WWE 2K15
Review
Back in the ring
by William Thompson
reviewed on PC
Superstars
What would a licensed wrestling game be without the licensed stars. WWE 2K15 certainly has plenty. All the current stars such as John Cena, Daniel Bryan, Bad News Barrett and Chris Jericho are included. Each has his individual entrance scenes and signature moves. Fans of retro stars like Hulk Hogan, 'Macho Man' Randy Savage, Sting and The Rock are also in luck - they make an appearance too. If you're a fan of the female Divas such as Nikki Bella or Vickie Guerrero, nothing stops you from selecting them as your wrestler.
Each of the main characters actually look like the stars they are representing, although the female stars don't seem to have as much detail. Well actually, all the characters with longer hair don't look exactly right. But apart from that, the presentation is superb, giving each bout an exciting WWE feel. The crowd, the commentators and the stars themselves as they enter the ring, all give the fight a build-up that continues until the bell rings. Also, with the MyCareer mode, there is a heap of customisation. Everything from facial features to body shape to the colour and styles of costumes can be adapted to suit your own style.
The audio is superb. A blend of rock music, country and hip hop means that there is something for everyone to enjoy. Each wrestler has a tune playing as they enter the arena, ultimately revving up the crowd. The announcers do a wonderful job of keeping up the intensity so that fights are never dull. My only issue with the voice-over work was that of the trainer Bill DeMott. It would seem that he would always be berating you, even if you were performing well during the MyCareer training phase. But once you get to a full-on NXT bout, hearing your name called as you enter the arena is a wonderful experience.
A win by default
Minor issues aside, one can only hope that the team at 2K Sports and Visual Concepts continue to bring the series to PC audiences in the coming years. Before jumping on the sequel, though, I would like to see some improvements made to the overall performance of 2K15, as well as the inclusion of a proper skills training tutorial similar to the mini games in the recent FIFA installments. Considering that the PC hasn't seen a WWE title for some time, it would be fair to assume PC gamers could use a little help to get back into the swing of things. On the plus side, WWE 2K15 is presented superbly and remains upbeat at all times. The controls, once you get used to them, work well and with the huge range of superstars, multitude of game modes and professional presentation of the bouts, WWE 2K15 is a worthy return to PC.
6.5
fun score
Pros
Huge roster and variation in game modes as well as heaps of customisation
Cons
Lack of a proper tutorial
