August 8th, 2015, 1:25am. That’s the timestamp of my official completion of WWE 2K15‘s MyCareer mode (as well as the 2K Showcases, but I digress.)
It’s amazing to have seen myself take so much stock into a WWE game for the first time since SmackDown vs. Raw 2008, the last game to have an actual “MyCareer” type mode, known as WWE 24/7. WWE 24/7 was more fully featured, but WWE 2K15 MyCareer still had a uniqueness that boasted the unique parfum of the 2K Sports label.
Seeing that this was the first time any WWE title was on the 8th generation systems (WWE 2K14 was largely completed by the time 2K bought the licencing for the WWE video games,) as well as the fact that 2K finally could place their personal stamp on the game, I personally expected a tearing down of the game’s structure from the get go, with a new foundation that would serve as the catalyst for future building, kind of like SmackDown in 2004, where JBL was the main heel, leading to the eventual rise of John Cena as “The Face that Runs the Place.” That’s what I got when I first purchased WWE 2K15 in November.
Now, it’s been the norm for me to purchase the game twice every year, once physically, and once digitally when the price goes down enough the following April or May, usually for the same console (last year it was for PS3, because my Xbox unfortunately RROD’d on me the previous Boxing Day.) This year was a bit different, as I sold my Xbox One copy of the game in December, less than a month after launch. The levels of customization weren’t in the game this year, and I certainly wasn’t feeling the limited scope of the game, so I had a slight disappointment when it came to the thought that I actually plunked down $65 for this game via pre-order (New York City and State taxes bring the game up to $65.30.)
I was disappointed to the point where I didn’t even bother to get the Season Pass for the game, as I normally do, so I didn’t get to play the other 2K Showcases, as much as I was looking forward to playing through Mark Henry’s Hall of Pain (because it’s Mark-freaking-Henry.)
That being said, I finally decided to re-purchase the game when I heard that there was going to be a PC release, with all of the DLC minus Paige (Britani Knight for all of you indie wrestling fans,) for $49.99 on Steam (I purchased the game at a discounted price on cdkeys.com.) I was excited because I fully expected the PC modding community to take full advantage of the fact that this game is on PC, and they didn’t disappoint.
From Sound Injector tools to tutorials on changing background images on different screens, and swapping out entrance videos for new ones, the modding community really came through for this game, and I appreciate them for it. However, did I truly enjoy WWE 2K15?
The easy answer would be yes.
The proper answer should be eh.
WWE 2K15 definitely has its moments of greatness. The 2K Showcases may be the best part of this game. If you’re a WWE history buff, then you’ll certainly enjoy the tidbits that 2K chose for their Showcases, especially the whole “Hustle, Loyalty, Disrespect” story with Cena and Our Friend Phil (CM Punk for the uninitiated.) Obviously, my personal favorite was the “Hall of Pain” storyline, where we got to relive Mark Henry just talking shit and wrecking shop all over the place.
WWE Universe Mode was another highlight to the game, adding dynamic rivalries to the game, where you were able to set certain storylines for certain rivalries as you see fit. A special touch was the “What-if” scenarios, that included John Cena v. The Undertaker, or the historic rivalries like CM Punk vs. John Cena…how many times have I mentioned John Cena already?
Career Mode didn’t blow me away, but it didn’t suck either. The linear nature of the mode didn’t help things, and neither did the end-game result, where you just walk into the sunset after a up to 10 year time skip after winning the WWE Championship. It got mundane after a while, but the quest to be able to export your custom superstar to the other play modes after putting almost 100 hours into upgrading stats, techniques, and skills is well worth it, despite the mundane nature of it.
Online has always been a disappointment, and this year has been no different. I’ve slowly avoided the online component as it degraded year to year, and this year, I fully expected to pass on the online component, given the issues a month earlier with NBA 2K15. I also avoided the creation suite, despite the logo manager being the most legit thing about it this year. For the most part, I spent about an hour working on Marcus Skinner, uploaded the logo and bounced. For PC, I just recreated him sans logo.
If I had to give WWE 2K15 a fair review number, my score probably would have been an even 6. It’s certainly not the best game that it could be, but there are several steps in the right direction, considering 2K’s quite ambitious goals for the series.
Now that we’ve seen what WWE 2K15 has offered us, what will WWE 2K16 offer? For more on that, feel free to check out the rundown from our friend, Karl Smart, here.
Next week, we’ll be looking at some of my favorite RPGs growing up, as well as some of yours! Want to chip in? Leave a comment in the comment section below, and you will be fully featured in next week’s column!
Until next time, family.
Like my column? Dislike it? Want to tell me never to write again? Feel free to do so by sending me an email: clintonbowman@theouterhaven.net, or by tweeting me: @NavigatorBowman on Twitter!
