WWE 2K16 Review

 

 

Another year and another installment in the sports entertainment franchise, WWE has been up and down over the years with some of their best games being released on later consoles, the recent ones on Xbox One and 360 have been mediocre. Now 2K are boasting the biggest roster of all time and new and improved gameplay mechanics and updated graphics.

There are 120 superstars to choose from in 2K16, which is amazing but let’s be honest how many will you use unless you’re mucking around with your mates and do a random selection match? I like the fact they have focused on the new up and coming talent from NXT instead of the constant barrage of legends they always throw into the game to fill the cracks.

From the off the menu is smooth and responsive and looks better than last years game, MyCareer is back again this year and has had a massive upgrade, and it needed it. You build your rank up with Virtual Points and Skill Points (Known in game as VP & SP) again which is the same as last year but now you have traits that affect your status with the WWE Universe (Fans).

You may be an honorable competitor or some dirty no nonsense superstar.

Overall the whole career mode is made better than last year, you have so much more control on how you want your career to pan out, who to be friends with who you want as a rival. 2K really listened to their fans.

“This year is focused on Stone Cold Steve Austin, the

birth of 3:16.”

They have introduced the match ratings system which was involved last year but this year it is embedded in the top left of the screen when playing matches in My Career and it takes a lot more to get a five star rating unlike last year. Repeat moves and you will lose momentum. Another new feature is the Breakout where you press the X button when your opponent is walking to the ring, it will give you the upper hand, but beware that it will affect your personality as superstar, you will be seen as a dirty fighter and will be a heel (Bad Guy).

Championships are now set up in a ranking system and you can challenge for any title you want, however you can’t challenge for more than one, but the fact they haven’t restricted you to what they want is another flag that 2K are giving their players more freedom. Throughout the career mode there are cutscenes with dialogue for you to chose what you say but unfortunately there is only one voice over, this is poor as i created my superstar to be from London and he sounds like a posh american, the NBA 2K career lets you choose your voice so why can’t WWE?

The creation suite has been given a reshuffle but it’s still not perfect, they have given players some new and needed option, you can create your own shows and your own titles which can all be used in offline modes and WWE Universe mode, you can also share them with the WWE Universe in the creation suite hub. If you’re good at designing logos and superstars current attires then this is where you can get your name out there.

“I like the fact they have focused on the new up and

coming talent from NXT instead of the constant

barrage of legends they always throw into the game

to fill the cracks.”

Divas, yes you can create custom divas unfortunately this can’t be reflected into MyCareer as the diva division is not as big as the Men’s division but they’ve already built on last years cluster game where you couldn’t create female divas. Now you can create your own female superstars to compete with online or even in your WWE Universe.

 

 

If you’ve noticed I’ve used the WWE Universe a few times in this review, this is another feature added to the WWE games for a few years now, it has been seriously buggy in the past, especially last year and this year 2K haven’t changed much, they’ve added a few new features like, Import your custom Shows and Arenas and even set it to one said location or several locations. Like last year you can set rivalries but now after a rival match you’re given a breakdown of their relationships with allies and the change in their personality traits.

Status Effects are also new to the game with the winner of matches getting them allocated to them, they may be a hot streak after so many wins or maybe an injury can affect a superstar.

Showcase is something that has been instilled in the WWE games for a few years now and this year is focused on Stone Cold Steve Austin, the birth of 3:16. For me this was a real nostalgic trip down memory lane and he was the turn around wrestler that saved WWE in the Monday Night Wars, starting from his win at the 96’ KOTR and flowing through his memorable matches against Bret Hart to The Rock and the most memorable rivalry with Vince McMahon the owner of the WWE.

Throughout the showcase you’re asked to complete the segments as they happened in real life with QTE, once you complete the matches you unlock arenas, attire and superstars to use in other game modes. They really captured the authenticity of the old days with good ole’ JR on commentary and even with one of the bonus matches when Stone Cold was in ECW and having Joey Styles on commentary. This was one thing i wished they did and had a choice of different commentators, 2K added JBL this year but the same three guys commentate on every show, NXT, Smackdown, Superstars and Raw.

Online is different this year with the background matchmaking gone now, there is a specific area for WWE Online which i feel gives the game more depth and also makes it run smoothly (in the menu that is).

 

 

The controls are vastly the same with a few new mini modes added which make the game a little poor in my opinion, there is the new pin system which now uses a dial and has a green stopper for you to stop at to kick out, if your superstar has resiliency then they will kick out once its pressed but it only lasts once. The submission system has taken a massive step down instead of the button mashing of old days you now have a colour that chases your opponents around a little circle your task is to chase them and keep their colour in yours for a short space of time to tap them out. It’s similar to the UFC submission system but worse! They have also limited reversals some superstars have five refillable slots some have less this feature is by far the most challenging as you lose track of how many you use as last year was unlimited and sometimes silly but now the matches feel and look more structured and work well, apart from the submission system the controls work really well. However matches sometimes feel like a cluster of disaster with the A.I. and you controlling clashing, but this is always the case with these types of games as the physics are hard to nail down. There are still some flaws about the game, it feels very clunky and matches don’t feel fluid at all.

Match types have been improved with a buried alive match added now and the Royal Rumble still a classic match with the QTE method to eliminate your opponents.

 

Youtube Video:

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBuDQUINZBY