Even more solid bases and new fun features

Since the series was subjected to a soft reboot for WWE 2k22, we have had a much clearer feeling that Visual Concepts and 2K are listening to what the fans want: WWE 2K25 continues this trend.

One of the most important additions of this year is that of the Intergender meetings, which have not been seen for 16 years, and are excellent just like then. If you feared that these meetings had some limitation, don’t worry: they are free as we hoped, with men and women capable of competing in any type of encounter and in any circumstance.

Even in the ring everything is smooth. Although putting smaller women against older men will cause a certain dose of clipping in animations, this slightly clumsy and almost low definition charm is now a beloved feature of the series. Furthermore, if we talk about contrasting Alexa Bliss, 1.50 meters high, in Braun Stowman, 1.75 meters high, probably those who do it do not take things so seriously that they are upset by a little clipping.

WWE 2K25 puts the third –

If you like the most stupid side of wrestling, you will also like the new settings: these include the iconic NXT parking and the WWE archive, which allows you to fight at the top of the sign of Wrestlemania and to launch the opponent in Classic punch of Smackdown.

Surprisingly, it is possible to play with a third -person shot, rather than the fixed one. It is not perfect – sometimes it is up to fighting more with the camera than with the opponent – but when it works it offers a new perspective on action, especially in the fights. The community already creates incredible stories and cinematographic meetings using the existing tools, designed with the addition of an element like this.

A new showcase –

The showcase mode has also been significantly improved this year. The “Slingshot” technology that superimposed real WWE movies at the game cutscene has been eliminated, and now everything is animated in-game. In addition, the cutscene number has been drastically reduced, so we will finally have the feeling of playing for the most of the time, rather than watching old movies.

It is no longer just a matter of recreating history. We will play historical encounters in the role of various members of the Wrestler Anoa’i dynasty, but we will also have the opportunity to change it, the story, playing in alternative scenarios well imagined by the development team. Then there is the third and final category, which brings together dreamy meetings that could never happen in real life, and which is the most fun. The Wild Samoans against the Dudley Boyz in a table match is the most chaotic one could think, and it is nice to see this series finally embrace the craziest fantasies made possible by the fact that, well, it is still a video game.

The mode is presented with segments by Paul Heyman, who does the phenomenal work that would be expected from him in giving a context to each meeting, in highlighting all the wrestler involved and in attracting the user in the epic history of Bloodline . The promo that makes the match between Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins at the Royal Rumble in 2022 before playing will make you want to see those two challenging yourself in Wrestlemania this year. Yes, Heyman is really good. If it is true that many have played the showcase mode only for the unlockable, this time it is really worth playing it only for the pleasure of doing it.

WWE 2K25, the verdict (for now) –

All this makes WWE 2K25 Another solid step forward for the series, even if it still has much to demonstrate and that we have not yet seen. The Island mode was not present in the Build that we played, and will far represent the most important novelty because it will show if 2K25 will be entering a new era or if it continues to play on the safe side.

However it goes, players can be sure that the basics of the game are stronger than ever, with improvements throughout the line that continue to make it the best representation of sport entertainment in video games.

Written by Ryan Woodrow for GLHF