#this is also a really good comparison to their characters at ringside

[the-kipsabian]

[duhragonball]

Dragon Ball Z 289

So we’ve finally reached the home stretch of Dragon Ball Z.   These last three episodes are set ten years after Episode 288, and this period is colloquially known as “End of Z.”

Why do an epilogue ten years in the future?   Well, there’s a specific reason that’ll become clear in the next two episodes, but I think it’s a handy way to establish that nothing terrible happened for at least ten years following the Buu conflict.   Also, this era roughly coincides with the date that Future Trunks arrived from in Episode 120.  In case there was still any lingering confusion, that dystopian future has clearly been averted.   Kid Trunks is now the same age Future Trunks was when he first appeared, but there’s no androids or anything for him to worry about.   His biggest problem is that his aircraft is slower than his own ability to fly.

At least, I always assumed that’s why this part of the story opens on Trunks.   He really doesn’t get a lot to do in this.    He flies to Goku and Chi-Chi’s house, hoping to visit Goten, but Chi-Chi doesn’t know where he is, so he goes next door to ask Gohan.   

I guess over the past decade, the Son family made some upgrades to their home, and Gohan lives right next to them.   Trunks finds the door unlocked, so he just walks right in.

There’s some establishing shots of the house, but the main feature is a photo of Gohan and Videl from their wedding.  They didn’t look like this when Gohan was handing out wedding photos in Dragon Ball Super, but what can you do?

Anyway, Gohan couldn’t come to the door because he’s busy taking books down from his enormous shelves.  Also, he has glasses, which are supposed to tell you he’s all intellectual.

Oh, and he’s even got the pencil in his ear.    Lay it on thicker, why don’t you.   

I never understood Gohan’s career as a “great scholar”.   This episode makes it clear that he became one, and that with Buu’s defeat, he was finally free to pursue that life, but I have no idea what kind of “academic meeting” he’s talking about, or why he needs all those Charles Darwin books to prepare. 

Anyway, I’m happy for Gohan.    There’s people who wanted him to be this unstoppable badass, or they’re salty that he didn’t become the main character of DBZ, but this is alll he ever wanted out of life.   His own place, not too far from his parents, and a ton of books to read.  

I suspect that’s why Videl fell in love with him, because as much as she wanted to know about the Great Saiyaman and the Golden Warrior and the kid who beat Cell, the real Gohan is pretty much the awkward guy he was trying to be when they first met.   Yeah, he was keeping secrets, but he wasn’t disguising himself.   And I know there’s fans who wish Videl would have continued fighting and training until she became strong enough to beat up Goku, but I think in the end, this is the sort of quiet life she always wanted too.    She just needed to meet Gohan to realize it.   

While they talk, Mr. Satan appears on TV in an ad for the 28th Tenkaichi Budokai.

Videl is embarassed at her father’s antics, but he really did save the world from Majin Buu, so it’s not like he isn’t entitled to some of this.   But Videl points out that no one remembers what he saved the world from, because of the wish Goku made to make everyone forget Majin Buu.

Anyway, Gohan tells Trunks that Goten is out somewhere sparring with Goku, and that Bulma and Vegeta are there too.    So I really have no idea why Trunks came here alone.

Look how pissed these two are.   What is their problem?

Anyway, Goku and Goten are indeed sparring, and Goten doesn’t seem to be enjoying it much.  

Bulma’s mad because they almost never see Goku anymore unless they come to him, and Goku says they dropped by five years ago.  

Then he observes how old Bulma looks now.  Let’s just do the math really quick... Yeah, Bulma is 51, while Goku would be 47.

Vegeta explains that Saiyans remain in their prime longer as an evolutionary trait that lets them fight longer, but Bulma believes she looks very young for her age, and besides, she can just use the Dragon Balls to make herself younger if need be.

