It’s WWE time again. Time to stretch those spandex and get stuck into seemingly impossible acrobatics while endlessly beating someone until they die. Or get knocked out, whatever, either way is fine. It could be said that I wasn’t the biggest fan of WWE 2K15. Some previous generation assets didn’t sit right in the current gen setting and it was largely a featureless experience with little mechanical improvement. Well I can finally say that WWE has actually made a significant move forward with 2K16.
The first and most obvious change is to the character roster and the features. I found 2K15 to be a disappointingly barren experience but 2K16 definitely has plenty to offer. The character roster feels full and just about everyone you would expect makes an appearance. The same goes for game modes with all the staples of WWE making a show in some way. The roster includes over 120 characters this time which is a vast improvement from last year and should keep everyone happy.
Career mode has a boost from improved creation tools allowing you to customize your own wrestler more fully and take to the stage. There’s a reasonably realistic career that follows with you making your way through the various ranks and events until you make it to the main card at WWE. The only issue I had is that it can become a little on the grindy side of things especially early on. In fact it’s very grindy but I actually don’t mind this all too much. Too often you can rise to the top with a custom character very quickly and be left with nothing to do and no body new to defeat. It can become arduous at times, especially when you get stuck with the same fight or can’t break out into a higher ranked championship, but at least you get to stick with your character for a decent amount of time.
Another nifty feature is an improved rivalry system. You will now get the option to interrupt your opponent during their entrance and start the fight early. Basically by being as irritating as you can possible be over and over again you will find yourself with a rival. It’s quite satisfying to have a relationship built up this way but it would have been nice if other interactions altered it too. For instance if you use a particularly cruel move or weapon, or of you taunt in the ring it would be nice to see a character react to that. On the flip side you can also make allies by jumping in and saving someone repeatedly. Eventually building up a tag partnership which is cool but again would be nice if there were other interactions that could effect the relationship.
Stone Cold Steve Austin takes the lime light for this years historical mode taking you through a recreation of his career step by step. I did enjoy playing through his career somewhat but this mode is definitely aimed at fans who know the character better than I. Which I admit isn’t all that difficult. From a gaming stand point objectives can be a little dull and repetitive if not mildly entertaining. If you have the added joy of reliving memories too then following Steve Austin’s career would be a cool and fully fleshed out career option.
A solid move forward mechanically speaking is losing the unbelievable stupidity of the infinite reversal system that could see fighting turn into pure farce. Showing a much higher consideration for strategy you now have a reversal bar which takes the form of a traditional health bar made up of blocks. While they do regenerate during a fight there needs to be much more consideration when using a reversal. It will do you no good to just spam away and see how long you can get away with avoiding attacks. At the same time attacking a character with a stronger reversal statistic may prove tricky as you know they can out counter you.
Or if you’re playing as a character with a relatively low reversal stat you may have to decide to tank the damage of one attack with a mind to saving the valuable counters for a later attack. It’s a nice bit of strategy and stops a lot of the tedium of fights from 2K15. But not only does it alter the way fights proceed but also adds some much needed layers to character choice. It’s another stat to be considered when deciding who to play as and depending on your style can definitely be a game changer.
Another chunk of strategy is added to the start of a round with a grapple mini game that gives you the chance to get rid of your opponents stamina. Rather like genuine wrestling or fighting any time you can grapple an opponent from an advantageous position to ware them down will pay off later in the fight. It’s not a major part of the game and only occurs for a small time but it does make a difference and its inclusion is welcome. Tapping out is nothing spectacularly new and has you trying to press a button in time with a buffered area in a bar whose size is dependent on your health.
A lot of strategy is lost tragically because of a stupid pinning mechanic. In a similar way to UFC you and your opponent both get a segment of a ring and your aim is to match the two segments together while your opponent tries to avoid the two touching. Frustrations arrive when your opponent seems to move around like a fly that just found an elephant house while you sluggishly blunder around trying to catch up. It’s often futile and removes the effectiveness of one of the more strategic ways to win a wresting match. Back to slapping it is then.
Visually everything is much more in keeping with the current generation I am glad to say. There was definitely a lot to answer for from 2K15 on this front. Some of the textures and assets where just laughable last year and thankfully they are all gone. Focus is keenly set on making sure character models and movements are realistic and smooth which is exactly where it should be in any sports or fighting game.
There’s really very little of 2K16 that hasn’t made a significant improvement over last years offerings. There needed to be some big improvements and it’s nice to see them put into action. A more sensible reversal system is the main reason fights are improved and production values are completely incomparable to last year, thankfully. There’s still some room for improvement but a huge step in the right direction for 2K’s WWE.
