Bing AI writes a sequel to BioShock Infinite

One of our favorite video games here at The Underground is BioShock Infinite, a first-person shooter set in a dystopian society in the sky. From its opening moments at a mysterious lighthouse to its mind-blowing conclusion, BioShock Infinite is a game we always thought deserved a sequel.

Thanks to our new best friend, Bing's AI chat feature, we've got a look at what a potential sequel might entail. Check this out:

The year is 1919, and the world is recovering from the Great War. A mysterious organization known as the Vox Populi has emerged, claiming to be the true heirs of the revolution that toppled the floating city of Columbia. Led by a charismatic figure called the Prophet, they seek to overthrow the corrupt governments and corporations that oppress the people.

You play as Elizabeth, the former captive of Columbia who has gained the ability to manipulate tears in reality. After the events of Bioshock Infinite, you have been traveling across different timelines and dimensions, trying to find a way to undo the damage you caused by killing Comstock, the original Prophet. Along the way, you have encountered various versions of Booker DeWitt, the man who rescued you from Columbia and sacrificed himself to stop Comstock.

One day, you receive a mysterious message from an unknown source, telling you to go to Paris in 1919. There, you find a tear that leads you to an alternate version of Columbia, where the Vox Populi have taken over and turned it into a utopia for the oppressed. You are greeted by the Prophet, who reveals himself to be another version of Booker DeWitt, one who survived your attempt to kill him and became the leader of the Vox Populi.

He tells you that he has been watching you through the tears, and that he has a plan to save the world from itself. He wants you to join him and his followers, and use your powers to open tears to other realities, where they can spread their message of freedom and equality. He claims that he has seen a vision of a better future, where all people live in harmony and peace.

However, as you explore this new Columbia, you discover that not everything is as it seems. The Vox Populi are not as benevolent as they claim, and they have been using violence and terror to achieve their goals. They have also been experimenting with tears, trying to create new weapons and abilities for their soldiers. You begin to question the Prophet's motives and methods, and wonder if he is really trying to save the world, or if he has become corrupted by his own power.

You soon find yourself caught in a conflict between the Vox Populi and their enemies, who include remnants of Comstock's loyalists, agents of various governments and corporations, and other factions that oppose the Vox Populi's vision. You also encounter other versions of yourself and Booker, some of whom are allies, some of whom are enemies, and some of whom are something else entirely.

You must decide whether to trust the Prophet and his followers, or to oppose them and find your own way. You must also face the consequences of your actions across different realities, and deal with the paradoxes and anomalies that result from your manipulation of tears. You must ultimately choose between saving the world or destroying it.

We asked the AI to tell us some of the shocking (absolutely spoiler-filled) twists in the game are, and here's what it said:

Of course, there are some shocking twists in this plot. Here are some examples:

• You discover that the Prophet is actually your father, and that he is the result of a tear that merged two versions of Booker: one who became Comstock, and one who remained Booker. He has inherited both their memories and personalities, and he is conflicted between his good and evil sides. 

• You meet a version of yourself who is the leader of a resistance group that opposes the Vox Populi. She tells you that she is the original Elizabeth, and that you are a clone created by the Vox Populi to replace her. She also tells you that the Prophet is lying to you, and that his vision of the future is a nightmare where he rules as a tyrant. 

• You encounter a version of Booker who is working for a mysterious organization called the Lutece Corporation [see Rosalind and Robert Lutece from the original game]. He tells you that he is the one who sent you the message to go to Paris, and that he is trying to stop the Prophet from destroying the multiverse. He also tells you that he is your brother, and that he and the Prophet are twins separated at birth. 

• You find out that the Vox Populi have been secretly collaborating with an ancient race of beings called the Cthulhu, who live in the depths of the ocean. They have been using tears to summon them and harness their power, hoping to use them as allies in their war. However, the Cthulhu have their own agenda, and they plan to wipe out humanity and take over the world. 

• You learn that the Prophet's vision of the future is actually a trap set by an evil version of yourself, who has become a god-like entity after absorbing the power of all the tears. She wants to lure you and the Prophet into her realm, where she can kill you and take your powers. She also wants to destroy all other realities, leaving only hers as the sole existence.

