Those of you who follow me on Twitter will know that I am a huge video games nerd. And since I’m also a huge wrestling fan, I’ve always kept a close eye on the WWE’s gaming series. It’s fair to say that I’ve probably played every WWE video game since WWF Smackdown, which was first released back in 2000. My favourite would have to be ‘Smackdown! Here Comes The Pain’ from 2003. That game was friggin’ awesome. So, with the release of WWE’s latest game, WWE 2K14 this week, I thought I’d take it upon myself to review it, so that anybody on the fence about getting it would have a better idea of what the game entails.
This past Friday, I picked up the Phenom Edition of WWE 2K14 for about €75, which came with the game, codes to download Ultimate Warrior and “American Badass” Undertaker, a skin for my controller, the first disc in ‘The Streak’ DVD and an art card personally signed by the Deadman himself. All of this came inside a tin coffin-shaped box, with Undertaker’s logo on the front. This was a pre-order exclusive, so you’d be lucky to get another one at this stage. The special edition was a very nice touch. I was going to get the game anyway, but I’m really glad I pre-ordered it when I did, so I could get all of the awesome extras. The Undertaker’s autograph isn’t exactly the easiest thing to come by, so I’d say a lot of people would pay €75 just for his autograph, never mind what else it came with. The coffin looks great, it’s definitely a collector’s item for any WWE fan. It’s big, shiny and would go great with anybody’s collection of WWE merchandise. But that wasn’t the most important thing in this deal. That would be the game itself. I’ve played WWE 2K14 for several hours on Friday and Saturday, so I think I’ve gotten a good experience of the game so far, and I can now bring forth my review of the game.
Gameplay
I can definitely see significant improvements to gameplay since WWE ’13. Maneuvers are nicely strung together, at times making it feel very realistic to actual WWE programming. I am quite happy with how, when a wrestler counters a move, he’ll immediately do a move of his own. In previous games, it got boring when grapples would be reversed into more grapples, which would go on for a while without anyone really doing anything. But now the gameplay is more fast-paced and makes for way more exciting matches. There are a lot of small movements from the Superstars, a shake of the hand or a quick taunt, that make it very life-like. It really is the little things that count. Even the animations added to the simple act of running, where the Superstar starts to pick up pace, that’s realistic. As always, moves are top notch, and I do quite enjoy the new OMG Moments, especially catapult finishers. They have integrated so many moves to go with the catapult finishers, that it really is an option for almost every match you play in. And they are fun as hell to hit. Last year, I remember playing an entire match where I just hit catching finishers with Randy Orton for 20 minutes straight, so I can see the same thing happening with these catapults. It looks good and it makes for much better gameplay, so it’s a nice feature in my books.
There aren’t any huge problems that I have with gameplay in WWE 2K14, but there are still glitches and bugs that can bring the experience down. It’s not very good to see a wrestler, referee or announcer randomly have his arms wrapped around him in the most impossible positions for a second or two. It just doesn’t look good. And the AI can be a little bit derpy, sprinting into you when you’re lying on the mat, so it looks like they’re doing a moonwalk or something. The offence of the AI could definitely be improved as well. Again, there are no major issues, but like I said, the little things matter with regards to WWE games, so it does have an effect on the gameplay experience when you encounter these bugs and glitches.
Gameplay Rating: 6.5/10
30 Years of Wrestlemania
Last year’s Attitude Era Mode was a great concept that did well to encapsulate what the era had to offer, but I often found it repetitive and sometimes boring. The same idea is presented to us with ’30 Years of Wrestlemania’, however I find it much more effective. A lot of the same Superstars were used again and again last year, which is what made it so repetitive. But this year, there are way more wrestlers, and everyone used more than once is given numerous alternate attires. The mode does a great job of telling the stories of Wrestlemania’s greatest matches. From the very first Wrestlemania to the 29th, each venue is almost perfectly recreated and the cut-scenes are also done well. There are a few key moments that weren’t accurately represented, such as the ending to Goldberg vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin at Wrestlemania XX. In reality, Austin nailed Lesnar with a Stunner after the match, celebrated with Goldberg and hit him with a Stunner too. In the game, as Lesnar got in Austin’s face after the bout, Goldberg got back in the ring and apparently it turned into some sort of three-way dance as Austin was given infinite finishers to hit both Goldberg and Lesnar with Stunners left, right and centre. It could’ve easily been perfectly represented in a cut-scene, but for some reason they decided to re-write history. It’s nothing drastic, but I just don’t get why they didn’t do it right. Apart from that and a few other inconsistencies, the mode is spot on. There are a few matches that I would’ve liked to see (most of them weren’t included for obvious reason), but overall the mode is a success. While I do enjoy historical modes like this, I would prefer them to bring back long-running story modes like they did in the SvR series. They went on for long periods of time and they were fun, because you could pick any Superstar to play with. Universe Mode just doesn’t cut it with me, and most Storylines on Community Creations suck. Hopefully they bring storylines back.
