|
|
Post by ahunter8056 on Oct 1, 2019 6:39:59 GMT -5
From what I saw of the clips, I have mixed feelings, though much more skewed on the positive side, thanks to the sorely needed presentation changes.
However, the booking was just more of the same. Viking Raiders VS The Club, which I'm pretty sure we saw last week (if not, it was very recently). Ricochet VS Cesaro (which I distinctly remember from only a month or two ago). The same AOP backstage promo we've seen for like a month now. Sasha VS Alexa for the millionth time I can forgive because of the women's division being so small.
However, INTROS AND PYRO ARE BACK!! The new intro is pretty cool (even though I feel like they put way too much of the band in the intro. Felt kind of more like a music video than a wrestling intro). Hopefully they're not dumb enough to get rid of weekly intros and pyro again. Those two things are the bare minimum, in my opinion. The new commentary team felt really fresh, and a lot better than the old one. Lawler is still competent. Joseph is a solid commentator. And Maddin turned out pretty well. I've constantly seen the dude on social media doing various gaming things over the past year or so, so its nice to finally see/hear him on TV.
The Becky/Sasha confrontation was really entertaining. Lashley and Lana returning was an interesting and unexpected twist. Fiend attacking Rollins outside the ring instead of inside the ring made it feel unique.
Only disappointing match result really was Heavy Machinery not winning the tag titles. I really hope they win gold eventually; they're just too good to not be champions. However, I don't mind it so much if Viking Raiders are the next champions. They're really good too.
|
|
|
|
Post by ahunter8056 on Oct 1, 2019 6:25:43 GMT -5
1) AEW Dynamite, purely because it's the very first episode. They've done a few things this past week to discourage me (the crapty ITV deal after Cody hyped it up as "way better than WWE's", AEW social media promoting an article with Cody VS Vince in a "blood feud" as the thumbnail & tagline), but I'll still give it a go.
2) Hell in a Cell. I'm ready to see Sasha Banks become the new RAW Women's Champion and finally get a decent title reign. The Becky/Sasha feud has easily been consistently the best thing on the main roster since it began, so I'll always be up for seeing more of it. Especially inside Hell in a Cell! Should steal the show again, just like they did at Clash of Champions. And of course it'll be cool to see the Fiend inside Hell in a Cell too.
3) RAW. I surprised myself with this one, but I was oddly really excited to watch the RAW clips from last night this morning. The thought of getting show intros back, a good theme, pyro, a fresh commentary team. All those presentation touches makes a big difference.
4) NXT. I don't know what makes this any different from the previous two weeks, apart from the fact that they're taking it off the Network completely on Wednesdays. But they seem to be promoting it as a big "launch" for some weird reason, despite having been on the USA Network for the previous two weeks. Some good matches, and I especially love Candice finally getting a title shot, even though we all unfortunately know there's zero chance of Shayna ever dropping the title. Bit of a shame to have to wait until Friday mornings to watch NXT now (airs too late on Thursday nights in the UK for me to even consider staying up for).
5) SmackDown. I honestly haven't thought too much about SmackDown. I like the new match-up designs.
I didn't know what Joker was, and looking it up, it doesn't seem to have anything to do with pro wrestling, so I'm a bit confused as to why it's on this poll.
|
|
|
|
Post by ahunter8056 on Sept 30, 2019 12:59:45 GMT -5
Bring me the Horizon is the only band on that list I definitely know I've listened to and am kind of familiar with. Not a big music guy, so I'll just use superstar music as my menu music.