Anyway, the point of this whole visit is that Vegeta heard Goku was planning to enter the World Tournament tomorrow, and he wants to know why.   Goku thinks that there’s a strong fighter appearing at the tournament, and he wants to face him at the event.   This intrigues Vegeta, who suspects an alien or another android, but Goku insists that he’s a fully human Earthling.    Bulma doesn’t see how that’s possible, but Goku’s so sure of this that he’s making Goten enter the tournament as well. 

And he’s entering his grandaughter Pan too.   I’m oonfused here, because in the previous scene Videl called for Pan to clean her room, but now we see she just got back from flying around the circumference of the planet.   Maybe she snuck out of the house, or Videl just didn’t realize she wasn’t home.   Goku says that she probably won’t win, but she’s got a lot of power, and he thinks she’ll perform well.  This is enough to convince Vegeta to enter the tournament as well, and he threatens to slash Trunks’ allowance unless he joins in.   Yeah, like Vegeta gives Trunks an allowance.   I think what he means is that he won’t give Trunks as big a cut of the allowance he gets from Bulma.

So the next day we see the tournament grounds ago.    I just want to point out that Chi-Chi is the only one who got a better hairdo over the past ten years.   Videls’ bob is all right, but it’s not as good as the pixie cut, just sayin’. 

Goku and Pan wander around the place for a while.    By now, the Tenkaichi Budokai has become almost a complete carnival.  The 21st tournament was pretty subdued by comparison, but this thing’s got merch stands, arcades, and cartoon mascots. 

I like the part where they eat hot dogs together, because in the dub, part of Goku’s reason for returning to the Tenkaichi is that the stadium hot dogs were so good.  

Then some kid knocks over Pan and makes her drop her ice cream while he’s trying to steal a bunch of watches.

Goku’s afraid that she’s going to end this boy’s entire life right in front of everyone...

But instead, she cries because dogs are eating her ice cream.   Awwwwwwwwww.

So Goku gives her his ice cream to calm her down.   He already ate an entire carton out of the freezer for breakfast this morning, so he’s good.

Vegeta’s family shows up, and they have a daughter now named Bulla.  Honestly, I’m not sure why Toriyama bothered introducing Bulla, since she does so little in these episodes.    Maybe he was helping Toei flesh out the cast of GT, except GT didn’t do much with her either.   Maybe he just wanted to make it known that Bulma and Vegeta had sex more than once.

Krillin’s the only one who looks that much older.  Part of the trouble “End of Z” created for the franchise is that the characters in Dragon Ball Super probably ought to resemble these designs, but they usually don’t.   We never see Roshi get his other sunglasses, and Krillin shaves his head again instead of turning grey and getting a terrible hat.  And GT is set after “End of Z”, which means they had to make the character look even older, which is why Krillin looks like a miniature Gabe Kaplan on that show.  

But let’s check in on Mr. Satan, who’s going over the tournament with Majin Buu.   Satan’s lost some hair, but Buu hasn’t changed at all.    What I really love is how Bee’s grown up into a big ol’ dog who just sleeps by the recliner all day.    He borked at Super Buu and Kid Buu a lot over the past 35 episodes, but it was all worth it.   He got his pals home safe and sound, and now he can eat bananas whenever he wants.

Anyway, ever since Majin Buu came to live with Satan, he’s been rigging the Tenkaichi Budokai by having Buu act as his prize student.   Majin Buu defeats the other fighters, and then he faces Mr. Satan in the final match, and lets him win.   I guess Android 18 taught him the value of cheating.  This would make Satan a four-time Tenkaichi Budokai champion, but he only wone one of those titles legitimately. 

Here’s this, by the way.

So, Mr. Satan was planning on having Buu do the same bit again for this tournament, except Goku, Vegeta, and their kids are planning to enter, which shakes things up a bit.   But Goku promises that they’ll let Satan win the final match if any of them make it that far instead.  

There’s a quick gag where Mr. Satan gets seats for his friends, but he puts them right at ringside, which is apparently really awkward?  I dunno, that seems like the best place to be.   A lot of these characters used to be in these events, watching from that entranceway.   