So how about that? What do you think of the AI's idea for a new BioShock game? We'd play it! Leave us a comment with your thoughts, follow us on Twitter (here and here) or find us on Facebook.

Who knows what we'll have the AI cook up next?

Until next time, keep it here at The Underground.

Bing AI writes epic Batman/Walking Dead crossover

We took to Bing's new AI chat to tackle a monumental task in the world of pop culture. We asked it to write a short story about a Batman/"The Walking Dead" crossover event.

In a matter of seconds, here's what it came up with:

**The Dark Knight of the Dead**

Batman was on patrol in Gotham City when he received an urgent message from Alfred. He switched on his communicator and heard his butler's voice.

"Master Bruce, I'm afraid I have some bad news. There's been a global outbreak of a virus that turns people into flesh-eating zombies. The authorities are calling it the walker virus. It's spreading fast and there's no cure."

Batman felt a chill run down his spine. He had faced many threats before, but nothing like this. He asked Alfred how he was doing.

"I'm fine, sir. I've barricaded myself in the Batcave with enough supplies to last for a while. But I'm worried about you. You need to get out of the city as soon as possible. It's not safe here."

Batman looked around and saw chaos and panic everywhere. People were running and screaming, cars were crashing, buildings were burning. He saw some zombies shuffling towards him, their eyes glazed and their mouths dripping with blood.

He knew Alfred was right. He had to leave Gotham and find a safe place to regroup and plan his next move. He activated his Batwing and flew away from the city.

He decided to head towards Atlanta, where he had heard there was a CDC facility that might have some answers. He hoped to find some survivors there, or at least some clues on how to stop the virus.

He arrived in Atlanta after a few hours of flying. He scanned the area and saw that it was overrun by zombies as well. He spotted the CDC building and landed on the roof. He entered the facility and searched for any signs of life.

He found a few corpses, but no one alive. He checked the computers and found a video message from a scientist named Dr. Jenner. He played the message and watched as the scientist explained what he knew about the virus.

He said that it was a mutated form of rabies that affected the brain and reanimated the dead. He said that everyone was infected and that death was the only trigger. He said that he had tried to find a cure, but failed. He said that he had lost hope and that he was going to end his life.

He said that he had rigged the building to explode and that anyone who was watching this message should get out as fast as they could. He said that he was sorry and that he hoped someone would find a way to survive.

The message ended with a countdown timer that showed 10 seconds left.

Batman cursed and ran towards the exit. He barely made it out before the building exploded behind him. He got on his Batwing and flew away from the blast.

He realized that he had wasted his time coming here. There was no hope in Atlanta. There was no hope anywhere.

He decided to keep flying until he found somewhere safe to land. He hoped to find some other survivors who might have some idea on how to deal with this apocalypse.

He flew for several hours until he saw a prison in the distance. He decided to check it out. Maybe there were some people there who could help him.

He landed near the prison gate and got off his Batwing. He approached the gate cautiously and saw a group of armed people standing behind it.

They pointed their guns at him and shouted at him to identify himself.

Batman raised his hands and said in a calm voice:

"I'm Batman."

Yeah, we're speechless, too. 

Bing AI writes an obituary for Jurassic World employee

I've been getting a lot of ads lately to promote Bing's new AI chat feature. Now, I don't ever use Bing but I do frequently have random thoughts running through my head. So today, as I sit here watching "Jurassic Park" (happy 30th, by the way!), I thought: What better way to put Bing's AI chat to the test than to have it write an obituary for someone who died at Jurassic World??

I now present to you the sad tale of John Smith, as written by artificial intelligence:

**John Smith (1978-2022)**

John Smith, 44, of San Diego, California, passed away on June 12, 2022, at Jurassic World, Isla Nublar. He was a devoted husband, father, and engineer who loved dinosaurs and adventure.

John was born on April 4, 1978, in Los Angeles, California, to Robert and Mary Smith. He graduated from UCLA with a degree in mechanical engineering and worked for InGen, the company that created Jurassic World. He married his college sweetheart, Jane Doe, in 2002 and they had two children, Jack and Jill.

