Much has been said about the return of the General Manager Mode inWWE 2K22and its entertaining Showcase Mode featuring Rey Mysterio. However, the backbone and the reason to keep returning to aWWE 2Kwrestling game has been the Universe Mode. It replaced the franchise’s General Manager Mode in 2010 withWWE Smackdown vs Raw 2011.
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The Universe Mode is theWWEwrestling game’s equivalent of a season mode that’s often found in other sports games. However, the Universe Mode takes into account the entertainment aspect of setting up rivalries and feuds. Players can create their shows, include legends to have one more run at the title and dominate or include their created Superstars to take on the likes of Brock Lesnar, John Cena, and Roman Reigns.
Even though the GM Mode made its return inWWE 2K22with the new MyGM Mode, it’s Universe that’s still the meat and potatoes of the franchise. This list includes some of the best Universe Modes in the series.
5WWE Smackdown Vs Raw 2011
As the first game to use the Universe Mode as a viable replacement forthe well-loved General Manager Mode,WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2011had some big shoes to fill. Even though fans were undeniably disappointed with the lack of a GM ModeSvR 2011’s Universe Mode was deep and replayable.
It was packed with storylines, over 100 cutscenes, rivalries, and alliances. All of which would contribute to the player’s rankings and whether or not they would be able to challenge for their targeted championship.
4WWE 2K22
After the disastrousWWE 2K15, the seriesbenefitted from a leap in qualityfromWWE 2K16onward. The Universe Mode featured inWWE 2K16toWWE 2K20were very similar. As a result,WWE 2K22feels like the best of all those games in one package.WWE 2K22also features a new option called Superstar Mode which allows them to follow the career of one chosen wrestler and take them to the top.
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Moreover, if one is getting bored of sticking to one wrestler at a time, one can seamlessly switch between Superstar and Classic Mode. There are a ton of options for players to tailor their experience and make it their own including custom superstars, renders, and more. Unfortunately,WWE 2K22’s Universe Mode suffers from bugs and other issues that seem to get worse with every patch. Additionally, at the time of writing, certain features like double title matches don’t work as they should and wrestlers are incapable of holding more than one belt at a time.
3WWE ‘12
As the follow-up toWWESmackdown vs Raw 2011,WWE ‘12unsurprisingly took the Universe Mode to the next level. This was helped by having improved gameplay mechanics that made players want to take part in the matches instead of just simulating them.
WWE ‘12allows players to make edits to their shows, rename them,and customize almost every feature. One can create title matches on any show. More importantly, the game’s Universe Mode features a variety of cutscenes, winning and losing streaks matter and affect a wrestler’s morale, and injuries also play a significant role.
2WWE 2K14
The first game in the franchise to use the 2K brand name isregarded by many fans as one of the best entriesin the franchise. It has a great roster of superstars and was famed for having a reversible cover to satisfy the more hardcore fans that wanted Daniel Bryan, AKA Bryan Danielson, on the cover instead of The Rock.
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The Universe Mode built upon the features of its predecessors, but it also introduced more freedom for players to customize their shows. The best feature inWWE 2K14’s Universe Mode was the Rivalry Manager feature where players can customize, create, and track new rivalries within the Universe Mode. Despite having more features thanWWE ‘13,this entry’s Universe Mode appeared to have fewer opportunities for branching storylines as they triggered with less frequency than its direct predecessor. Players would spend far more time just simulating or wrestling in matches in a loop before any cutscenes would trigger.
1WWE ‘13
The last game to be published under the THQ banner,WWE ‘13is oftenan overlooked gem in the franchise. It’s also one of the first games to feature what would eventually become known as the Showcase Mode with its new Attitude Era Mode that featured six storylines set around WWE’s most popular era.
The game’s Universe Mode is arguably the best the series has produced with some credit going to Paul Heyman for his involvement in the development process. This time players could include their own customized arenas, there is a distinction between major and minor TV shows, and the create a Pay-Per-View feature made a return. One can even change the day that certain shows are aired if they wanted. Furthermore, there are more than 200 branching storyline possibilities that react organically. As a result, rivalries were less predictable but triggered more realistically than even the modern titles.
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