WWE 2K15's Gameplay is an Evolution, Not a Revolution

Feature Article

Submitted on: 11/19/2014 by Chris Sanner

In the ring, WWE 2K15 is a lot like it has always been after you get past the new gimmicks put into the game. That is not to say the new gimmicks are necessarily bad — its just that WWE 2K15 largely feels like every other THQ/Yukes now 2K wrestling game before it.

The steady evolution continues, and with it there are pieces of the gameplay which have improved and pieces which have not. Here is my breakdown after a day and a half of playtime:

Pros

Chain Wrestling is fun. I like the mechanics present, and once you get a feel for it, you can really do some cool, technical chain wrestling. I also like the fact that sometimes you just come up against a guy who would rather beat your brains in than lock horns.
Stamina is definitely a great addition, as you do have to be mindful of what you are doing in the ring. It also gives different wrestlers a different feel. You can’t go move crazy with a big man, as you have to be more slow and deliberate with your punishment.
Reversals are hit or miss and based on your ratings — I think. I’m still getting the hang of this, and thus far I think the system works as its intended to in that its not always a success to reverse moves.
The game looks pretty, the entrances are really well done, and most characters look ok. A few are not great (Shawn Michaels is one that comes to mind), but I think that might have to do with the overall capture process.
Controlling your wrestler is actually pretty easy. 2K and Yukes should get a lot of credit for continuing to refine the controls and offering plenty of depth with initial simplicity. I could easily teach someone how to play the game in five minutes and have them be reasonably good at playing the game. This aspect of the game deserves a major kudos.
When you get the feel of the game, you can really make a match flow pretty well. I even found myself in MyCareer letting myself get beat up a bit to make for better matches, only because I knew that if I did it right I could totally still win, but I had to be a bit more strategic. I am not sure I can employ that same strategy against much better wrestlers, but I definitely have had success with it otherwise.
I like the approach the game takes, emphasizing that wrestling is about showmanship but also keeping it kayfabe with emphasizing you are wanting to wrestle to win. For some reason, I feel that is a direction the WWE in general should take in the future.

Cons

The animations, while improved, still have a long way to go. In a dynamic game with so much physical contact, you would expect some weird physics glitches. But in a dynamic game which is being programmed as an actual legit sport, but its actually trying to simulate what is scripted and staged fighting — you get a lot of things that you just will not see in real life. Suplexing a guy into the ropes is always wonky, and obviously would not happen in a real ring.
The commentary, oh my goodness the commentary. I am not saying its definitely worse off than its ever been, but it may be some of the worst commentary on a major AAA ‘sports’ game I have ever heard. Not only are lines repetitive, but they are also just downright wrong sometimes.
The targeting is sometimes jacked up. I will be next to my opponent in a 1 on 1 match and sometimes my wrestler will punch in the complete opposite direction with no rhyme or reason behind it. This usually results in me then being slammed to the mat, left to try to reverse my way out of an onslaught. Kind of frustrating.
The cameras are sometimes wonky, and the overall feel of the game definitely doesn’t accomplish the WWE broadcast feel 2K says they were going for. In my opinion, it feels like every other wrestling game to date, which is not a huge compliment to the quality of the presentation.
Last but not least, the crowds are also pretty bland. The cheers never have any variation, and sometimes they just do not make any sense. The crowd, much like the commentary, needs a complete rethinking at this point.

Initial Thoughts

We are not breaking any new ground with WWE 2K15 this year. There is no leap forward in quality, and definitely no groundbreaking feature that makes the case for an upgrade apparent when wrestling in the ring. What you get instead is a refined and better version of the same wrestling game THQ/Yukes/2K have been working on for the past decade. This is not a bad thing, and the game certainly looks pretty, but if you were looking for a giant leap forward for the franchise you may have to wait one more year.