John was passionate about his work and was always eager to learn new things. He was one of the lead engineers who designed and maintained the park's attractions, including the gyrosphere, the monorail, and the Indominus rex enclosure. He was proud of his achievements and enjoyed sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm with his family and friends.

John was also a loving and caring husband and father who always put his family first. He surprised his wife and kids with a trip to Jurassic World for their anniversary, hoping to give them an unforgettable experience. He was thrilled to see their faces light up as they explored the park and marveled at the dinosaurs. He was especially fond of the gentle herbivores and often joked that he wanted to adopt one as a pet.

John's life was tragically cut short when the Indominus rex escaped from its enclosure and wreaked havoc on the park. John bravely tried to protect his family and other guests from the rampaging beast, but was fatally injured in the process. He died a hero, sacrificing himself for the ones he loved.

John is survived by his wife Jane; his children Jack and Jill; his parents Robert and Mary; his brother Mike; his sister Lisa; and many other relatives and friends. He will be dearly missed by all who knew him.

A memorial service will be held on June 20, 2022, at 10 a.m. at St. John's Church in San Diego. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Dinosaur Protection Group, a nonprofit organization that advocates for the rights and welfare of dinosaurs.

Rest in peace, John, up in that big Indominus rex enclosure in the sky.

How to Receive All Three Starter Pokemon in Pokemon Scarlet/Violet

 

We received amazing news a couple weeks ago when Nintendo announced that Pokemon Scarlet and Violet players would be able to receive Sprigatito, Fuecoco and Quaxly simply by linking their game to the Pokemon Home app. It seemed too good to be true... so was it?

Tonight, we finally got around to attempting this process, and we found it to be much less straight forward than advertised. We even had a bit of trouble finding a simple walkthrough when, defeated, we turned to Google for help. So, we thought it might be a good idea to break down the process for anyone else who's looking to bolster their Pokedex.

First of all, you'll want to make sure that you have the Pokemon Home app on both your Switch and your phone, and that your account is connected to those apps. We're not going to break down that process here, but this article by Eurogamer.net seems to be pretty thorough (although a bit outdated, now that Scarlet and Violet are compatible with Home).

Secondly, you'll need (of course) either Pokemon Scarlet or Pokemon Violet and, presumably, you should have played the game at least once and caught a few Pokemon in the wild.

After you've got Pokemon Home on your Switch and your phone, with your account connected, and caught a couple wild Pokemon on Scarlet or Violet, follow this process to link your game and claim those elusive Scarlet/Violet starters:

1. Open Pokemon Home on the Switch.
2. Push any button to enter the app. Wait for the app to load.
3. Press A on the "POKEMON" button. The app will display any Pokemon games you've played on the Switch.
4. Highlight Pokemon Scarlet/Violet and press A.
5. Confirm that you want to connect to this game by pressing A again. The app will move to a screen that shows any Pokemon currently stored in Pokemon Home on the left side of the screen. On the right, it will show any Pokemon currently held in your "box" in Scarlet/Violet.
6. Supposedly, the free gifts are awarded the first time the user transfers a Pokemon from Scarlet/Violet to Home. To be safe, we also transferred a Pokemon from Home to, in our case, Violet. Do so by selecting the desired monster with A, moving them to the opposite side of the screen and depositing them in the other box with another press of A.
7. Once done, press the + button to quit.
8. Press A to "Save changes and exit."
9. Close the Pokemon Home app on the Switch.
10. Open the Pokemon Home app on your phone.
11. Tap the screen to start the app.
12. Once the app loads, press the menu button in the bottom-middle edge of the screen. A menu will pop up.
13. Tap the "Mystery Gifts" button.
14. Tap the "Gift Box" button.
15. The three starter Pokemon are claimable here and are named "Special Link Gift No. 7!", "Special Link Gift No. 8!" and "Special Link Gift No. 9!" Opening each gift will allow you to claim these little cuties for use in Pokemon Scarlet/Violet.
16. Close the Pokemon Home app on your phone.
17. Open Pokemon Home again on the Switch. (Note: We assume that having previously closed the app in Step 9 and re-opening it will allow the apps to sync the three new Pokemon to your Home app.)
18. Press A on the "POKEMON" button.
19. Again, select Pokemon Scarlet/Violet, as in Step 4.
20. Move all three new starters from the Basic Box on the left to the in-game boxes on the right.
21. Press the + button to quit.
22. Press A to save the changes.
23. Close the Pokemon Home app on the Switch, for good.
24. Boot up Pokemon Scarlet/Violet on the Switch.
25. Your three new starter Pokemon can be found by accessing your "boxes." Press X to open the main menu.
26. Navigate to the "Boxes" option on the right side of the screen and press A.
27. Verify that the three new Pokemon are found in your box, then use them to your heart's content.