So they ask Mr. Satan to intervene again, and he sets them up with this VIP Skybox looking thing.  I don’t know, the view might be better, but it seems kinda chincy to me.  

Then the contestants come out for the bracket draw.   Goten promises to avenge his loss to Goten in the 25th Juniors Division match.   Incidentally, there is no Junior Division this time, so Pan just has to fight grown men.  

Somehow, Majin Buu became really popular with the ladies.  Don’t hate the player, hate the game.

And here’s the field of twelve.  Now, you might say that isn’t enough for a proper single elimination tournament, but don’t worry, we’ve only got two episodes left.    It’s not going to get that far.

[wrestlezon]

aew rampage 10/21/22 liveblog containment zone

laughing my ass off at excalibur's reference (the attempt of trademarking the word "edge" for video games) he is truly The Gamer's Commentator

the acclaimed vs varsity... guys. tony nese and josh(?) woods. i forgot their title

oh no! billy gunn is ousted from ringside by the ref. golly! im unfocused. sorry acclaimed im trying my best to pay attention to your match its been a while since ive seen daily's place wood's fireman's carry into knee move...? bowens on the offense! they win!

cock and ball destruction ........caster thats obscene. dont fuck the belt on live tv!

backstage with tony schiavone and jade cargill

oh no! penelope ford... injured and out... i heard them mention this earlier but still :( i wanted to watch her fight willow!! wahhhh man jade is super mad! golly i do hope she fights nyla rose i wanna see nyla rose !!!!

watching the show Actually Live for the first time in a while means i can actually keep up with liveblogging it lmao... i need these commercial breaks to put words together

backstage with eddie and ortiz and death triangle

omg lmao ortiz put together an intervention for eddie. "eddie youre out of control" the lucha bros are here with encouraging words and eddie is just like :/? omg pac setting up pac vs eddie??? lmao poor eddie tho ;o; hes so blindsided

hook vs ari devari

those are some crisp printed hundreds i wonder how much it is to get fake film prop money whoa hook's getting beaten up classic threatening chin grab. love to see it whoa another pin break. will they actually make hook lose (no, but theyre not making it look easy!) oh theres redrum lol

haha vsk trying to fan him awake with the money redrum 2!!!! nooo dont put the money in his mouth you dont know where those crisp bills have been

backstage with the firm! ethan page and stokely

theyre bullying matt hardy ............ is he trying to outcringe them "by the time im done, you wont want me on your team"

willow nightingale vs leila gray

yay willow i wish penelope were here but ok... fighting! tackle! big scoop! big slam! theyre giving willow a lot of lore on commentary. which is funny because i know so little about leila gray in comparison ringside shenanigans! this match seems slightly awkward in its flow and pacing...? maybe im just looking too hard. or maybe leila is new? i dont know much about her so thatd check out "she aint no baddie! im the baddie" is that what was said there lol weird... match... maybe that penelope ford thing was a real last minute development. did they do dark matches before this show

OH!!!!!! WILLOW HIRED!!! yay!!!! i just uh... wish it wasnt after such a... weird match... oh... jade hijacking willow's celebration... i mean.. i guess thats heel behavior omg nyla and crew stole her car lol jade cargill killing every security guard

video segment with 10 and rush (and orange cassidy!)

oh lol theyre playing this on tv? nice. it was really good. i do think its funny that all the good segments they put on social media that i end up watching they also play on tv. better not to waste good segments to be lost in the social media oh they cut out the tony khan part of it lol he made a promise he wouldnt become an onscreen character after all

backstage pre-match with 10 and rush and orange

orange why are you with mark henry-- lmao why ARE you getting between these two guys' conflict jose i recognize your threat to orange but. i think punk has the honor of the shortest title run. twice over (😭) lmao orange has his own branded microphone... please tell me this is going to be a recurring thing stealing mark henry's bit again!!

