WWE 2K22 is just a few months away from launch, and it's full of potential with exciting game modes like MyGM leading the charge.
However, there's one change we're worried could truly ruin WWE 2K22 if the developers botch this new feature.
WWE 2K22 could be ruined if developers botch this new feature
After a long period of relative silence, WWE 2K22 burst into the conversation late last year with their "Hit List" Feature Reveal Trailer.
The short glimpse at the game was filled with exciting tidbits about all the new features coming to WWE 2K22, and it's not really surprising that the returning GM Mode took center stage.
While most of the trailer was positive, there's one easily overlooked feature that has the potential to ruin gameplay for WWE 2K22 if they can't get it right.
Just over 30 seconds into the trailer, they show a brief clip of in-match gameplay to highlight the new "Immersive Presentation" feature.
The clip seems innocuous enough with a few quick cuts showing Bobby Lashley powering Chad Gable into the mat.
While the cuts seemed more like editing to keep the trailer quick at first glance, a more in-depth examination shows that they're actually switching camera angles throughout the animation.
If you look at the above image, it's essentially showing the action from the "hard cam," which is the stationary camera positioning in the crowd directly across from where this one is pointing.
However, below in the angle that dominates much of the animation once triggered, it's instead showing a ringside camera angle that moves with the motion of the maneuver itself.
This seems like an exciting addition on the surface, and one we've seen utilized to some extent on certain moves in past games, but it comes with risk.
One of the biggest criticisms many fans have of modern-day WWE programming is their camera work, and too much influence there could make WWE 2K22's cameras a nightmare.
WWE 2K22 camera options will be critical
While not every WWE fan or potential WWE 2K22 player may know the man's name, Kevin Dunn is arguably one of the most despised WWE employees by many.
The primary reason is that Kevin Dunn has led the charge on WWE's production and camera work for years.
His influence is seen particularly in the ways their camera operators move and the frequency with which they cut to a different angle during live shows.
The first issue can be seen vividly in this video from 2019 where the camera operator is violently bobbing up and down with the motion of every chair shot.
The second issue of jump cuts is more visible in this separate clip from 2019 featuring legit MMA legends Brock Lesnar and Cain Velasquez where Dunn and his production team insert 10 cuts in a 9-second sequence.
The issue has existed in WWE and wrestling programming for years, but it's gotten progressively worse to the point that modern-day WWE programming has almost comically bad camera work.
The most effective way WWE 2K22 can reduce the risk of this "Immersive Presentation" feature bleeding the worst of WWE's camera work into their game is to make it possible for players to turn that feature off.
If there's an option to default to a more standard and less immersive camera style, it could quickly resolve things even if their "Immersive Presentation" goes too far.
While some cuts can have value, developers need to be careful not to go overboard, because they could hinder all the goodwill this game might build if the cameras hamstring the title's gameplay.
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