|
|
|
|
Post by ahunter8056 on Sept 26, 2019 9:02:37 GMT -5
wwe.2k.com/news/2k20-universe-mode/Some well-needed tweaks to improve Universe mode. Highlights for me being: - Major and minor show match limits have increased from 7 to 9. - Pay-Per-View match limits have doubled from 7 to 14. - The number of championship titles per major show has increased from 6 to 7. - Simultaneous rivalries on major shows have increased from 3 to 4. - Pay-Per-Views can be co-hosted by up to 3 major shows versus the previous 2. I'm disappointed by the fact that we still don't have more multi-person rivalry options. How is triple threat or fatal four way rivalries still not an option?! But at least these little tweaks will make it easier to play Universe this year. I use three brands in my Universe mode, and so in 2K19 I had to have two PPVs per month because only 2 brands can be included on a PPV. So its nice to be able to have three. And the match and rivalry limits being increased really helps. 50 of the most-used cutscenes have been reshot with female mocap actors to look more authentic when female Superstars are used. That's pretty cool, though I admit none of the cutscenes really stuck out in my mind as not working with female superstars. But it's nice that they've reshot them to look more authentic. 25 new cutscenes have been added. Fantastic! Not a huge number, but the more the better. 3,040 new promo lines are in the game. Now that's a huge number! I can't really be optimistic until I read them. Promo lines were just horrible in 2K18 and 2K19. Hopefully in 2K20 they'll actually read like an actual wrestling promo. New rivalry content includes options such as low-intensity enemies making peace after a single Pay-Per-View or low to mid-intensity allies slowly falling out over several weeks instead of a sudden turn. That sounds pretty cool. I gotta say, the new menus look pretty nice. And it's nice to get a little look at some superstars who haven't been seen in any of the screenshots or entrance so far, like Ember, Kairi, Orton, Shinsuke, Apollo.
|
|
|
|
Post by ahunter8056 on Sept 25, 2019 7:29:28 GMT -5
Yeah, if it wasn't for the Four Horsewomen Showcase (which doesn't even have me at full excitement due to poor match selection), I wouldn't be excited for the game. It's just such a shame that my most wanted mode comes at a time where it looks like they've given up on the game. Less than 4 weeks until release, and we still don't have a roster reveal, a trailer, information on Universe mode. And the only footage we've got are a few scattered entrances and screenshots. Most of which have technical issues, which are a huge worry about the stability of the final product.
I remember an article before the release of 2K19 in which a higher-up of 2K released a statement that the WWE 2K franchise is very important to them, and that 2K20 would see an overhaul. Guess he was way off there.
|
|
|
|
Post by ahunter8056 on Sept 19, 2019 7:36:51 GMT -5
Is this shown in the UK anywhere? Second hour is on the WWE Network. I'm sure that they said in the original announcement that the full episodes go on the Network on Thursday nights. But looking at the schedule, I don't see it anywhere. |
|
|
|
Post by ahunter8056 on Sept 17, 2019 7:30:46 GMT -5
I honestly couldn't be happier each week with every interaction between the Four Horsewomen. I just LOVE everything they're writing for them at the minute. Sasha and Becky having a steel chair war was great. Made really unique by the sequence of them continuously ducking blows rather than just smacking each other. The minute Bayley got involved, you just knew Charlotte would be next to come out. Although I have to question why on earth she'd wear heels when she clearly couldn't run in them, it was still a really good moment to have Charlotte come out and save Becky.
There are so many possibilities they could go from here. Four Horsewomen tag team match at Survivor Series (possibly with both titles on the line), Charlotte and Becky as a fully fledged tag team to take over the division, WWE Four Horsewomen VS MMA Four Horsewomen at WrestleMania. So many potential directions. And I really cannot wait to find where they take it. This storyline is making the product exciting to me.
I just LOVE the focus on the Four Horsewomen. I've felt for years that's where it should be, and now it is. Right where they belong.
Becky VS Sasha inside Hell in a Cell will be amazing!
Everything to do with the Fiend was pretty good. Although I can't help but feel that the Fiend attack segments would be far more effective if Cole stopped talking entirely.
|
|
|
|
Post by ahunter8056 on Sept 16, 2019 9:38:38 GMT -5
I don't know if they just recorded the previous entrance videos at lower quality, but Austin's is the first entrance in which I've thought was clearly an improvement over 2K19.
|
|
|
|
Post by ahunter8056 on Sept 16, 2019 6:30:02 GMT -5
Pretty good show.
- Rollins & Strowman VS Ziggler & Roode was better than my expectations. I thought the ending was perfect, with Strowman accidentally shoving Rollins, leading to Roode capitalising. Roode has fallen so far since his debut, that it's great for him to get a big pinfall victory over the top star in the RAW men's division. And Roode & Ziggler as a team surprisingly works.