rush vs 10 vs orange cassidy

andrade seamlessly deleted from the storyline i have such bad memory i have to keep reminding myself. *touches the earth* there was a guy here, once. i do this for punk and the elite as well i hope the elite and omega come back soon... yay!!! the best friends are here too!!!!!! :)c i love getting glimpses of my favorite guys in the background. imagine if i got to saw them wrestle :OOOO (theres plenty of non-conspiracy reasons for them to not have bookings. i understand. also they DID just wrestle in a trios match) (but that wasnt about them! it was about oc and pac!) (ok enough of that, its time for the main event!!!) he kept those glasses on for longer than i thought aoughh!! rush throwing beverage around! sticky cable choking! hm. its ok. i like the lime color watching 10 and rush fight, it makes me think that maybe oc turning this into a threeway gives 10 an out to lose but not lose his mask to rush thats a very charitable interpretation of the situation though. he also could just be being a funny little rascal oof!! solid table... unbreaking... 10 is so beefy. beef guy. real ooo i love me a good spear oh! orange is back in the ring the old nelson into pockets bit wow what a smooth beach break lmao why is open in-ring meddling legal in a three way i seriously love danhausen's curse-into-dickpunch manuever very mp100 reigan hypnosis punch energy rush trying to mess with 10's mask! are they going to reveal 10's canonically pretty face no! it will not occur. orange wins!

10 standing in the ring looking at orange... 10 looking at rush... lmao orange looking at rush like hes a weirdo

aww sad in memoriam bit at the end :(

the fite feed kept going but is glitched frozen. im missing out on the best friends being in the ring "theyre probably hugging right now" my friend does nothing but directly wound me

[marthawelsh]

“Opium” at Cosmopolitan is a Raucous Romp Around Uranus

A new show from the twisted minds at Spiegelworld, the company behind “Absinthe,” has opened at Cosmopolitan, and “Opium” is an imaginative, irreverent journey through a vast expanse of WTF.

We’ve got a metric ass-ton of adjectives still to come, but let’s cut to the chase about what “Opium” actually is.

At its core, “Opium” is a comedy-variety show. The good news it’s an exceptionally imaginative one.

We don’t entirely remember this sequence in “Opium,” but the theater’s signature drinks are very good. Thanks to our pal Erik Kabik for all the production photos.

“Opium” is also frothy and puerile and bizarre and psychedelic and LGBT-friendly and downright exuberant.

We warned you there would be more adjectives.

Perhaps we should put it this way: “Opium” is evidence weed is now legal in Las Vegas.

Enough foreplay!

Subtle, “Opium” is not.

The basic premise of “Opium” (we’re fairly sure they named the show before they knew what it was going to be about) is that a crew of colorful characters is traveling on a spacecraft, the OPM 4.2, from Uranus to Las Vegas.

Yes, there are a lot of Uranus jokes. Maybe you should’ve taken a moment to look up the word “puerile.”

A lot of time and creativity have been devoted to fleshing out the characters in the show, and each has a distinct subplot which unfolds during the roughly 90-minute show.

The cast of “Opium” attacks the outlandish premise verve and gusto. Fun fact: Verve and Gusto were a popular comedy team in the 1940s.

There’s Captain Ann Tennille, Lt. Lou Tenant, Chip, Rob the Robot, and Leslie. Somebody clearly ran out of steam with the Leslie thing, but the cast never seems to suffer the same fate. They’re universally comedically talented and seem genuinely enthusiastic about being in this new effort.

Along with the larger-than-life characters, there’s a talented singer who pointlessly drops in for an interlude to provide a diversion from the comedy bits and variety performances.

Think Melody Sweets in “Absinthe,” if you’ve seen it, but in drag.

If they give away an award for “Torch Singer With the Hairiest Back,” this guy’s a shoo-in.

Vegas Seven has a rundown of the cast of characters.

