What Madden is to football fans, WWE 2K games are to those fans that gather around their television sets every Monday night. Not for football, but for their favorite pastime, Monday Night Raw. WWE 2K15 looks to continue the tradition of having fans experience the feeling of using their favorite or created superstars in the ring for their own versions of a WWE show. So does WWE 2K15 deliver the a championship experience or is this a squash match waiting to happen? Lace up your favorite pair of boots, it’s time for the review.

Hustle, Loyalty, Respect.

The 30 Years of Wrestlemania mode was, for lack of a better term, a story mode for last year’s game. To expand upon that would be a difficult task, but one that the developers of WWE 2K15 did, not by expanding to the entire history of the WWE, but by focusing on two major rivalries over the past 10 years with the 2K Showcase. Featuring the rivalries of Shawn Michaels and Triple H from about 10 years ago and a more recent rivalry in John Cena and CM Punk. Players take control of either one of the superstars in the rivalry (most of the time), with a smattering of in-game cut-scenes and quick-time events to show off the key moments of that match. Players must achieve certain tasks during the matches to unlock anything from alternate attires for superstars to the arena used from that night.

Sweet Chin Music

Sweet Chin Music

A little more than 30 total matches will take a few hours for the player to get through, however the rewards of unlocking the 8,000th CM Punk or John Cena attire rather than more superstars (or even alternate attires for some) can grow a bit tedious. Especially considering a guy like CM Punk usually just swaps out the color palate of his attire, and most of those can be created in the Superstar Threads portion of the game.

You Want Some…

The other mode added to WWE 2K15 is the Who Got NXT mode. Players will play as one of five NXT Superstars. For those that don’t know, NXT is basically a developmental program for future WWE Superstars. Players will play as one of five NXT superstars in some of their biggest matches in NXT. Much like the 2K showcase, they have to complete a set list of objectives during the match. Unfortunately, some of these objectives can be difficult to complete making for a frustrating experience. I had moments of almost throwing my controller out of the window and cursing at the game every time I missed an objective. All that aside, it does unlock the five NXT superstars, and then players can use them throughout the game or in the NXT Proving ground. The NXT Proving Ground is similar to the Defeat the Streak mode from last year’s game. The major difference is swapping out the Undertaker for John Cena. Players watch a promo from Cena basically saying the future goes through him, and they have a match using any one of the NXT superstars. After the match they’re scored on how well they did in the match.

Eat. Sleep. Conquer. Repeat.

Eat. Sleep. Conquer. Repeat.

Other than that, the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of WWE 2K15 are almost exactly the same versions of last year’s game with some minor technical improvements, an improved and updated commentary (albeit repetitive) and a more updated roster. That updated roster includes a lot more of today’s featured superstars in the game (with only a few that are retired or gone from the company), however it is much smaller than last year’s game because of there are only a handful of legends in the game available at the time. This could go either way for you, if you prefer using the newer guys in your exhibition matches or Universe mode, this should be right up your alley. However if you enjoy using more old school guys, last year’s game is the right fit for you.

Come Get Some!

A few things working against the game come by way of a few technical issues that either froze or crashed the game altogether. Also, the clipping issues when robes go through the ring ropes and boots stick out through pants while creating a character still remain. One other thing missing is that there is a lack of new features outside of the Who Got NXT and 2K Showcase. A few things have been added here and there to gameplay and to the Universe modes, but it’s nothing anyone would notice without going in depth with just about every superstar and every mode. I will say, I wasn’t a fan of the soundtrack. In a perfect world, I’d like to see them mix in songs from the soundtrack along with the theme songs of the superstars.

He's up so high, he'll get a nosebleed

He’s up so high, he’ll get a nosebleed

WWE 2K15 is still a fun game for the wrestling fan in you. If you are a fan of the current generation of superstars like Daniel Bryan, Cesaro, Bray Wyatt, and Dolph Ziggler, this game should appeal to you. Where WWE 2K14 payed homage to the past, WWE 2K15 looks to the future. The game brings a few of the NXT guys that were just called up not too long ago and those that are really thriving on the developmental program. If you’re still holding out for a PS4 or an Xbox One, this game could hold you over unless you want a larger roster of WWE Legends of the past. However, if you do have a next-gen console, go ahead and wait to play with the brand new features in that version.

Final Verdict: WWE 2K15 gets 6 Attitude Adjustments out of 10

This review is based on a retail copy of the PlayStation 3 version of WWE 2K14 published by 2K Games.

Five Moves of Doom | WWE 2K15 Review
Overall Score6
Positives
  • Updated Roster
  • Fun Game...With some Issues
Negatives
  • Lacks New Features
  • Smaller Roster
  • Soundtrack
6Overall Score
Reader Rating: (0 Votes)
0.0

About The Author

As a three time platinum trophy earner, Jose is always serving his master Gaming...FOREVER MAY HE (or she) REIGN!!! Writing for New Gamer Nation and might pop up just about anywhere. Oh yeah, follow him on Twitter @DSB_IV