know, Barron Blade is a fictional character that was introduced in MyCareer a couple of years ago. He looks like a preset character that was made by a 5 year old. In this game, Barron Blade is a backstage producer for NXT. And you have to talk to him EVERY week. Why they couldn't have ACTUAL producers like Dean Malenko or Adam Pearce in that role is beyond me. It was just really annoying having Barron Blade give me advice when clearly he was not on my level and does not know anything about being successful.

Another feature introduced this year is side quests. Typically in MyCareer, you just have an "Authority" challenge which is used during matches. This year, you can talk to certain superstars backstage and help them with tasks. I talked to Bobby Roode backstage and attacked Johnny Gargano for him, and I helped Nikki Cross defeat Asuka. By accomplishing those side quests, you earn loot crate prizes and various attributes.

Speaking of loot crates, I forgot to mention probably THE BIGGEST problem I have with the game: when you start out, you only have a limited amount of items. The hairstyles off the get-go are atrocious, the attires are lame, and the options for finishing maneuvers are cringe-worthy. In this game, you have to grind it out to unlock these options, using VC (virtual credit). I personally bought the Deluxe Edition, which includes the Season Pass. The Season Pass contains all of the downloadable content, including the Accelerator, which unlocks everything by simply clicking a button. Turns out, it doesn't work for MyCareer. You still have to put in the time and effort to unlock everything. And even then, it's luck of the draw for what you get from the loot crates. You could spend over a year playing the game before you want the hairstyle that you want.

Again, this is just things that I'm not used to yet. I'm still getting the hang of the new carrying system and how backstage roaming ties into the MyCareer. These little critiques are just the things that bugged me fresh off playing WWE 2K17, sort of like a comparison between the two games. I'm sure I'll get used to all my pet peeves as I continue playing.

For those of you who have the game, let me know what you think. Do you have the same gripes about the game like I do? What sticks out for you? What mode are you looking to play first? Shoot me a Tweet (@JumbaDaniels) or message me on Instagram (@wrestlinginvasion) and let me know.