- Charlotte VS Bayley was good, if really short. Strong opening with Charlotte's big boot. Bayley cheating to win was good. I didn't really care too much about Bayley a month ago, but now with her role model heel character, she's really interesting.
- I think this is the show where I've finally been able to appreciate Alexa and Nikki as a tag team. Their matching gear colour scheme looked great, they wrestled pretty well. Still have no clue if Alexa is a face or heel though. Seems to be face now, but I don't remember a proper turn. Their pre-match interview was also fun to watch. Fire and Desire were good too, I quite liked their theme mashup, rather than just Mandy's theme being used throughout.
- As I posted during the show, Sasha VS Becky was great and delivered on my expectations. Fantastic storytelling, really fun to watch, hard hitting. And perfectly sets up a Hell in a Cell rematch (hopefully inside the PPV's namesake), where Sasha can win the title. As far as I'm concerned, Becky and Sasha are two of the best talents in the company, and this match really showed just how good they are. Bit early for the main event on this show, but the rematch really should main event HIAC.
|
|
|
|
Post by ahunter8056 on Sept 15, 2019 20:08:46 GMT -5
Really good match between Becky and Sasha. I was so hyped for that match, and it certainly delivered. Although I hoped Sasha would win the title, there was simply no way for anyone to come out a loser in that match. A DQ finish perfectly sets up a rematch at Hell in a Cell, hopefully turning out to be inside the Cell. The longer this feud goes, the better.
|
|
|
|
Post by ahunter8056 on Sept 13, 2019 15:47:45 GMT -5
Can't wait for Dakota Kai's return! NXT missed its Big Dawg.
|
|
|
|
Post by ahunter8056 on Sept 13, 2019 9:22:16 GMT -5
Is it just me, or does Becky's model look really strange? Like the hair looks too big on her head. I'm hoping it's just because we've seen so little footage of her, so I'll wait to see if the angles they've used just aren't flattering to the model.
|
|
|
|
Post by ahunter8056 on Sept 12, 2019 15:32:37 GMT -5
What's with the Undertaker fire pyro noise sounding throughout Aleister Black's entrance? That sounds quite annoying. Also noticed a few frame drops, like in the Buddy Murphy entrance. A bit concerned about the state of the finished game to be honest. Hopefully this is just recorded footage from an early build.
But the new entrance looks pretty cool, and Aleister's model looks pretty good. I like that they added in the dumb but kinda funny creak sound effect.
Also on a different note, I really hope they worked on the submission system for 2K20. If they could restore the secondary submission system to how it was in 2K18, that would be great. In 2K19, they made it almost impossible to win via the button mashing system, with the CPU always being inhumanly quick. I've tried the primary submission system, the wheel system, throughout the time spent playing 2K19 but I just can't get good at it. I eventually became competent enough to win half of the time against most opponents on normal difficulty, but the hard difficulty submission matches on the Towers mode is stopping me most of the time, to the point where I just give up on the Towers. I just find the wheel system far too difficult to master.
|
|
|
|
Post by ahunter8056 on Sept 11, 2019 16:34:01 GMT -5
I personally always thought it was silly to have a whole brand dedicated to a specific weight class. Never understood why cruiserweights warranted their own show, when they could easily be spread throughout RAW/SD/NXT. Especially given that hardly any of them have shown any discernible characteristics. Once you watched one cruiserweight, you'd watched them all. They're all very talented in-ring performers, but they all wrestle the exact same style, leaving very little room for variation.
|
|
|
|
Post by ahunter8056 on Sept 10, 2019 9:08:26 GMT -5
Fantastic tag team match between the Four Horsewomen. Four of the best superstars in the company going at it. Just like the crowd chanted on numerous occasions, that was indeed awesome. This is the kind of magic that can occur when creative finally wake up and realise what they have in these incredible talents.