There you go! A 27-step process certainly isn't like riding a bike, but we got there in the end, and that's all that really matters. We hope this guide made things easier for you than it was for us.

While you're here, feel free to check out any of our other amazing blogs about video games. You can also follow us on Twitter (here and here), leave us a note in the comments section below or, if you want to get really crazy, try to find us on Facebook.

Until next time, keep it here at Signs of the Times.

30 Minute Blog: All WWE Titles Should Change Hands This Weekend

It's WrestleMania weekend and I'm about to try something that I've never done before. I've got a topic in mind and I'm going to give myself exactly 30 minutes to write about it. When the timer goes off, I'm going to stop typing, and it is what it is. Who knows? Maybe I'll get all my thoughts out in less time than that - and if that's the case, great. But let's see if I can't crank this thing out really quickly, on a very busy day. Ready?

"Hey, Google: set a timer for 30 minutes."

Let's go.

The Topic:

I think that every single championship on the WWE main roster should change hands this weekend. There is no way that it's going to happen, but I think there is a good argument for every single one of them.

The Intercontinental Championship:

Gunther has been on a monster run lately. So have a few others. It's honestly kind of a recurring theme in WWE right now. And, if history is any indicator, the most obvious time for an unbeatable champion to lose is at WrestleMania. If he's going to lose the belt, this would be the perfect time to do it. Gunther has literally plowed over everyone in his path for months, including the two men he's squaring off against this weekend - Drew McIntyre and Sheamus. Gunther and Sheamus put on a Match of the Year candidate at Clash at the Castle, so there's hope for another instant classic in this upcoming triple threat match. I do think that Gunther retains the title, however, but I think he should drop the strap soon. I just don't know who should be the person to do it, if McIntyre or Sheamus can't get the job done at 'Mania.

The United States Championship:

Austin Theory and Dominik Mysterio are two of the top heels (bad guys) in the company right now - and that's not necessarily a good thing. I truly believe that the fans boo Theory and Dominik because the just plain don't like the dudes. Theory was hand-picked by Vince McMahon to be one of the next big guys in the company, but he's never gotten over with the fans, for whatever reason. Everybody just hates the dude. Perhaps more than any other title match this weekend, the entire WWE Universe will be firmly in the corner of the GOAT John Cena, in hopes that Theory will lose his title and just disappear. Sadly, I don't see any way on earth that Cena actually beats this punk. Cena is too busy with his acting career right now to put on any type of substantial championship run. Plus, I think if Cena were to come back and win a belt, it wouldn't be the US Championship - it would be the Intercontinental tile (making Cena a "Grand Slam" champion) or one of the heavyweight titles (to break Ric Flair's record number of title reigns). Maybe, by some miracle, we see Theory go down this weekend, but I highly doubt it.

Women's Tag Team Championship:

I 100 percent believe that the recent decision to put the women's tag titles on Becky Lynch and Lita a couple weeks ago was to check a box on their already impressive resumes. "What's one thing that Lita hasn't done? Win a tag championship." Boom. Now she's done it. There's nothing more to it than that. It will look great on her during WrestleMania - an event for which the titles aren't even being contested, so there's no way Becky and Lita will lose the belts. Instead of a championship match, we're getting Becky, Lita and Trish Stratus versus Damage CTRL (Bayley, Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky), a match in which I would be shocked to see Bayley & Co. win. WrestleMania is about moments, and having Lita and Trish come back in a "legends" spot will make for a great moment. I would absolutely not be surprised if a returning or debuting tag team won the tag championships during the Raw After 'Mania - a night on which anything can happen, notorious for big returns, shocking twists and huge surprises. Enjoy the title reign while you can, Becky and Lita. There's no chance that it will be a lengthy one.

