I normally treat WWE wrestling games like I do other annual sports games. I may not play them year in and year out, as I prefer to skip years here and there to avoid what are usually small incremental changes, so when I do come back to a title, it’s fresh and feels more new. I played WWE 2K14 last year, and while I enjoyed it, there were certain modes that were missing — modes that I wanted to play like a progressive career mode. When 2K announced that this year’s game would finally make the jump to new gen, I had hoped that the game would restore some of those modes that I enjoyed in previous installments, and it looks like my hopes were answered.
WWE 2K15 is quite possibly the best wrestling game ever. I throw out that bit of hyperbole for one specific reason: the in-ring grappling has never been this good. Ever. Strip away all of the additional modes and features and roster and DLC and when looking just at the in-ring wrestling, this game has no peer.
Combat detection has clearly been upgraded. The old Yuke’s engine has finally found its sweet spot. Tons of new player animations keeps the superstars from getting stale, especially on long title runs. When I throw a punch or a kick, it actually looks like it lands on my opponent solidly. And the sound is incredible. A landed punch rocks my speakers, adding more weight to the move. Kicks feel powerful, and a body slam rocks the ring so loudly that I actually feel it. There is power behind these strikes and it moves this game away from a wrestling sim and into an actual fighting game. I feel like I am truly decimating — or being decimated by — my opponent. Previous games have relied too much on counter moves to turn matches. Here, Visual Concepts has given the player more control over the match and its outcome.
Grappling no longer looks as if the player models are just going into pre-rendered animations — sometimes with their hands not even coming close to what they are grabbing for or holding. I feel that I actually have control of my character and I’m not just mashing buttons, hoping to connect and drain my opponent’s life bar. The addition of “chain wrestling,” which is meant to give the player a little mini-game of rock, paper, scissors to determine who gets the advantage in a grapple changes the way a match is played. It takes away from strikers and actually adds wrestling elements into the wrestling game.
Stamina also plays a huge role in WWE 2K15. As the match wears on, the wrestlers get tired — some faster than others. Mastering the stamina rating of your favorite superstar, as well as knowing when to go all out is incredibly important. As in previous games, stamina is restored quicker if the match is good and the crowd is into it. Their cheers — or boos, depending on the character — charges up and lets the wrestler dig deeper to pull out the win, even from the jaws of defeat. It’s the little things that makes this title such a marvelous wrestling game.
The new gen graphics on the Xbox One and Playstation 4 are a massive leap above what Visual Concepts, Yuke’s, and 2K (or even THQ) have done in previous years. The detail afforded to some superstars in incredibly, and a wrestler’s hair even looks better. Lighting effects and the crowd and entrances have all been revamped to astounding levels. This is clearly evident in the near-photo realistic entrance of the Wyatt family. The artists at Visual Concepts have outdone themselves in the presentation, and as the first new gen WWE 2K title, I cannot wait to see what they can do, say, three years from now.
Outside of the ring is where we start to see cracks in product. Developer 2K has removed some of the modes that players are accustomed to, including a whole slew of match options. While it’s not a game breaker by any stretch, it could prove to be an issue with long-time annual adopters. WWE Universe returns, which allows players to actively participate in a season (Extreme Rules through Wrestlemania) and dictate who wins belts, which wrestlers align, what rivalries are played out on TV, and all of it is customizable. Also, out of the box, the roster is a bit small — smaller than recent years. Playing the various game modes unlocks certain superstars — including for the first time ever, Sting — and it’s possible that 2K is saving the additional superstars for DLC, but some of the choices in the beginning are head scratching, especially on the Divas side.
The Wrestlemania mode has been stripped out and replaced this year with the 2K Showcase. Here, players can choose from two epic rivalries of recent years (Cena vs CM Punk, 2011-13; and Triple H vs Shawn Michaels, 2002-04). Just like the Wrestlemania mode, the player fights the actual key matches of the rivalry and are awarded by pulling off the moves that actually happened. There are over 30 matches to revisit and the near documentary-style presentation feels like something you’d see on The WWE Network. And 2K has already announced other 2K Showcase rivalries are coming via DLC, including one highlighting the career of the recently passed Ultimate Warrior.
For me personally, my favorite thing about WWE 2K15 is the MyCareer mode. A truly immersive career mode was missing in last year’s game, and it took away from what I like to do in wrestling games. I love being able to create characters, as zany as I want them to be, and then take that character through a progression to win belts, all the way up to the World Heavyweight Championship. Here, the player begins their career as a NXT hopeful and with the time and effort, they can climb all the way to the top. The interface is good, not great, but all that matters is that my guy advances. Toiling around in NXT dark matches, hoping to earn enough fans to warrant the bosses to give me a shot is what I love best. WWE 2K15 brought this mode back, and I for one am incredibly excited.
Player creation is easy and pretty stout, and even has the ability to upload images of my real face and created designs to go on my created character. I can also tweak my entrance and move sets. But, as in most games, for every give there is a take, and the inclusion of MyCareer has kept other elements out, and I can see how that may perturb long-time fans. For me, it’s not an issue.
All in All, WWE 2K15 is an incredible wrestling experience. The actual wrestling is the best it has ever been, and the addition (or re-addition) of a progressive career mode gives this game life beyond just playing WWE Universe mode or going on-line to wrestlers strangers. The graphics are truly new gen and the presentation — heck, even the music (here “curated” by John Cena — ’cause he knows music?) makes for a great fighting game experience.
WWE 2K15 is the first new gen wrestling title, and the foundation for future greatness has been laid down by all involved. As much as I enjoy this game, I can only imagine what 2K has in store for next year and years beyond, and if the leaps in gameplay here are any indication, maybe I should change my views and make WWE 2K games an annual consideration.
WWE 2K15 was reviewed on Xbox One and furnished by 2K Sports for the purposes of this review. It is available now on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.