The comedy, about 90 percent of which orbits sexual organs, is non-stop. It’s not as edgy or biting as “Absinthe,” but it manages to hit the sweet spot for Las Vegas visitors out for a night of cocktails and adolescent humor.

And while we’re on the subject, it should be noted one might want to avoid comparisons to “Absinthe.” While a common DNA between the shows is undeniable, “Opium” is more strange than raunchy.

“Opium” also exists on a much smaller scale than “Absinthe.” The mere fact “Opium” is in a theater with a low ceiling means it can’t have some of the more jaw-dropping variety acts that have made “Absinthe” a must-see show in Las Vegas.

“Opium” relies on well-performed, tried-and-true variety acts it can easily swap out with others if needed. You know the ones, they involve hula hoops, unicycles and juggling.

Enjoy classic variety acts? Join the club.

While none of the acts were death-defying, some were stand-outs, like a balancing act with a trained Chihuaua.

There was also a stunning woman wearing S&M garb dancing with, and inside, a giant balloon, a throwback to Angel Perrino’s tap dancing act in the early days of “Absinthe.” We asked for a photo, trust us. No luck.

A favorite of the evening was the sword swallower, Brett Loudermilk. Sword swallowing is standard variety act fodder, but the performer had top-notch material and delivered it masterfully.

Yes, the sword swallower joke that springs to mind is exactly the one in the show. You should be in the entertainment business!

The biggest laughs of the evening were evoked by a couple who did alarming things with bananas.

Not the kind of alarming things you’re thinking of, perv. They basically bite off pieces of banana and exchange them by spitting them through the air. And they’re really good at it.

They also get audience members to participate. Which is as hilarious and disturbing as it sounds.

Highly entertaining acts, to be sure, but we’re thinking if the show finds some success, a bigger budget will be available for variety acts with a similar wow factor to “Absinthe.” Which we’re still definitely not comparing “Opium” to, by the way.

The show’s producers have made it clear the show is still being developed, so we have no doubt the jokes are being punched up and other variety acts are up for consideration.

Hula Hoops were once banned in Japan because the hip movement was deemed indecent. Sort of a selling point for “Opium.”

Other items of note: The show’s five-piece band is top notch. One would expect nothing less in Las Vegas.

The psychedelic sci-fi costumes are eye-popping and ingenious. Nearly all are shimmery and intentionally too tight, which adds to the androgynous vibe of the production.

Leave it to Las Vegas to take banana hammocks to the next level.

Because we know how you are, there is some toplessness in “Opium,” but it’s more for the sake of comedy than arousal. All due respect.

The show takes place in the Cosmo’s Opium Theater, adjacent to Rose. Rabbit. Lie. Find the box office at the top of the escalators above Vesper lounge.

A bar inside the theater offers a limited bar, as well as a signature drink menu themed to the show. Drinks include the Kiss My Asteroid, Gorgon’s Revenge, Sputnik Cage and Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster.

The specialty cocktails are $18, which seems like a lot until you realize a Captain and diet at Vesper, served in a thimble, is $12. Live a little.

The Kiss My Asteroid cocktail. We do not recommend using Pop Rocks during your post-show intimate encounters unless you have excellent insurance. We are not kidding.

Ticket prices for “Opium” vary widely at the moment. The best deal we’ve found is a $35 ticket if you order using the promo code “MOON.” That discount should work for tickets through May 21, 2018.

Regular ticket prices are $79, with upgrades available at $99 (ringside), $119 (terrace) and $129 (Banana Zone, which isn’t really a thing, but you don’t know that).

Visit the official Cosmopolitan site to find out more.

Overall, “Opium” is a worthy genetic mutation of the highly-regarded “Absinthe” and vastly better than the previous Spiegelworld show at Cosmo, “Vegas Nocture.”

Shout-out to our favorite celestial phenomenon, the areola borealis.

“Opium” at Cosmopolitan checks most, if not all, the boxes to make for a successful Las Vegas show. Music, check. Levity, check. Visual acts you don’t have to speak English to enjoy, check.