Wrestlemania Mode Rating: 7/10
The Streak Mode
In a game that celebrates the legacy of Wrestlemania, there is no way that The Undertaker’s undefeated streak on the Grandest Stage of them all can’t get its own spotlight. The Undertaker’s streak epitomises everything that makes Wrestlemania what it is. 21-0 is perhaps the most phenomenal record in Sports Entertainment, and it’s great to have a mode to pay tribute to it in WWE 2K14. ‘Defeat the Streak’ is very difficult. I’ve only played it once, but I can already tell that it’s going to be hard to beat. Some of the moments with The Undertaker are realistic to how he performs at the Showcase of the Immortals, and it captures his resiliency and determination well. It’s a brilliant mode, and a great idea to put in the game. ‘Defend the Streak’ takes somewhat of a step back from the seriousness and legendary status of The Streak, with a take on the old match-type, the ‘Slobberknocker’ match. You play as the Undertaker, as you try to fend off as many rivals as possible as you attempt to protect the Streak in a survival mode. It might take away from the precious essence of the Streak, but it is a very fun mode and the fact that it takes your scores and encourages you to beat them provides a lot of replay value to the game. Overall, it’s an excellent mode to have and I’m sure it’ll be one of my most-used game modes over the next few months. It is strange how they don’t include Giant Gonzales or Jake Roberts’ names in the Undertaker’s statistics at Wrestlemania, and it says Tensai instead of Albert, which is a bit weird.
The Streak Mode Rating: 8/10
WWE Universe Mode
I was never a big fan of Universe Mode. I like the concept, but I feel like it’s just a poor man’s Career Mode. The matches that are automatically booked are usually ones that I don’t want to play, and changing them takes out the cut-scenes that “move the story along”, so it practically does nothing. It was smart to include a ‘Rivalry Editor’ this year, so that you could actually have a say in who fights who, but it could still use a lot of work. One thing that has pissed me off though, is how the mode has practically no memory whatsoever. I created a full Pay-Per-View, and when I went into a different mode, it was changed back to the default one before it. Even when I saved it, the same thing happened, the line-up was changed back. And the worst part, when I finally started playing the show that I had created, match card and all, after the opening bout, I didn’t go straight to the next match and the line-up was changed once again. I don’t know if that’s just my problem or if it happens for everyone, but it’s annoying as hell. The mode can be fun to play, because I enjoy creating my own shows, rosters and rivalries, but it could definitely do with some drastic updates.
Universe Mode Rating: 4/10
Creation Suite
There aren’t many new additions to the Creative side of WWE 2K14, but the ones we did get are pretty good. The new Superstar Heads feature is a nice touch, and it’s something I’ve been wanting for a long time. I wish they had included more Heads, but there will be more with the DLC next year, so I suppose that’s a bonus. They help a lot with Story Designer, if you want to create alternate attires without delving into Superstar Threads, which is also improved this year. There are way more things to customise. For example, last year you couldn’t change one of the colours on CM Punk’s trunks, which was annoying. But this year, everything is customisable, including entrance attires. Another nice addition to the Creation Suite is the Championship Creator. The options aren’t quite as extensive as they were in the past, but at least it’s there at all. I think I’m going to create the NXT Woman’s Championship, because for some reason I don’t think it was included in the game. Other than that, we’re still able to create moves, stories, wrestlers, entrances and move-sets, which is great. Some stuff could do with updating, such as Story Designer, but I’m happy enough. Eventually, I’ll commit to making an original storyline, but right now I’m putting my attention into some of the other aspects of the game.