Glad to see Charlotte & Becky pick up the win. If WWE booking is as predictable as can be, hopefully that may hint at Sasha & Bayley winning their matches at Clash of Champions, which is the outcome I'm personally hoping for, so Sasha can finally have the lengthy title reign she always deserved, and Bayley can feud with a face Liv Morgan over the title. I will be very interested to see if this Becky/Charlotte partnership becomes a regular thing. I really hope so.
|
|
|
|
Post by ahunter8056 on Sept 5, 2019 16:40:37 GMT -5
Is it just me who's had playback issues on the PS4 lately? The video remains high-quality, clearly high definition. But the audio stays sounding poor quality, with lots of hissing. Even when I back out and go back to the video I was playing, the audio will sound good for two seconds, then it'll switch to lower quality. Been like this for at least a week.
|
|
|
|
Post by ahunter8056 on Sept 4, 2019 9:43:18 GMT -5
I was really excited for the Showcase, but their list of matches revealed how much they've messed it up, with two startling omissions. Becky VS Sasha from TakeOver: Unstoppable and Sasha VS Bayley from TakeOver: Respect are both missing, despite being two vital matches. Meanwhile forgettable matches like Sasha VS Nia from Fastlane and Becky VS Mickie from Elimination Chamber are included. How could they have done this so badly? Becky VS Sasha is still highly regarded, and crucial in proving just how good the NXT women were, while Sasha VS Bayley was the first Ironwoman match. In a Showcase centred around the Women's Evolution, and specifically the Four Horsewomen, the two matches I mentioned really should have been a no-brainer to include. Yet somehow they clearly didn't do their research and missed them out. Dammit 2K, you couldn't even do this right!
|
|
|
|
Post by ahunter8056 on Sept 4, 2019 7:20:26 GMT -5
Very interesting show for the women's division. Heel Boss 'n' Hug Connection running rampant beating up the other two Horsewomen is just the best. I don't care what anyone else says, as far as I'm concerned, the Four Horsewomen are the best thing the product has going for it at the moment. Becky's groundbreaking run as the Man, Sasha's monumental return, Bayley's jawdropping heel turn. The only odd one out is Charlotte, but at least now they're adding her into this recent mix. Those four are the ones keeping me watching the product.
It's also pretty nice to see Fire and Desire getting a push. For too long they've just been used as fodder for faces to beat. I think they're worth giving a chance.
|
|
|
|
Post by ahunter8056 on Sept 3, 2019 14:28:07 GMT -5
I'm subscribed to a lot of channels, but I tend to just pick and choose what videos I watch based off whether I think they'll interest me or not. There are a few channels I pay particular attention to though, most of whom upload almost (if not) every day:
Alltime10s - Although I've hardly watched any of their content lately, they do some interesting and informative lists.
Buzzfeed Unsolved Network - Great channel, Ryan and Shane are really entertaining with their comments and reactions to the cases they examine. A lot of really interesting cases too, most of which I wouldn't know about otherwise. Great for anyone who's into crime or paranormal cases.
Call Me Kevin - Gaming channel. I really only tend to watch any games he plays which I already have an interest in. His comedy can be quite forced a lot of the time, but there are some good moments.
Chris Van Vliet - Recent discovery, but some really interesting in-depth interviews with wrestlers. No wonder he got the AEW gig.
Cultaholic - Although I hardly watch their lists anymore, Ross' bi-weekly WTF Moments are must-watch.
newLEGACYinc - Essential viewing. Any wrestling fan with a sense of humour who likes video games will love them.
Nixxiom - Mainly a World of Warcraft channel. Doesn't upload too often anymore, but entertaining personality.
The Fabulous Crusty - Gaming channel, but very entertaining personality. He sounds intoxicated the whole time, which just adds to the hilarity.
UpUpDownDown - Pretty obvious. I just watch videos with superstars I'm a fan of, or who I wouldn't mind getting to know better.
|
|
|
|
Post by ahunter8056 on Sept 3, 2019 14:15:17 GMT -5
Huge shame if it gets confirmed. She was one of the most interesting prospects. Completely unique entrance, and insane athleticism. Would hate to see her go, but can't blame her if it's indeed due to injury.
|
|