Smackdown Women's Championship:

I was thinking about it this morning and realized that the build-up for Charlotte Flair defending her championship against the 2023 Women's Royal Rumble winner Rhea Ripley has been exceedingly lackluster. Honestly, most of Rhea's screentime in recent episodes has been with her flanking "Ex-Con Dom" as part of the father/son rivalry leading up to Rey fighting Dominik at 'Mania. Rhea is a beast - often jokingly selected by fans on Twitter as the true leader of her faction, The Judgment Day. I don't think there is anyone even close to Rhea's level right now, with maybe the exception of Bianca Belair. I'm not sure who will end up winning this match, but it wouldn't surprise me to see Charlotte standing tall, as usual. Or maybe Rhea will win and let Charlotte take a few more months of vacation time, only to return and immediately get another title shot on her first night back. Charlotte's number of title victories should come with a huge asterisk because of how brief and largely forgettable most of them have been. Then she just comes right back and jumps to the front of the line every single time. It's annoying. Go, Rhea.

Raw Women's Championship:

Speaking of forgettable rivalries, what is even going on with Bianca Belair versus Asuka? Asuka came back a few weeks ago with a new style of facepaint and she's... sort of bad now? Or is she good? What is the deal? I don't really know. She has tagged a few times with Bianca, which hasn't really painted them as enemies. Asuka is just unpredictable now and likes hitting people with the poison mist (one of the greatest tactics in all of pro wrestling). Anyway, as with Gunther, Bianca has basically beaten everyone on the roster, so she can go take some much-deserved time off and let all the women become relevant again. Asuka hasn't done anything truly remarkable in some time, and giving her some time as the champ would definitely shake things up on Raw, in a good way.

The Unified Tag Team and WWE Championships:

It is time for The Bloodline to end. It has been a legendary, insanely remarkable run. The past three years for Roman Reigns have been unparalleled and, after years and years of being unsuccessfully forced down the WWE Universe's collective throat, he finally made it to the top of the mountain. He has been, far and away, the top dog in all of sports entertainment, and it's been a great ride (for the most part). The Usos have been on a similar trajectory, though never quite as likable (in a love/hate type of way) as the Tribal Chief. The right people are in place to dethrone the family business: Cody Rhodes (an all-time "Suck it, AEW" move) and Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn (hot on the heels of the year of Zayn's career) are absolutely the correct successors, and I will feel so happy for those guys, once they inevitably win the belts this weekend. Roman deserves some time off, for sure. The dude has been through the ringer during the pandemic, and who knows how his health is doing these days (hopefully, fine). The Usos, as with Bianca and Gunther before them, have beaten the whole roster up and down, several times. We've been subjected to the Usos versus the New Day and the Street Profits so many times that there really isn't anything new to be seen. Get the Usos out of there, let some other teams shine for a while, then maybe bring them back in about four to six months for some fresh rivalries. One interesting aspect will be how Roman reacts on Night 2 if the Usos lose their belts on Night 1. Could lead to some interesting moments on Sunday night.

A title shake-up would do the WWE good:

I can't remember the last time there were so many long-standing, tenured champions. Gunther, Bianca and The Bloodline have proven their superiority and, in my opinion, have grown stale. It would be so fun and so rejuvenating to see some new faces with titles. That would open the door to a literal new world of possibilities and match-ups that we haven't seen before. I also think that the decisions to unify the tag titles and major men's championship for both shows (though it made sense for the "Bloodline" story arc) has really minimized the potential of a lot of stars who seemingly haven't had anything to do. I also feel like the women's tag titles have been mishandled in a lot of ways. There are so many other tag teams out there who have never gotten over the hump because either the titles just bounce around between the same couple of teams or the titles just simply haven't been defended enough. It will be interesting to see what WWE decides to do with the unified titles. I think they've got to break them up eventually and get separate titles on Raw and Smackdown, but how will they end up doing that? Will it be the choice of the champion? Will they tell the new champs that they need to start defending the titles separately? It's going to be interesting.