Creation Suite Rating: 7/10
Online
WWE Games have been known in the past for their awful online modes. In WWE ’12 and ’13 in particular, trying to access Community Creations or play with other people online caused major problems, loading for several minutes before saying the servers were down. From this, and the fact that none of my friends ever get the WWE Games, I rarely used Online Mode. But from the little I’ve seen from WWE 2K14 Online, it looks like improvements have been made. I logged onto Community Creations problem-free, made some downloads in very little time and played one online match that went quite well. Perhaps the servers aren’t being overloaded because the game is brand new and not a lot of people are playing online yet, but it seemed to be working quite well for me. I won’t be sure until I give it a closer look, but I’m happy with what I’ve seen so far.
Online Rating: 7/10
Overall Thoughts
The Game is very similar to WWE ’13 in terms of look and game-modes, and there is little difference between the two in certain aspects, but that’s not exactly a bad thing. I would like something new, something better, because WWE Games have looked like clones over the last few years. It’s like they change the roster around a bit, add a few updates to some of their modes and then work on the next one, which is the same again. While I do like this game, and I feel the improvements are well-appreciated, it shouldn’t be too difficult to change things up from time to time. A good place to start would be the main story part of the game. Like I said, instead of more historical modes. Start focusing on the present, or even the future with more focus on NXT and that roster next year, instead of bringing in legendary names. To be honest, I don’t see why they are so excited about their “pre-order to get Ultimate Warrior” thing, because I played the guy once in the Wrestlemania mode and haven’t even redeemed the code yet. I would be in favour of a game that looks toward the future of Sports Entertainment, because it’s as if Yukes, THQ and 2K Sports only appreciate WWE for what it used to be, and not for what it currently is. Kind of like all of those idiots who say things like “oh, I used to be a fan as a kid and then stopped watching”, and then act like they know anything about the industry. Start catering to the current wrestling fans, rather than the old ones. A career mode, where you get to choose between guys like Sami Zayn, Adrien Neville, Kassius Ohno, Corey Graves and other NXT Superstars, and then play through their rise to the top of the ranks in the WWE over the course of 3 or 4 in-game years would be excellent. It’s a simple suggestion, so hopefully somebody thinks of it and pitches the idea.
Back to the current game, the historic mode is a significant improvement, the Creation Suite has only been improved, with nothing being taken away, the gameplay is smoother, Universe Mode is better and online has also been improved as far as I’ve seen. It’s not nearly the best WWE Game of all time, but I think it has been a success so far. New superstars such as Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns are a lot of fun to play with, as their move-sets have been perfectly represented in the game. Roman Reigns’ Spear is picture perfect.
One thing that is evident with all WWE Games in recent history is that after the first two or three months, the game starts to get a bit boring and it’s not as much fun to play, so I’m not sure if that will happen to WWE 2K14. If WWE ’13 is anything to go by, it probably will. However, with modes such as The Streak, and things like Story Designer, I do see a lot of replay value with the game. Not to mention the upcoming DLC which will make an already epic roster even better. I think I’ll be kept busy with WWE 2K14 for quite some time, but with bigger titles coming out soon, not to mention the releases of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, it will be hard to say if the game will be successful or not after the month of November. But for what it’s worth, WWE 2K14 has been entertaining thus far, and it’s a lot of fun to play. It was definitely money well-spent, and that’s not even talking about the Undertaker’s autograph, which is just the icing on the cake.
Overall Game Rating for WWE 2K14: 6.5/10
Right, that’s that. I would recommend the game, so if you’re considering it, go out and pick it up. It’s very good, and you won’t regret it. If you’re enjoying these throwbacks to my reviewing days, get used to it. This Thursday Night, I’m going to see WWE Live in the O2 Arena here in Dublin, so log back onto SLTD Wrestling this Sunday to read my match-by-match review and analysis for the House Show. I’m looking forward to it, so do check out the article on Sunday at 12pm. If you enjoyed this review, please leave a like on Facebook, Tweet and Retweet the links and leave your Comments down below. They help us out a lot! If you want to speak to me about wrestling, games, my writing, future ‘Under the Spotlight’ topics or anything at all, be sure to follow me on Twitter @AdamOB_SLTD.
Thanks for reading!
Self-Professed Conversational Wizard.
Admin, Editor and Writer for SLTD Wrestling.
Creator of 'Under the Spotlight'.
Studying Computing in Games Development.
Recent Comments