WWE 2K15 Videos

Member Comments

# 1 scottyp180 @ 11/19/14 02:14 PM

Completely agree with your initial thoughts and I think it is why I have been enjoying the game. As mentioned this isn't a complete revamp for the series. Those who were expecting something completely new will be disappointed. There are definitely people who were expecting much bigger improvements all around amd their high expectations will lead to disappointment.

At the same time this isn't the exact same game from previous years. Trying to play this game as you would 2k13 or 2k14 won't work as well. You cant run around the ring and spam moves to win. Playing more fast pace is possible but you need to be strategic with it.

I had a friend complain that the pace is to slow and for me that is a reason I am enjoying the game. The game feels more controlled to me and resembles real life more accurately. Typically we are not watching fast paced, cruiserweight style matches. Wrestlers have now have more weight to them and move more like their real life counter parts. I want to play some more and see how someone like rey mysterio feels compared to other wrestlers. playing fast pace with mysterio should be possible and more effective than playing fast pace with wrestlers who typically have a slower pace.

# 2 snc237 @ 11/19/14 02:32 PM

So the last wrestling game I bought was WWE 12. From those who played it is worth me upgrading my wresling to the new consoles or should I hold off one more year.

# 3 juicey79 @ 11/19/14 03:59 PM

Yes commentary and fans are a drag....commentary is dead and seem to get activated based upon a button press or a move...nothing In depth about the superstars or actions in the ring...also crowd is weak....no crowd countdown during royal rumble....no crowd pointing to the sky when chanting "yes" they definitely need to living it up this year this is ma next gen product.

# 4 ggsimmonds @ 11/19/14 05:22 PM

gameplay is pretty good but so far everything else has been a disappointment. I had high hopes for mycareer and thus far it has been a huge disappointment.

I know it is the first year and the pieces are there to build on in the future, but you should not sell a house if the only thing built is the basement

# 5 worstsportsgamer1977 @ 11/19/14 09:10 PM

the graphics are pretty good. some models look great others look like those 80s action figures. skin textures look better with tattoos since their is no body hair this year.

the gameplay is the hardest thing to get use to. getting use to trusting that the command you hit will actually work. most of the time it does or sometimes you get those awkward stare downs. i got the hang of it now but it took me about 9-10 matches to kinda slow down to it.

fun game. nothing ground breaking. i think the models in 2k basketball look better and they should strive for that level in the next game. ditch the soundtracks. i turned all the songs off after 20 minutes.

# 6 TheCitizen @ 11/20/14 12:14 AM

Personally, the gameplay is far superior than that of any WWE game that has come out since the SVR series, but also that's not saying much. Still the gameplay is great and I love playing the game purely on the gameplay aspect. However, the cons seem to be on par with the pros. MyCareer is lackluster as you just play match after match, no cutscenes so far and vickie guerrero just tells you the same thing week after week. No where near as exciting as the NBA 2k MyCareer where you have your own social media account and can "tweet" to other players, legends, characters in the game. Sponsors should also be in this game as well as movie deals, etc. Haven't checked out the Showcase yet so I can't speak on it. Universe Mode is solid, but still would like some more versatility in terms of the fluidity of feuds and partnerships. The commentary is just atrocious. I honestly think this is the worst commentary out of any WWE game released. It resembles nothing we hear on TV, which is still pretty bad, but still. The absence of JBL is very obvious as they are just two face commentators. Commentary is supposed to be accurate enough that you can close your eyes and know what's happening by just hearing them speak and this is nowhere near that realism. They messed up big time on that aspect of the game, but to be completely honest, I can't tell it's that bad because i'm lost in the gameplay and that makes it a little less painful to hear. I'd give this game around a 7 purely based on the graphics and gameplay, which is the base of the formula for a good sports game. Now they just need to polish up the rough edges of the gameplay, completely revamp the commentary, fire whoever worked on the MyCareer and bring in the insight of whoever helped create the NBA 2k MyCareer. I can live without a good soundtrack, although this years was pretty bad. So yeah, 7/10 for WWE 2k15. It's a nice start, but I expect much more in the future.

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