WWE 2K14

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Publisher: 2K Sports
Developer: Yuke's and Visual Concepts
Genre: Wrestling
Series: WWE (Previously SmackDown! and SmackDown vs. Raw)
Released: October 29 2013 (US) and November 1 2013 (UK)
Certificate: 16
Consoles: PS3 and Xbox 360

So, at last we have the much-hyped WWE 2K14, the latest instalment of the lengthy WWE videogame series, and the first to be published by 2K Sports. Considering the quick turnaround after THQ folded in early 2013, it was likely that this would be a transitional game in some ways, and that is the case, with little in the way of major new features and a greater emphasis on minor tweaks, for the large part. However, the changes which have been made are almost all for the better, resulting in arguably the greatest WWE videogame since the mid-2000s.

Let's start with 30 Years Of WrestleMania, a mode which celebrates WWE's biggest event through a series of matches from the history of the show, along with in-game challenges. If that sounds familiar, it's because the WrestleMania Tour option from the 2009 game WWE Legends Of WrestleMania offered something very similar. Where 30 Years exceeds WM Tour is that the mode covers the entire history of WM so far (WM 29 is the most recent Mania so this is where the mode ends, despite its name), with a load of unlockables, photos and video content in the manner of last year's Attitude Era mode, and with a greater range of characters and a larger spotlight on the entire legacy of WrestleMania.

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WWE 2K15

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Publisher: 2K Sports
Developer: Yuke's, Visual Concepts and n-Space (Mobile versions)
Genre: Wrestling
Series: WWE (Previously SmackDown! and SmackDown vs. Raw)
Released: November 18 2014 (US), November 21 2014 (Australia) and November 21 2014 (UK)
Certificate: 16
Consoles: PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, Android and iOS

The WWE videogame series, which seemed to have peaked in the mid-2000s under the SmackDown! and SmackDown vs. Raw names, appeared to be making a comeback earlier this decade: WWE '12 set the series on a new path in terms of gameplay, with a surplus of content provided by WWE '13 and WWE 2K14, resulting in the best games since the heyday of WWE titles.

This, combined with a new publisher in the form of 2K Sports and the potential advancements that new technology could provide with the fresh PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles, all suggested that WWE 2K15 could have ended up being the greatest wrestling game ever seen.

Erm, not quite.

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WWE 2K16

Image Source: Zavvi

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Publisher: 2K Sports
Developer: Yuke's and Visual Concepts
Genre: Wrestling
Series: WWE (Previously SmackDown! and SmackDown vs. Raw)
Released: October 27 2015 (US), October 29 2015 (Australia) and October 30 2015 (UK)
Certificate: 16
Consoles: PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows

The latest WWE videogame was under big pressure to deliver. The much-ballyhooed 2K15 was a low point for the long-running flagship WWE series, with many features removed for the PS4/Xbox One iterations and a lack of real development for PS3/Xbox 360 copies. If 2K16 flatlined, it could have sent WWE games on a downward spiral from which it could take years to recover.

Fortunately, 2K16 is a big improvement on the previous entry in the series. Not everything is perfect; that's an understatement. But enough features have been restored, along with some nice improvements across the board, that this year's WWE game provides a far more satisfying playing experience.

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