Final thoughts:

Well, I've got about two and a half minutes left on my timer. I think that this weekend is going to be a lot of fun. There are some great matches on the slate and I know that, although it's not a title match, EVERYBODY is going to look forward to Dominik Mysterio getting spanked by his father. Man, that's going to feel good. Anyway, happy WrestleMania weekend to those who celebrate. I'll be tweeting on the official SotT account and will probably have a blog highlighting my top tweets in the next couple of days.

BOOM. With 35 seconds to spare! That's how it's done.

For more WrestleMania fun, follow us on Twitter (here and here), comment below or try your best to look me up on Facebook.

Until next time.

3... 2... 1.

WWE 2K23 preview: Ready for War (Games)

It's tiiiiiime for another year of WWE 2K! In our opinion, the developers really righted the ship with WWE 2K22 last year, which was great - and even ended up being our top game of the year for 2022, with over 120 hours logged. Before the game launches at 10 PM Mountain Time tonight, we need to look over the roster for the new installment. But first of all, let's just talk for a second about what a weird year it was for the previous cast of characters.

WWE made a ton of budget cuts over the past two years, releasing a bunch of wrestlers - some of which were more deserving of being let go than others. This resulted, however, in a video game roster that was completely outdated on Day One. It was wild. By our count, there were 37 people included with last year's game that weren't with the company anymore - 11 of which were "new" characters who weren't with WWE anymore by the time the game launched. Wild.

The other weird thing was that Vince McMahon, being the weirdo that he is, became obsessed with changing wrestlers' names and he re-branded a ton of people, so even wrestlers who survived the budget cuts quickly became outdated in the video game. For instance, "Walter" became "Gunther" and "Pete Dunne" became "Butch." It made very little sense to us, but Vince was gonna Vince. It will be nice to have a game where players are actually referred to by their current TV names.

After reviewing the roster this year, we can confidently say that a much more up-to-date cast of characters will grace our flat-screens for 2023. Let's channel our inner D-Generation X and break it down:

Who's out?

• Legends and celebrities

• Machine Gun Kelly
• Mickie James
• Mr. T
• Papa Shango
• Ric Flair
• Road Dogg Jesse James
• William Regal

• Still with the company, not enough TV time

• A-Kid
• Sarray (Minutes before posting this blog, Sarray confirmed that she has officially left the company)
• Tegan Nox

• No longer with the company

• Alexander Wolf
• Arya Daivari
• Billie Kay
• Cesaro
• Danny Burch
• Ember Moon
• Fandango
• Gran Metalik
• Isaiah "Swerve" Scott
• John Morrison
• Kalisto
• Keith Lee
• Kushida
• Kyle O'Reilly
• Lana
• Lince Dorado
• Mandy Rose
• Murphy
• Oney Lorcan
• Peyton Royce
• Samoa Joe
• Sasha Banks
• Slapjack
• The Brian Kendrick
• Timothy Thatcher
• Toni Storm
• Trent Seven
• Tucker

• WWE status uncertain

• Naomi
• Nia Jax

• Head-scratchers

• Candice LeRae
• Mia Yim/Reckoning
• Roderick Strong

Editor's note, May 15, 2023: A patch coming up for the game later this week will make Candice LeRae and Mia Yim fully playable characters in the game. Also, Roderick Strong made a surprise debut with WWE's main competitor a couple weeks ago, so it's apparently a good thing he wasn't included in the game. 

Who's in? (* denotes characters available via DLC)

