Once more, a fresh gaming experience has arrived with the launch of WWE 2K25. This time, you’ll find yourself on Roman Reigns’ Island of Significance. However, the question remains: does it surpass the quality of last year’s WWE 2K game?
In essence, though there’s a sprinkle of novel elements like “The Island,” the majority of the game retains its original form from 2K25. The new character lineup is what draws most players in, while minor tweaks to gameplay mechanics add a touch of freshness.
But is it worth the investment of a new video game? Find out if WWE 2K25 is worth it in our review.
WWE 2K25 review — what is it?
As a die-hard gamer, I can’t contain my excitement for the upcoming release of WWE 2K25! This bad boy is the latest addition to the iconic 2K video game series, meticulously crafted by the brilliant minds at Visual Concepts. The masterminds over at 2K Games are the ones responsible for bringing it to life. Get ready to feel the adrenaline rush as this game drops on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S!
On Monday, January 27, 2025, Roman Reigns was unveiled as the main figure on the cover for the regular, “Deadman,” and “Bloodline” editions of Monday Night RAW.
The game primarily revolves around the reign (pun intended) and the ruling dynasty of the Anoa’i family. It offers an exhibit mode that takes you through various generations, starting from the Wild Samoans all the way to Nia Jax.
Gameplay
In essence, the workings of WWE 2K25 bear a strong resemblance to its predecessor, carrying over both strengths and weaknesses. Notably new this time around is the comeback of chain wrestling during match beginnings.
As a die-hard fan, I can’t help but appreciate the return of features that bring authenticity to the fights – like the matching between ring technicians feeling genuinely realistic. Plus, it’s great to see the trading blows mechanic make a comeback from last year; it definitely needs some fine-tuning for an even better gaming experience.
During the initial stages of a game, it becomes active, enhancing the authenticity as matches build up towards their climax. In my experience, opponents rarely exchange hits so early in a match.
After making a comeback in 2022 following the misstep of 2K20, the gameplay in the WWE 2K series has seen significant enhancements. Nevertheless, there’s room for further refinement.
On numerous occasions in team bouts, actions seemed unresponsive. The aiming mechanism has historically been finicky, yet this year it felt more problematic. It’s particularly aggravating when playing Showcase Mode, which is already challenging.
Nevertheless, the game maintains a dynamic flow, and the majority of the moves appear well-executed. Intriguing modifications such as placing the Prime Bottle exterior to the ring add excitement as innovative weapon options.
Kudos to 2K for managing to keep WWE 2K25 fairly current, considering its yearly release schedule. It’s quite challenging to keep pace with all the changes, but they’ve done a commendable job of incorporating the updated WWE RAW on Netflix and Friday Night SmackDown stages and rings into the game.
Refreshing the game with minor updates, such as tweaks to presentation, helps maintain a sense of novelty. The game’s resemblance to real-life WWE products is commendable, and they truly excelled in that area. They even managed to include the current Intercontinental Championship within the game. It’s anticipated that they will soon incorporate women’s midcard titles as well.
Bloodline Showcase
As a passionate wrestling enthusiast, I must say that the Bloodline Showcase really hit the mark during WrestleMania 40, especially considering its epic climax. It began on a high note, offering fans like me the chance to re-live the finale of Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes.
In WWE 2K25, they’ve added a first-person perspective during certain key moments, which is quite engaging. If they had expanded its usage across other storylines, it would have been even more impressive.
Rather than being a source of enjoyment, Showcase Mode is an object-oriented wrestling game mode that often proves challenging. Compared to past years, there seems to be a higher frequency of multi-wrestler matches, which can make progress difficult. The frustration escalates during ladder and tornado tag team matches.
It’d be great if there was an update to this game mode. Introducing a feature where users can explore alternate versions of past matches could give it a new, refreshing twist rather than continually replaying Tamini’s Money in the Bank match.
Instead of focusing on dethroning the past Undisputed WWE Champion, we could say the game revolves around unseating Reigns, who is a prominent figure in the wrestling world. The WWE 2K series has been lacking the immersive “Road to WrestleMania” modes that the SmackDown vs. RAW games provided. Changing the gameplay from objective-based to story-driven could add an interesting twist, but unfortunately, that hasn’t happened yet.
