Let me start by saying that I’ve played nearly every WWE game on consoles since the introduction of WWF Attitude. Previous to that I wasn’t really interested. When I say interested I didn’t really know that this form of entertainment existed for me. I was in a household with basic television and my childhood was mostly Thunderbirds and Red Dwarf. It was only when I paid a visit to a friend’s house that I got to see the wonder of wrestling. Ever since then I’ve been hooked, and when I found that my love for wrestling and my love for gaming had a crossover, I almost fainted.
The genre has had extreme highs and extreme lows in the gaming world. 2K now rule the roost and have taken on the mantel from a failed THQ. This year is massively important for the company as this is the first WWE game they’ve developed completely by themselves. Two years ago they took over half way through development and you could see this by the end results. So I’m going to delve into the new details that every wrestling gaming fan needs to see.
- The extensive roster
This year the roster for the upcoming WWE 2K16 is an impressive 120+. Usually this is taken up by characters from different eras. So for example, a Triple H from 2000 or a current Triple H would count as 2 separate entities, now they don’t. Each wrestler will have multiple outfits and potentially different eras but they will count as 1 character. This means that there are now 120 individual characters to choose from. A lot of these will be the main roster, but it also bring in the amazing NXT roster and some legends. For me, I can’t wait to play as Kevin Owens. After a powerful debut he has struggled recently due to some awful booking, but after a strong win against Cesaro he could potentially be on the rise.
- Commentary change
Every year it is one of the things that any wrestling game struggles with. The ability to have commentary that really works for the fans. Now I don’t believe this year will be an amazing overhaul but there is an addition to get excited about. For the first time WWE 2k16 will have three commentators. We will have Jerry “The King” Lawler, Michael Cole, and JBL, John Bradshaw Layfield. This should really mix up the dynamics of the commentary and help offer extra insight. One of the awesome additions this year is Good Old JR making his commentary comeback. He has been drafted in to help with the lines for this year’s Showcase mode.
- Cancel pin addition
This addition isn’t new per-say but it is a welcomed back attribute. This shows the wrestler toying with their opponent. Pinning and then cancelling the pin at the last second. It really adds to the structure of a match and helps the heels be heels. I hope this pin is only available for heels as it would be pointless seeing John Cena do something like that.
- New music
I am not a John Cena hater before anyone says I am, but I am so happy to not see him anywhere near the music. This year we have some fresh material with the addition of hip hop and some heavy rock. Below is the full track listing;
- Billy Idol – “Rebel Yell”
- Diplo (feat Faustix & Imanos and Kali) – “Revolution”
- Fashawn (feat. Nas & Aloe Blacc) – “Something To Believe In”
- Kid Ink – “Hello World”
- Marilyn Manson – “Deep Six”
- MGK (feat. Victoria Money) – “A Little More”
- Run-DMC – “It’s Tricky”
- Skid Row – “Youth Gone Wild”
- Twenty One Pilots – “Heavydirtysoul”
- Yelawolf – “Till It’s Gone” [Dan Heath Remix]
- Zac Brown Band (feat. Chris Cornell – “Heavy Is The Head”
- Zedd (feat. Logic and X-Ambassadors) – “Transmission”
- Dirty pins and rope breaks
Before a time of cancellation pins we used to have the dirty pins and rope breaks. 2k worked on the rope breaks last year with wrestlers actually reaching for the rope rather than just underneath it. Well 2k have released a new video that shows that 2k are actually altering the break out style of these pins. Now the person getting pinned will have to work on a way to kick out if they are pinned dirty by a heel. It just adds another extra level of detail that me, the gamer and fan, really appreciates to see.
- Showcase mode
This is something I’m actually really excited about this year. Last year’s Showcase mode was tailored towards feuds. We did have the Hall of Pain and the Ultimate Warrior additions which added a bit more depth, but it was mostly about the feuds. We had HBK vs Triple H and CM Punk vs John Cena. This year we are getting 3:16 Mode which is not just one feud but basically Stone Cold Steve Austin’s career from start to finish. In a recent interview Stone Cold said;
“Now, the story mode is highly intriguing because it covers my career from start to finish. So you get to experience that and play through it. Experience a lot of my trials and tribulations along the way.”
“Obviously, you can skip that and just play the video game, but to me I was blown away by it. And for me to be able to look back at my own career through a video game is pretty damn cool. So for a very passionate fan who digs the product, I think it’ll be a cool ride for them as well”
For me this is such a cool idea and something I’m excited to see. I know in most video games you can’t put the whole career of a character in here but I hope they touch on some of his greatest feuds such as Vince McMahon, DX, The Rock, and more.
That brings my current knowledge of the game up to date. I know we have the reintroduction of create a title, and some cool new additions to the create a wrestler model. 2k is still yet to release further information and seem to be keeping their cards close to their chest, but it is fair to say that this year I am rather excited.
Let me know what you’ve thought of previous titles in this genre. Let me know your first wrestling gaming experience and what it meant to you. Hit me up and I’ll add you on either PS4 or Xbox One and we can go a few rounds and comment on it on SLTD Wrestling.
Game Over.
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