• Main Roster
• Aliya
• Ashante Adonis*
• Bray Wyatt* (At the time of posting, rumors are circulating on Twitter that Wyatt might be quitting the company imminently, which would be shocking and a huge failure on the part of WWE)
• Cody Rhodes
• Ezekiel
• Karl Anderson*
• Luke Gallows*
• Madcap Moss
• Queen Zelina
• Reggie
• Ridge Holland
• Shanky
• Solo Sikoa
• Top Dolla*
• Valhalla*
• Veer Mahaan
• NXT
• Andre Chase*
• Blair Davenport*
• Bron Breakker
• Brutus Creed
• Carmelo Hayes
• Cora Jade
• Damon Kemp*
• Elton Prince*
• Gigi Dolin
• Grayson Waller
• Ivy Nile*
• Jacy Jayne*
• Joe Gacy*
• Julius Creed
• Kayden Carter
• Kit Wilson*
• Nathan Frazer*
• Nikkita Lyons
• Noam Dar
• Roxanne Perez
• Tiffany Stratton*
• Tony D'Angelo*
• Trick Williams*
• Wendy Choo*
• Zoey Stark
• Non-playable characters
• B-Fab*
• Legends/other
• Batista (Leviathan)*
• Bad Bunny
• Brie Bella
• Brock Lesnar '01*
• Bruno Sammartino
• Eve Torres*
• Harley Race*
• Jean-Paul Levesque
• John Cena alternate attires
• John Cena '02
• John Cena '03
• John Cena '06
• John Cena '08
• John Cena '09
• John Cena '12
• John Cena '14
• John Cena '16
• John Cena '18
• John Cena (Prototype)*
• "Super Cena"
• Kurt Angle
• Lita
• Mighty Molly
• Molly Holly
• Nikki Bella
• Randy Orton '02*
• Rick Steiner*
• Scott Steiner*
• Wade Barrett*
• Zeus*

Wrestlers with new names

• Alba Fyre (previously Kay Lee Ray)
• Butch (previously Pete Dunne)
• Cruz del Toro (previously Raul Mendoza)
• Giovanni Vinci (previously Fabian Aichner)
• Gunther (previously Walter)
• Iyo Sky (previously Io Shirai)
• JD McDonagh (previously Jordan Devlin)
• Katana Chance (previously Kacy Katanzaro)
• Ludwig Kaiser (previously Marcel Barthel)
• Ma.ce (previously MACE)
• Man.soor (previously Mansoor)
• Queen Zelina (previously Zelina Vega)
• Raquel Rodriguez (previously Raquel Gonzalez)
• Valhalla (previously Sarah Logan)

By the Numbers

"WWE 2K23" includes:

• 199 unique, playable characters - including DLC but not including managers and alternate versions of superstars
• Up 30 from "WWE 2K22."
• We counted Elias and Ezekiel separately because we're 97.2% positive that they are, in fact, not the same person.
• 237 playable characters, including alternate versions of superstars
• Up 42 from "WWE 2K22."
• 52 unique, playable women
• Up 11 from "WWE 2K22."
• 245 total characters, including managers and alternate versions of superstars
• Up 44 from "WWE 2K22."

Roster take-aways

We are actually really happy about how this year's roster turned out. The people who are gone (for the most part) don't deserve to be there anymore. The "head scratchers" we listed are truly that - people who don't have any apparent reason for not being included - particularly Mendoza, whose entire stable is in the game, and LeRae, who you'd think would have been a package deal with real-life husband Johnny Gargano. Oh well. We'll snag somebody's created versions of them and act like they're the real deal.

A couple other highlights include the fact that Elias and Ezekiel are both in the game together, Wade Barrett appearing as a WWE Legend, and the triumphant return of the American Hero, Kurt Angle, who won a gold medal with a broken freakin' neck.

The fact that several of last year's DLC characters are not returning (Machine Gun Kelly, A-Kid, Sarray) shows how weak last year's crop of paid content bundles was.

Speaking of DLC, there are some hefty batches coming this year, on a monthly basis. There are going to be some pretty good wrestlers being made available throughout the summer. We copped the Icon version of the game, which includes the season pass, so we'll be looking forward to those additional content drops.

We're also happy to see the return of a lot of female legends that were inexplicably cut from last year's game. Welcome back.

What else is new?

• The biggest bomb dropped for "2K23" is the virtual arrival of War Games, a "premium live event" match gimmick which has become an NXT staple and even made its main roster a few months ago. If you're unfamiliar with the concept, think this: a double-ring cage match. It should provide for some pretty crazy 3v3 and 4v4 tag team matchups for gamers this year.
• "WWE 2K22" re-introduced "GM Mode," which was fun, albeit very brief. I didn't spend nearly as much time as a General Manager as I anticipated, due to limited match options and somewhat limited gameplay options. From the sound of it, they've bolstered this mode for the upcoming game, encouraging players to spend multiple seasons with the same GM, which was not really the case last year. Last time, you pretty much ran through a calendar year and that was it. A multi-year lifespan with improved match and title capabilities and an expanded roster of available GMs should make "2K23" a step up from its predecessor.
• "Showcase Mode" returns this year with the spotlight on our good friend, John Cena.
• "Universe" mode is listed as a new feature on the 2K website. It's probably a retread of a feature that appeared in many past games but seems to have been revamped as "the ultimate sandbox," which should give players some variety if they want to step away from similar modes like My GM or MyFaction.

