Interview: 'Get ready to be surprised', says WWE 2K14's Senior Game Designer Bryan Williams

WWE 2K14 is selling like hot cakes

WWE 2K14 is out and is making all the right noises in the market. It is the first WWE game under the banner of 2K Sports.

Sportskeeda took this opportunity to get in touch with Mr. Bryan Williams, Senior Game Designer at 2K Sports and gained some insight on what the gamers can expect from WWE’s latest offering.

Following is the complete transcript of the interview:

Sportskeeda: What are the most glaring changes in the game when compared to its predecessor?

Bryan Williams: We’re never ones to be content with past success. We’re constantly striving to improve on what’s come before. I’d count the brand new 30 Years of WrestleMania Mode as one of those key improvements. 30 Years of WrestleMania Mode is our new single-player campaign.

We’ve taken the biggest and most important event on the WWE calendar, WrestleMania, and created what I believe to be the most enjoyable single-player mode in franchise history. It was an ambitious undertaking, no doubt, but we never hide from a challenge. Within 30 Years of WrestleMania Mode, players are tasked with recreating the most historic matches held at each WrestleMania event. That’s right – each event!

Every WrestleMania is represented within the mode. You’ll start at WrestleMania 1 (Andre the Giant vs. Big John Studd is the first match you’ll experience) and play matches from each ensuing event. In deciding which matches to include, we focused on the matches most commonly associated with each event.

For example, fans tend to agree that the standout matches from WrestleMania 3, the matches most fondly remembered, are Ricky Steamboat vs. Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant. Hogan body slamming Andre at WrestleMania 3 is arguably the most iconic moment in WrestleMania history! Both of these matches are included in 30 Years of WrestleMania Mode.

Re-watching these WrestleMania classics is one thing, but being able to directly control the action yourself is what makes this mode so special. 30 Years of WrestleMania Mode is awesome, but we’re no one-trick pony. WWE 2K14 is stuffed to the gills with new content!

Regarding gameplay, we’ve added a number of new OMG attacks, implemented contextual counter attacks within chain holds and, what’s become my favorite new feature: catapult catch finishers. These things are awesome! If the WWE Superstar you’re controlling has a finisher icon, you can lift your opponent high into the air and nail him on the way down with your finishing move. These moves are incredibly fun to pull off during gameplay.

SK: Does the game feature superstars with all their career gimmicks? If not, then how were the gimmicks chosen?

BW: The roster is consistent with current WWE programming. The WWE Legends who appear in 30 Years of WrestleMania Mode appear exactly as they did during the matches they were involved in over time.

SK: Will backstage interactions be possible?

BW: Backstage brawls are definitely possible in WWE 2K14. If you get tired of competing in the squared circle, you can mix it up in one of four selectable backstage areas.

SK: Can new storylines be created or are they WrestleMania specific storylines?

BW: Yes, original stories can be created using the returning Custom Story Designer mode. Custom Story Designer gives players the ability to create an original story using the default cast of WWE Superstars, as well as Custom Created Superstars. You can also share what you’ve created by uploading your story to our online Community Creations server.

Uploaded stories can then be downloaded and played by others. Community Creations is your one-stop shop for all created content. In addition to stories, you can download/upload custom Superstars, logos, arenas and move sets. Community Creations is one of our most popular features year over year.

SK: Are sneak attacks possible?

BW: What would WWE be without sneak attacks? Sneak attacks are definitely possible, especially if your opponent has a manager at ringside. Managers will pull every dirty trick in the book to make sure their clients get the win.

SK: What further changes to the game can we expect in the future?

BW: Stay tuned!

SK: How do the new features such as WWE Universe mode & Create mode work? Please expand on these new modes.

BW: We’ve implemented a new Rivalry Manager within Universe Mode. At its core, Universe Mode is about acquiring championship gold and besting rivals. The Rivalry Manager gives players direct control over who interferes with whom on any given show. Players are able to set up the rivalry type (1-on-1 or 2-on-2 tag team), duration and of course, the participants. Matches that involve non-friendly Superstars are called out as such on the match card.

These matches appear with a “Rivalry Match” headline. If a “Rivalry Match” is booked on one of your shows, you’ll definitely want to play it, as you’ll be treated to some really cool cut scenes. These cut scenes are used to advance the story of each rivalry and may occur before, during or after a match. The “Rivalry Match” headline lets you know something’s going to happen, but you don’t know when or where. It’s really exciting stuff.

Regarding our create modes, they’re all making a return appearance in WWE 2K14. Players can create custom arenas, entrances, finishers, stories, move sets and logos. Custom Superstar is arguably our most popular create mode, and we’ve added some great new additions to it this year. Custom Superstar now includes a new feature involving Superstar heads.

When players enter Custom Superstar, they’re presented with three options – “Superstar,” “Diva” and “WWE Superstar.” The “Superstar” and “Diva” options are your standard Custom Superstar options. Selecting one or the other allows you to create an original Superstar or Diva.

However, the new “WWE Superstar” option gives players the ability to select the head of a default WWE Superstar on the roster wherein they can begin creating a new version of that Superstar. Chris Jericho, CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, John Cena, Kane, Randy Orton, Undertaker and many more are available for selection. There are 14 heads to choose from, with more on the way thanks to downloadable content.

WWE 2K14 also marks the return of Custom Championships. This feature gives you the ability to create an original Championship. The leather strap, side plates and front plates can all be customized to your heart’s content. And finally, we’ve increased the number of save slots from 50 to 100. That’s right, 100! Players are now able to save up to 100 custom Superstars in WWE 2K14.

SK: WWE 2K14 is the first game published in the WWE 2K series. Can we expect them to emulate THQ?

BW: Our primary goal is to provide players with a fun and compelling gameplay experience – an experience that’s respectful and authentic to the WWE brand. With WWE 2K14, I believe we’ve done just that.

Sportskeeda would like to thank Express Games, Mumabi for their assistance in this interview.