Oh, and the occasional boob. Check.

It’s time to gird your warp core, because “Opium” is a little bit “Galaxy Quest” and “Spaceballs,” a little bit “Absinthe,” a little bit drug trip and a whole lot of “When can we see it again?”

The post “Opium” at Cosmopolitan is a Raucous Romp Around Uranus appeared first on Vital Vegas Blog.

“Opium” at Cosmopolitan is a Raucous Romp Around Uranus published first on http://marthawelsh.tumblr.com/

[ges-sa]

WWE 2K18 Review

New Post has been published on https://ges-sa.com/wwe-2k18-review/

WWE 2K18 Review

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Get ready wrestling fans because WWE 2K18 is here. The annual 2K Sports release has arrived with the bold tagline of “Be Like No One!” and promising a brand new set of features and improvements to make this year’s game better than the last. Can we really be like no one? Is 2K18 an improvement over 2K17 or merely a lateral movement? And the most important question over all others…Is it fun? We’ll break it all down and get to the bottom of it below.

The most noticeable difference right off the bat when you start up the game is the visual upgrade and boost to the graphics. The teams at Visual Concepts and Yukes developed a brand new graphics engine with that delivers spectacular lighting and helps give everything more polish, from skin textures, to the ringside area (including the awesome shiny looking steel steps) and entrance sets. While many base character models are essentially the same (how much different can they look when being fully body and facially scanned anyway), the new lighting almost gives them the impression of new models. Additionally some character models that needed extra attention in 2K17, particularly the female Superstars, got a lot of love and when combined with the revamped lighting, you’ll be hard pressed to find many Superstars and Legends on the roster that bear no resemblance to their real life counterparts. The roster has never looked better and this is easily the greatest looking WWE game ever released to the general public and the team has much to be proud about over the visual enhancements made this year to the series.  Speaking of the roster, this game also features the largest ever on-disc roster (As well as the most up to date and complete roster ever of the current WWE Superstars at the time of release) in any WWE game with a staggering 174 unique on-disc playable male and female Superstars and Legends and nearly 30 more including alternate versions of certain character’s from different periods in their careers. By the time all DLC is released, the final number of playable characters will be as high as 213 which is just astounding when one stops and thinks about it.

Turning our attention to gameplay, there have been some notable improvements this year, adding to the solid gameplay foundations established since WWE 2K15 onward. Firstly there is the addition of the new Carry System that allows you to pick up and carry your opponent from four different positions and perform an attack or an environmental attack around different part of the ring (IE: Carrying somebody in a Powerbomb position and dropping them on the steel steps or out of the ring) or change your position mid-carry. If a player is on the receiving end of the carry, they are able to rapidly tap the button (a prompt appears on the screen) and if they are quick enough to fill the circle before the opponent executes an attack, they will battle out of the carry position and allow you a matter of seconds to reclaim the advantage.  The addition of the Carry System does add a new layer to gameplay and an is fun to perform, especially in Extreme Rules or Falls count anywhere matches where you can use the system to throw your opponent off the stage or through tables. It is however a struggle sometimes to battle out of the carry against the AI, who always seem aware of when you’re close to escape and through you into a seated position at the last second, negating your efforts.