MyRise
In contrast to other 2K series like the NBA 2K, which have thrived with story-based modes, the WWE series has yet to achieve the same success with its MyRise mode in WWE 2K25.
It’s surprising, even for a story-driven company, that their tale with MyRise falls flat. The narrative lacks engagement, and one possible reason could be that the journey to Superstardom doesn’t feel as exciting or captivating as WWE might imagine.
The main reason for this is that your Superstar seems incongruous, regardless of the actions taken, in the context of WWE television. They don’t appear to fit the typical mold for competition there.
It’s clearer that such a “Road to WrestleMania”-style mode would be a better fit. Instead of gradually climbing up the ranks, it’s much more engaging when players can utilize well-known characters right from the start.
The Island
The issue also pertains to ‘The Island’. It’s thrilling to witness such a grand tribute to Reigns, but wrestling isn’t analogous to basketball. 2K’s Park and City modes sync well with their NBA series due to the fact that people engage in casual pickup basketball games.
It seems more appropriate to say that initially, the concept of creating “The Island,” an interactive online platform for gamers, appeared promising on paper. However, in practice, it lacks practical functionality beyond enabling players to style their characters.
It’s puzzling to me why this wasn’t combined with MyRise. Introducing a separate character for The Island seemed unnecessary and unclear. I find it disappointing because maintaining a single character throughout would have made the experience more enjoyable.
1. “The Island resembles a barren land when it comes to microtransactions, offering very few alternatives.”
2. “Wrestling might not fit seamlessly into the gameplay style of The Island due to its structured nature.”
3. “The Island has minimal content related to microtransactions and wrestling may be too rigid for its flexible game mode.”
4. “There’s scarcity in microtransaction options on The Island, which makes one wonder if wrestling can accommodate its more dynamic gameplay style.”
Universe Mode is almost left untouched
As a gaming enthusiast, nothing feels more disappointing than not seeing any advancements in the Universe Mode. For die-hard WWE fans like me, it’s all about being engrossed in the narrative, and Universe Mode gives us that freedom to create our own storylines.
Returning promotions is a positive move, but the majority of Universe Mode remains unchanged from the previous year. Two-night pay-per-view events are an appealing addition, however, WWE has employed this strategy for quite some time, making it a surprise that it wasn’t included in the game earlier than 2025.
WWE 2K25 has made improvements in its match lineups to make them more authentic to real-life wrestling events, and the overall presentation is quite similar to the actual product, which enhances your immersion experience.
The most significant improvement to Universe Mode was the introduction of working tournaments. These tournaments are scheduled events, where top Superstars compete against each other, leading up to their major victories. In the future, it would be beneficial to include brackets for potential Number One contenders on RAW and SmackDown, competing for championship titles.
It would be more engaging if 2K combined the MyGM and Universe modes instead of keeping them separate. While MyGM seems exciting on the surface, playing it repeatedly to schedule shows every week against other GMs can become monotonous, much like Madden’s old “Owner mode” in Franchise. In essence, it lacks the depth that one might expect.
Removing financial limitations while booking matches in MyGM would really ramp up the fun. Let’s make it as unlimited as Universe Mode, but with even more creative possibilities. And here’s something that could take the WWE 2K series to the next level – introducing a “Create Your Own Storyline” feature.
Should you buy WWE 2K25?
Based on your preferences for a WWE video game, you might find 2K25 appealing. If you’re after the most current roster and an improved presentation, then it’s definitely worth considering.
Maintaining current trends might seem straightforward, but the swiftness of 2K and Visual Concepts’ work deserves recognition. They’ve proven to be quick in their updates, so it’s plausible that they may incorporate the WrestleMania 41 arena post-event, just as they did last year. This would be an excellent finishing touch indeed.
Visually speaking, they’ve matched or even surpassed their previous submissions. Notably, well-known figures like CM Punk, Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins have been rendered exceptionally well. Additionally, the entrances for Roman Reigns and Jey Uso have been revamped, significantly enhancing the game’s authenticity.
2K’s updated MyGM and MyRise aren’t particularly impressive, and the Showcase Mode failed to capitalize on a significant opportunity. Instead of taking risks, 2K chose a conservative approach when highlighting Roman Reigns’ groundbreaking turn as a heel in WWE back in 2020.
Hopefully, they take bigger swings in WWE 2K26.
Score: 5/10
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2025-03-08 02:10