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Imagine the Big Show throwing Brock Lesnar off the top off the ladder with a massive superplex. In this case though, the ring doesn’t fall apart. But you do stare at the screen open-mouthed in awe as the crowd yells the three-count as the Show pins Lesnar while Jerry Lawler describes the action.
And once you hear the bell, the Big Show stumbles to his feet and rakes in the applause of the crowd. And as the camera zooms out to show you the indoor arena, the Show celebrates with his fist raised at the centre of the carnage between ladders, tables, a broken chair and a motionless Lesnar.
Welcome to WWE 2K15.
Graphics and Gameplay
The official word is that WWE 2K15 has five times more new animations than any WWE game ever made. The first thing that really strikes you is the very fluid movements and game physics from all the characters in the game. While the animation for the wrestlers’ entrances could have been a little more detailed, the wrestling in the ring is what ultimately matters and it does not fail to deliver.
From grappling with your opponent to throwing him across the ring with an Irish Whip, the animations and transition are very smooth and almost lifelike. The environment, be it just the ring, a cell, a cage or even an Elimination Chamber, is incredibly detailed.
Objects and weapons used in matches like TLC are easy to use as weapons and give you a variety of ways to use them. Master how you place the objects and you will be able to make the best use of them to finish off your opponent faster.
A new Momentum bar (with the option of filling it up slowly or quickly depending on the user’s preference to make the match last longer than usual) makes things more interesting. Filling it up with special moves brings you that much closer to performing a Signature Move or even the Finishing Move.
The animations are in slow-motion when you perform these moves and focus on the wrestlers while blurring out the rest for a second to inform the user that a signature/finishing move has been performed. The ability to save your Signature Move for later when the bar is full is also an added advantage.
Countering moves is still one of the most important functions – even when you are almost completely down and out. The timing is most critical apart and knowing your opponent’s signature moves is the key to timing your block/counter.
One aspect wrestling fans will love are the voices of Cole and Lawler seem a lot less mechanical and more “in the game”, more so because they recorded the audio for this game together.
Roster and Who Got NXT mode
The roster consists of 71 wrestlers – 63 Superstars and eight Divas. There are also three managers available to choose from. As expected, John Cena (also on the cover) is the highest rated wrestler with a rating of 96 out of 100. Daniel Bryan (94), the Undertaker and Sheamus (93) follow while World heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar has a rating of 92.
New characters like Goldust and Bray Wyatt are also available apart from the NXT superstars. The Who Got NXT mode consists of five wrestles – Sami Zayn, Adrian Neville, Rusev, Corey Graves and Bo Dallas. You must complete at least three objectives and you advance only if you complete a match stipulation (Eg. defeating an opponent by pinfall/submission etc). Complete all four matches and the NXT superstar is unlocked.
Once all chapters are cleared, you take part in a Proving Ground match (essentially similar to Defeat the Streak from WWE 2K14 where you were asked to break Undertaker’s WrestleMania streak). Your opponent? None other than the face of the game – John Cena – in an extremely tough match.
Verdict
While the game modes are more or less the same from the previous edition, the graphics and gameplay are a step above. Fighting styles have improved and the game on the whole is a lot neater than WWE 2K14. The idea is to make the game more realistic with more real-life scenarios than just present an arcade fighting game to gamers.
It only makes your mouth water at the prospect of what one will see in the PS4 and Xbox One next-gen consoles.
Rating: 4/5
You can buy the game here: WWE 2K15 for PlayStation, X-Box and PC
Note: This review was done for the PS3 version of the game.