The Carry System isn’t the only gameplay improvement as now for the first time since 2K acquired the WWE license, we can play with up to eight characters on screen together. This opens up the possibility of 8 Man Tag Team Matches as well as eight Superstars in the ring together for Money in the Bank Ladder Matches, Battle Royals and Royal Rumbles. It’s fun no doubt, although at times things can get chaotic, especially when trying to pin an opponent with three other characters ready to run into the ring to break it up. Royal Rumble and over the top rope elimination matches have also been revamped with new elimination mechanics and a quick elimination system. These matches have been stale for years, but these new additions change things up and actually make them interesting. It is now possible for smaller characters to be eliminated quickly by giants as well as adding an element of unpredictability. If you are against the ropes, it is possibly to be quickly eliminated by a running clothesline or for that attempt to be reversed with a back drop over the top rope. The QTE mini-game for eliminating somebody in the corner or against the ropes has been revamped too with the player now having to rapidly tap the buttons as prompted to eliminate someone or escape elimination and if you can’t succeed in a short amount of time it is likely your opponent will win out and escape or vice versa, plus stamina plays a role in this as well. To avoid things getting too cluttered in these multi-man matches, the Rollout System introduced in 2K17 has been implemented so that after taking a big move in a Battle Royal, Royal Rumble; a Superstar will role under the bottom rope (or out to the floor to recover in Ladder Matches or other multi-man matches) to recover and receive a buff if you fully recover without opting out early or being attacked before completing the recovery. These new mechanics do make top rope elimination matches more exciting and a nail-biter as players can be eliminated at any time. While this can cause a lot of frustration as well, this is a good rebuilt of these match types, which with some minor tweaking, are exiting to play again for the first time in many years.

The Create-A-Match has been implemented back into the series after previously being featured on PS3 games under the previous publisher. This allows one to pick a number of different match types with varying numbers of competitors and mix and match custom settings and win conditions to the players liking to create their own match type. An example of this the ability to edit 8 Man Tag Team Matches to be won via elimination rules by pinfall or submission (with count-out and disqualification options available too) in order to recreate the Survivor Series Elimination Match which is not in the game by default. There are also thousands of new animations, many of which players will not even readily notice, but these add up make matches much smoother. This is implemented in the new Feeding System where downed characters will crawl to the ropes, crawl under the bottom rope to the apron, pull themselves up into a seated position in the corner, roll out of the ring, etc. This not only makes matches look more natural and mimics WWE matches on TV more accurately than ever before, but it also practically gives players an opportunity to fights their opponents around different areas of the ring and ringside area by utilising parts of their move-sets available in those different positions that wouldn’t always present themselves in matches without players having to manually set their opponents into position themselves.

The commentary team for the game has been changed up again with Michael Cole being now joined by Byron Saxton and Corey Graves (who were all the then current announce team of ‘Monday Night Raw’ at the time of development) at the commentary table. They recorded their dialogue in the same room together and there are some exchanges that benefit from this, as Cole will ask Byron a question which will prompt Saxton to respond and Graves is as sharp as on TV, especially when hassling Byron Saxton. However, as good as the commentators are, the commentary itself during matches still feels disjointed at times, calling the wrong moves or match types occasionally and going silent for short stretches at other times. The flow has been improved a little, but commentary is a still a far cry from where it should be in WWE 2K18, especially when compared to games like NBA 2K18, both which are worked on by divisions of Visual Concepts. It is tougher using WWE announcers as they travel weekly and have limited time off to record their lines together, but better solutions as well as better implantation of the commentary, to where it sounds more natural like on TV and captures the same energy, need to be achieved as WWE games still lack in this area in comparison to sports games available currently. Thankfully crowd audio and authentic crowd chants have been added which help immerse you into the matches and capture the atmosphere of a WWE event. Listening to the crowd chanting in NXT area, or singing along to the entrance music of “The Glorious” Bobby Roode or Shinsuke Nakamura is such a great little touch that greatly adds to the presentation aspects of the game.

