WWE 2K23has released with widespread admiration following up on the success ofWWE 2K22by adding better gameplay features, fixing many issues, and giving fans an all-new MyRise experience. This year’s game features two MyRise story paths that the player can follow, The Legacy path where the player controls a female superstar who is the niece of a WWE legend, and The Lock path where the superstar is hailed as the next big thing.WWE 2K23’s The Lock path is a very interesting take on wrestling as it gives players a chance to wrestle outside of the WWE and make their way back to the big leagues.
Right at the start of The Lock, players will quickly realize that they will not be wrestling in the WWE for long. As the superstar departs the company aftera falling out with his WWE faction, he is determined to get back and decides to travel the world, fighting in numerous tournaments to earn the right to return to the biggest stage in pro wrestling. During these international fights inWWE 2K23’s MyRise, players encounter two very different types of matches, one being the British Rules match that takes place in England, and the other being a few matches played under Lucha Tradition in Mexico.
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British Rules
A British Rules match is a more constrained singles match where the match is decided on two-out-of-three falls, meaning that a superstar must basically win two matches to seal the victory. There are also rules in place that do not allow superstars to exit the ring or use any top-rope diving moves, containing the match within the ring and seemingly not giving high-flyers an opportunity to stretch their legs. While these rules may seem redundant or boring for many, the excitement of using a limited moveset, especially as a high-flyer, makesthese matches inWWE 2K23somewhat challenging and exciting.
The British Rules match is currently being used in WWE NXT UK, but there are a few extra rules added into these fights. In NXT UK, British Rules matches have a time limit with each fight consisting of six three-minute rounds and 20-second breaks between each round. The winner is decided by which superstar has the most falls after six rounds if neither have had two falls.WWE 2K23did a great jobtailoring this to the game by removing the time-limit and instead giving players an all-out fight, making it a bit harder on whoever conceded the first fall.
The Lucha Tradition
Towards the end of The Lock’s tour around the world, the superstar arrives in Mexico in the hopes of continuing to increase his popularity, and competed in two matches that are considered a part of Lucha Tradition. The first was a tag-team match, but following Lucha Tradition it was a 3v3 tag match where thesuperstar teamed up with WWE starHector Flores and The Chosen. However, this match ends with the team being attacked by Legado del Lotharios, setting up the next Lucha Tradition match, a Mask vs. Hair match.
The Mask vs. Hair match was set up to remove Chosen’s mask, but if the player emerges victorious, Legado del Lotharios would have their head shaved in the middle of the ring. Both of these stipulations run deep in Lucha Tradition, especially since the mask is a very important feature for a Lucha Libre superstar, and removing it basically retires the mask. While these matches did not hold the challenge that the British Rules matches had, they showcaseda different side of the WWE, the performance, as it featured great promos and ultimately ended with a lot of cut hair.
WWE 2K23’s MyRise has improved on last year’s game by providing a more enjoyable story and two different perspectives in the WWE, one as a legacy superstar and the other as rising wrestling champion. The inclusion of both the British Rules match and the Lucha Tradition were great additions to The Lock career path as it displays the diversity that exists in international wrestling. From being crowned as the Intercontinental Champion to being fired and eventually returningto fight for the WWE Championship,WWE 2K23’s MyRise The Lock career path is a celebration of wrestling around the world.
WWE 2K23is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X\S.