WWE 2K Q&A with A-Town

• Who will be the first wrestlers you play with in "2K23"?
• Cody Rhodes will be one of my first choices, for sure.
• Are there any superstars that you are more excited to play with in "2K23" than you have been in the past?
• I hardly used Cena last year, for whatever reason, but I'm sure I'll use him a ton this year. Sami Zayn has had the year of his life. Elias/Ezekiel will be fun. Raquel Rodriguez would be fun on the women's roster. Rhea Ripley has been a beast, too.
• Are there any superstars that you are less excited to play with in "2K23" than you have been in the past?
• Toward the end of my time with "2K22," I was almost exclusively using Roman Reigns and Charlotte Flair in MyFaction because I could win matches in about 30 seconds if I hit their submission moves right off the bad. If I could, you know... not have to play like that again this year, that would be awesome.
• Are there any superstars that you have no intention of playing with in "2K23"?
• The Usos. Sick of them. Dominik Mysterio, who is universally hated by everyone, at this point. I probably won't touch any male characters from NXT, with the possible exception of Bron Breakker. There's a good deal of women on the main roster that I'll never use, either (Aliyah, Doudrop, Nikki A.S.H., etc.)
• Who are you most looking forward to beating up?
• I don't really know the dude but Grayson Waller seems like a real idiot down on NXT. Dominik Mysterio is definitely going to get the crap kicked out of him, too.
• What is your weapon of choice?
• I used a lot of chairs last year. I wish they didn't break after four hits. Kendo sticks, as always, and baseball bats are nice, too.
• What feature are you most looking forward to?
• The new My GM mode should be a big step in the right direction. I'll hop into War Games but I don't expect to constantly be playing with that stipulation. I spent nearly 100 hours in MyFaction last year due to the trophy that required 500 matches played. What a nightmare. After scanning the trophy list this morning, I don't think I'll have to do that again, thankfully, so I'm hoping for a much less tedious experience in that mode for "2K23."

The Bottom Line

We're really looking forward to stepping between the ropes with "WWE 2K23." Last year's installment was a massive, massive improvement over the abomination that was "2K20," so if they can keep that momentum going, it should be a great time.

We should thank The Smackdown Hotel for their help with the updated roster. They're always on top of this stuff and they do a great job.

If you've got nothing else going on right now, take a look at our other WWE content by clicking here. You can also leave a comment on this post, follow us on Twitter (here and here) or find us on Facebook if you feel like talking shop.

C U in the ring.

Marvel's Midnight Suns: Photo Blog

My first big video game of the year was "Marvel's Midnight Suns" - and despite not knowing much about it before I picked it up, I ended up loving it! If you're familiar with the XCOM series of tactical, turn-based combat, that's pretty much what this was (same developer), but with Marvel characters. I appreciated the game's inclusion of well-known characters like Iron Man, Captain America, Doctor Strange, Spiderman and Captain Marvel (who I, surprisingly, thought was really cool), and also enjoyed getting to know some new characters like Nico Minoro and Magik. I won't bore you here with the nuts and bolts of the game, but I can simply say that I recommend it for Marvel fans who want a different spin on some of their favorite superheroes. My only real problem with the game was that there was a ton of dialogue and, aside from important story-focused conversations, largely revolved around water cooler chatter and kissing the main character's butt to tell me how cool and great I am. (I mean, they weren't wrong, but it was pretty excessive.)

One of my favorite aspects of the game was its photo mode, and I spent a good deal of time snapping pictures of my heroes as they kicked some undead and HYDRA booty. Here are a couple dozen of my favorite shots from my 70+ hours spent with "Midnight Suns":

I hope you enjoyed these shots of me interrogating, pummeling or otherwise driving fear into the heart of the forces of evil. For more photo blogs from my video game journeys, follow us on Twitter (here and here) and keep it tuned here at Signs of the Times: Underground.