Words by Adam Weller
The hype for WWE’s latest videogame, WWE 2K17, is well underway, with roster reveals, trailers and superstar entrances sweeping the internet. With every game, we see new features, superstars and arenas, as 2K pull out all the stops to try and force your money into their pockets.
Inevitably, they fail to please everyone, and in all likelihood, 95% of us will have at least one feature we’ll be disappointed not to see in 2K17.
The following is a list of features I would like to see in WWE 2K17 – how many of them will I be seeing on October 11th? Probably none of them, if we’re being honest, but let’s get started either way!
Custom Soundtracks
Ah yes, we are starting with the obvious aren’t we?
Past WWE games have allowed you to upload music, so you can finally live the fantasy of walking down the ramp to Eiffel 65’s Blue (Da Ba Dee) vicariously through your Create-A-Wrestler. However, that kind of thing is seemingly frowned upon in the music industry, and the option has been taken away in recent years.
While I can see why it’s a potential issue, I would have thought there are ways around it. If you download a CAW with copyrighted music as its entrance, it probably could be called piracy or illegal re-distribution – so why not make it so CAWs on the Creations downloads section come without themes, thus making sure any music you upload stays on your copy of the game, and can’t be passed on to anyone else.
With that being said, if there are too many hoops to go through and too many P Diddy’s to piss off by allowing custom music, there is another way of giving us greater musical freedom…
Use of WWE’s Music Library
…I mean, why not?
WWE has produced thousands of songs for superstars, promo packages and other purposes, so why not put some on the disc to complement the existing superstar themes and generic ‘masterpieces’ such as “Psycho” and “Italian Patriot”?
I’m honestly rather surprised this hasn’t already been done, after all, who is there to upset? The music is all theirs, and they don’t even have to declare who the tracks originally belonged to; a large percentage of the audience may not even know they’re listening to an old wrestler’s theme in the first place.
It’s not like they have to be big names either – I’m sure there are hundreds of forgotten tracks from lower-card competitors and discarded developmental talents that they could use. The only potential issue is people creating the CAW’s for the original wrestlers, but that shouldn’t be an excuse as people do it anyway and seemingly aren’t frowned upon for it. Plus, I doubt Deuce and Domino would be upset that fans could create them on the game with their music to boot.
I just don’t see what would stop them… all I want is Jesse & Festus’ all-time classic ‘Biscuits and Gravy’ available for my CAW; I’m sure that’s not too much to ask!
Backstage Brawls/Matches
Remember when you could throw your competitors into parked cars, garbage trucks, bars, TV sets and hearses while playing ring-free match types in the old school WWE games? Yeah, I think we all want to do that again…
To me, there was nothing more fun than hitting your finisher on the hard concrete, or jumping onto your opponent from the top of a fire engine on SvR 2007, so it’s definitely a game mode I want to see back.
However, an argument can be made that those modes wouldn’t be relevant to today’s WWE, as backstage brawls and unsanctioned matches in parking lots do indeed seem like distant memories in 2016. So while it would be fun, this is one I can forgive them for if they do not include it in 2K17.
While we’re on the subject of SvR 2007, there’s another feature from that particular game that I’d love to see in 2K17…
Fighting in the Crowd
Yes, I am pulling out all the obviousness for this one!
In ’07 you could fight in a ringside area that featured weapons, electrics that you could Irish Whip your opponent into for that satisfying sound of virtual flesh being sizzled, and of course, that leap from the top of the scaffolding.
Once again, that particular area would probably seem outdated in 2K17, but fighting in the crowd is certainly still a part of the WWE, and it would add a lot of depth and purpose to the Last Man Standing and Falls Count Anywhere stipulations in particular.
Let’s hope that come October 11th, we can go beyond the barricade.
General Manager Mode (sort of)
This list simply had to finish with the mode everyone wants back.
With the brand split bringing back the concept of General Managers in WWE, now would seem like the perfect time for the return of the beloved General Manager mode, where you can build a roster, run a show and compete with the rival brand in order to earn favour with one Vincent K. McMahon.
However, with today’s GM’s being overseen by COO’s, would it not be interesting to see the game put you in the shoes currently filled by the McMahon spawn? If implemented correctly, it would add some incredibly interesting new dimensions to the gameplay experience.
For example, you could have a pool of potential GM’s to choose from such as Foley, Bryan, Steve Austin, Edge, Lita, Vickie Guerrero and more. Each character would have drawbacks and advantages such as popularity with the fans, and the amount of fight they’ll give you when you overrule their ideas (the default storylines and matches for each show).
When draft time comes they are allowed to make half the picks for themselves. This would be another variable for you to consider when picking your GM – Fan favourites such as Foley and Bryan would be more inclined to pick Faces, while someone like Vickie Guerrero would likely pick heels first and foremost. This would also add a layer of complexity to your picks, as you’d have to select superstars that balance out the roster once you take the GM’s picks into consideration.
Let’s hope that 2K are encouraged to get creative with new modes and features now that we are witnessing the “New Era” in WWE.
What would you like to see implemented in WWE 2K17? Let us know in the comments below, or barrage me on Twitter at @OhGoodnessTime, where you can also find my live reactions to WWE events, and the occasional podcast to boot!
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