MyCareer has been redesigned this year, now falling under the MyPlayer mode along with another new addition: Road to Glory.  You start by creating your player with limited options initially via the MyPlayer creation wizard, and you can customize further after the initial creation of your MyPlayer. Eight different fighting styles with their own pros, cons and attributes via a branching progression system (much like the attribute system available to your MyPlayer in NBA 2K) have been implemented, meaning players will have to think carefully about how they want to proceed when creating your MyPlayer. MyCareer this year features a longer story narrative that for you to experience and free roaming the backstage area. You are able to talk to other WWE Superstars, Legends, General Managers and WWE Chairman: Vince McMahon himself or start fights, demand interviews from Renee Young or accept side quests which net you VC and further your path to dastardly Company Man or beloved Fan Favourite. The addition of backstage roaming has been long requested by the WWE Games community, and while fun at first, becomes a slog as MyCareer progresses as you have to walk from one side of the backstage to the other to talk with a producer to start your match and walk to the parking lot after every show to proceed to the next week. Even when running, it feels like you’re running slowly. Having said that, the story is fun, even if your responses to interactions with producers or WWE COO:  Triple H doesn’t have any noticeable effect on the story’s narrative. If this is how MyCareer will operate going forward, it feels like a good first reworking of the mode which with further refinement in future games could become truly amazing and the first thing everyone wants to do in the game. Road to Glory takes your MyPlayer into online combat with other MyPlayers as you compete in different one-on-one stipulation matches daily to rank up XP and earn stars to compete in regular Pay-Per-View special events (happening alongside the real life shows) and allowing you to win exclusive clothing items to use for your MyPlayer. Levelling up your XP also gains you different value loot cases that unlock boosts to use in your Road to Glory/MyCareer matches as well as VC, new moves and clothing parts. This mode is extremely addictive and constantly has my interest and with regular exclusive rewards and opportunity to improve your MyPlayer, it’ll keep players returning for most of the next year. The servers are stable and even with a weak connection, you should have little problem staying competitive (your MyPlayer skills and attributes notwithstanding.)

Universe mode returns with a new Power Rankings system that can give stat boosts to Superstars tracking high on the rankings and a goal system that affects the types of cutscenes you can experience with Superstars. Your PPV calendars and feuds can now dynamically adapt to whatever calendar you arrange and rivalries have been refines with the addition of potential rivalries that can simmer over time and at different intensities. The possibilities of quick one sided matches (referred to as ‘Overwhelming Offense’ and available in Universe or Exhibition modes) where one wrestler dominates another in quick fashion has been added this year to mimic these type of matches that occur in WWE and is perhaps one of the most satisfying additions added to WWE 2K18.

Finally you are able to truly “Be Like No One” with the Creation Suite allowing players to create their custom WWE Superstars, male or female, with no shortage or body morphing and clothing options. Unlike MyPlayer creation options which limit many of the parts until you can unlock them in Loot Cases and purchase them with VC, the regular Create-A-Superstar mode has no limitations except for your imagination. The creations look even more spectacular this year than ever, with many custom Superstars on Community Creations (from which you can download) looking near identical to their real life counterparts. Create-An-Arena, Create-A-Championship and Create-A-Video all have more options this year to tinker with and the Highlight Reel makes a comeback allowing you to pause, zoom in and change the angle of match highlights and use them in your Create-A-Videos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZbZfsuLXtg

WWE 2K18 feels like the most complete wrestling game from the WWE franchise to date. As much as the gameplay will be all too familiar to anyone who has played these games regular over the last several years, the additions further add to the experience and with some tweaking to the options and match sliders, players can have some epic matches. While some bugs have been reported early, an update has already sorted several of them and future updates will likely take care of the rest. Anyone on the fence or a fan of WWE past and present should give this one a try. With the best graphics and best gameplay yet, the future is bright for the WWE 2K franchise.[/vc_column_text][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”27391,27392,27396,27393,27394,27395,27397,27406,27401,27398,27405,27404,27400,27399,27408,27402,27403,27407,27409,27410″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

Additional Information

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Reviewed on: PS4 Available on: Ps4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC Genre: Sports Age Rating: Pegi 16 Publisher/Developer: 2K Sports/Visual Concepts/Yukes Estimated RRP: R899 Release Date: 17 October 2017[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

Likes

Visual overhaul and improved lighting

Gameplay remains strong with new additions

MyPlayer mode & Road to Glory

Sever stability

Dislikes

Commentary still lacking compared to other games

MyCareer story (while longest and best yet) isn’t as engaging as I’d have liked.

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