High quality is subjective, however if you happen to ask WWE followers in regards to the state of the product in recent times, many will let you know it’s the perfect it’s been in ages. The corporate is having fun with a growth interval in high quality and mainstream reputation not seen for the reason that Perspective Period, and it nearly feels scripted that the WWE 2K video video games have been on an analogous upward trajectory throughout the identical time-frame. WWE 2K25 retains all the things that has labored within the current entries whereas opening up the roster in a welcomed method as a result of long-overdue introduction of intergender matches. Though the sport’s most outstanding new mode, The Island, is a questionable addition, 2K25 places on one other sturdy efficiency.
For the primary time in a very long time, the 300-plus celebrity roster can slam one another as equals now that female and male superstars can lastly compete in any match kind collectively. That is my favourite new addition; I solely spent vital playtime with half the roster in earlier video games for the reason that on-line neighborhood tends to favor taking part in the lads. Now, I can lastly use my uncared for favorites like Asuka or Rhea Ripley with out twisting a buddy’s arm to choose one of many women to play with me. Intergender matches additionally increase the attainable mixtures of match-ups exponentially since males’s and ladies’s talents are on a stage taking part in area. Liv Morgan can take down Roman Reigns as successfully because the boys, giving 2K25 a enjoyable, arcade-like vibe.
The distinctive grappling consists of the return of chain wrestling, a triggerable mini-game wherein gamers execute a cinematic sequence of counters and tie-ups to realize the higher hand. I haven’t missed this characteristic since its final look in a 2K recreation, and 2K25 doesn’t make me really feel unsuitable for that. The mechanic works advantageous, however it’s typically a chore on account of how lengthy it will probably go on, so it’s not one thing I’m going out of my strategy to execute and falls squarely within the “neat” class.
I benefit from the addition of the Underground Match, the MMA-style contest the place you have to win by knockout or submission inside a ropeless ring surrounded by bystanders. Bloodlines Guidelines is probably probably the most entertaining stipulation in a while. The match is basically a road combat that allows you to summon as much as three superstars to carry out run-ins in your behalf à la Cody vs Roman at Wrestlemania XL. This match is delightfully chaotic, and it’s much more amusing when utilizing non-Bloodline-related superstars simply to see who runs out. The allies both match that wrestler’s on-screen relationships or are hilariously random, like Stone Chilly receiving assist from Roddy Piper, Ricky Steamboat, and The Final Warrior. Whatever the match, WWE 2K25 stays an entertaining hold-for-hold expertise. Nevertheless, I’m past prepared to maneuver on from listening to the motion referred to as by the long-outdated commentary group of Michael Cole, Corey Graves, and Byron Saxton.
The Bloodline, WWE’s faction of wrestlers hailing from the legendary Anoaʻi/Maivia household dynasty, dominates 2K25, culminating in a model new mode referred to as The Island. That is WWE 2K’s spin on NBA 2K’s MyCareer, letting gamers create a customized celebrity to discover a WWE theme park-like hub world. From cleverly designed locations just like the lucha libre-inspired Temple of the Ancients and a Japanese arcade themed after the members of Injury CTRL, The Island is enjoyable to gawk at, particularly because it’s stuffed with inside nods and easter eggs for hardcore followers. Sadly, text-based conversations imply interactions with superstars really feel flat, and the minimal ambient sound results make the Island extra lifeless than it seems to be. Exploring is a literal ache on account of always holding the set off button to execute a weirdly sluggish run to get round marginally sooner. Moreover, the dearth of a map means plenty of aimless trying to find the place to go, and the small in-game mission indicators don’t stand out sufficient from the gang.
The Island challenges gamers to finish matches and different duties to earn a WWE contract (and the acknowledgment of Roman Reigns) whereas participating in goofy sidequests like discovering the haunted scattered items of an urn or acquiring mech swimsuit components from WWE’s gamer wrestlers. These missions are broadly advantageous, eliciting a chuckle in some circumstances.
The principle reward for doing them is incomes VC, 2K’s premium forex, to pump up your character, however the Island would favor that you just spend actual cash to hurry up the method. My earlier theme park analogy rings most true in how a lot the Island tries to tempt gamers to open their wallets by way of shops promoting beauty items (some branded, e.g. Nike). Whereas simple to disregard, it nonetheless feels a bit icky given {that a} single piece of apparel, comparable to a pair of sneakers or a shirt, prices $5 minimal, and it’ll take plenty of playtime to earn sufficient VC to unlock even just a few full outfits purely by taking part in. That is particularly egregious for the reason that similar forex is used to enhance your character’s attributes, and budgeting actual cash to steadiness apparel and efficiency upgrades isn’t enjoyable.
As a fan of the yearly Showcase mode, centering it on The Bloodline’s lengthy lineage is an interesting selection, and it covers a pleasant breadth of the household tree. From Peter Maivia to Yokozuna to the Usos to Nia Jax, Showcase is thematically attention-grabbing however disjointed in execution. As a substitute of solely presenting a trustworthy documentary-style recreation of matches, a number of bouts supply fantasy match-ups, like The Wild Samoans vs The Dudley Boyz, which is a bit odd for the historian in me.
Classic matches are typically held in fashionable arenas as an alternative of recreating era-appropriate venues, creating one other thematic disconnect. Showcase’s match order additionally feels haphazard because the household historical past lesson (narrated by Paul Heyman, who does an unsurprisingly nice job) jumps backwards and forwards between the totally different household generations, making it trickier to understand if you happen to’re unaware of the Bloodline’s heritage. The 2024 Bloodline vs Bloodline WarGames match, for instance, looks like an apparent and becoming closing bout, however it’s unusually the penultimate contest to a random and much much less vital tag match from yesteryear. Showcase remains to be an pleasant abstract of the Bloodline’s decades-long greatness, however it’s a weaker total displaying than earlier iterations.
The story-driven MyRise pushes intergender gameplay additional by that includes a single, branching storyline that stars a female and male celebrity that gamers change between. I recognize the streamlined strategy of casting off social-media-based match-ups to bouts. With solely Story quests and optionally available stay occasions designed for grinding talent factors, MyRise is much less bloated and extra manageable. This 12 months’s storyline of an NXT invasion of the principle roster, a la 2001’s WCW/ECW Alliance angle, is hilariously absurd once you consider that no less than 90 % of the principle roster consists of NXT alumni. Nonetheless, that silliness is what makes MyRise’s usually ridiculous plots enjoyable in a dumb method. Regardless of a number of flat performances from some voiced superstars (together with what appears like a drained CM Punk in a main function), MyRise stays a enjoyable little romp I nonetheless get pleasure from partaking in.
MyGM, a favourite vacation spot of mine, is basically the identical this 12 months however makes up for the dearth of innovation by lastly introducing much-requested on-line play for as much as 4 gamers. My long-time disinterest within the card-collecting MyFaction stays unchanged; it’s nonetheless okay for many who prefer it, however taking part in it does nothing to encourage extra engagement past the compulsory check-in. The Creation Suite and, to a lesser extent, MyUniverse don’t characteristic any substantial adjustments, however they’re nonetheless entertaining time sinks for devoted gamers.
However what issues most is when the bell rings, and taking management of this huge roster and mixing it up – no matter gender – throughout a now-impressive collection of stipulations is a blast. Though it’s the one actual recreation on the town, WWE 2K25 retains its title as the perfect and most substantial professional wrestling sim followers should purchase.
