WWE 2K15 Windows

WWE 2K15 is an action-packed wrestling game that has finally made its way to PC after being released on consoles last year. This PC version includes all of the game's downloadable content, making it a great value for fans of the franchise.

While many fans were hoping for a complete overhaul of the game with new animation, voices, and character models, WWE 2K15 falls short of these expectations. The developers, Visual Concepts, have given the game a good polish and face lift, but the underlying faults still remain.

One of the new gameplay twists in this installment is the grapple mechanic, which adds a rock-paper-scissor style mini game near the start of a fight. This is followed by a delicate interaction with the right stick to find the sweet spot faster than your opponent, creating tension. However, players often get caught up in winning and miss out on the fluid back and forth this mechanic creates.

The game features the same precise grapple, strike, and counter mechanics that fans know and love, but it does have its fair share of problems. Super Stars sometimes flail around preposterously when executing moves, and locking on to the wrong opponent during fights with multiple opponents can be frustrating and even result in game losses.

Compared to its predecessor, WWE 2K14, this release lacks certain features. The single player campaign that took players through 29 years of Wrestlemania has been replaced by two rivalry storylines, which may not have the same iconic nature. However, the career mode that takes players up through the ranks of the WWE’s NXT developmental league does make up for this to some extent.

Another notable absence is the story creator mode, which allowed players to create their own storylines. This feature will be missed until the mod community gets their hands on it.

One issue with WWE 2K15 is that the storylines in the game do not align with the current standing of characters in the show. This can make the game feel oddly misplaced compared to the real-life WWE. However, fans will be pleased to see CM Punk in the game roster, as this may be the last time he appears in a WWE game.

Overall, WWE 2K15 is a visually impressive game that falls short in terms of gameplay improvements. While it may not have met fans' high expectations, it still offers an enjoyable wrestling experience. Hopefully, future installments will address these shortcomings and continue to improve upon the foundation laid by this game.