I have a strange relationship with wrestling games. I have never been great at them. However, at the same time, I find myself addicted to them when a new installment drops. When a new WWE title comes out, you usually know what to expect. You may have a new roster, new create-a-wrestler options and some sort of single player story mode; but not a lot changes from year to year. This is why I was very excited to get my hands on the first sports entertainment game on a next-gen console.
I received my copy of WWE 2K15 on PlayStation 4 and my first impression was great. For my first match, I chose Bray Wyatt and my opponent was John Cena. As soon as the entrances started, I knew that the graphics were a massive jump up in quality from the previous games on last-gen consoles. The whole look and feel of 2K15 is a huge accomplishment for capturing the intensity of a real match. The best thing about 2K15 is how it showcases what we have to look forward to graphically with the next-gen wrestling games.
As impressed with the graphics as I was, I couldn’t help but realize how much was missing this year. The CAW mode is not what it used to be. There are not many options for your look and there are no options at all for creating a diva, arena, finisher or title. They also removed one of my favorite features, which was being able to have my wrestler come out to my own custom music. Maybe I should not have expected as much since the visuals have improved drastically; but it is disappointing that we can’t have it all with the first venture into the next generation.
There are two main single player modes this time. The 2K Showcase features famous rivalries and requires you to perform historical objectives in order to progress. This is very similar to the Attitude Era mode on WWE ’13. However, the story and the cut scenes are not quite as engaging. The Career mode is an exclusive to PS4 and Xbox One. Career mode has been popular in sports games for years, but I was pretty happy that this feature made its way to WWE games. In this mode, you start out with your CAW character in the WWE Performance Center. Your goal is to work your way up by making various decisions and winning matches to eventually become the superstar you know you want to be. The Career mode feature is my favorite addition to the franchise.
Overall, I have enjoyed my experience with WWE 2K15. The graphics and the gameplay are top notch, and I never noticed any huge glitches besides a couple of weird moments where the computer would seem to get stuck running in place. The roster is dynamic and fun and, as usual in these games, it really shines when playing with friends. The creation options are limited within this installment, but if that is not a deal breaker for you, I highly suggest picking it up. I give WWE 2K15 a solid 7 out of 10.