Introduction

A variety show is professional wrestling. You’ll discover how many tastes the product accommodates after spending a few weeks with WWEOffering various flavors and styles to various audience segments is the goal. All of this diversity is effectively represented in WWE 2K25, which offers a wide selection of game modes, the majority of which are valuable and frequently draw in a diverse player base. Although the card has a few flops, this is still a major event-level presentation.

WWE 2K25

WWE 2K25 is a great game in its own right and feels like the culmination of several years of effort to fix the series by the Visual Concepts team. WWE 2K20 was so bad and went so viral for that reason that the following year, the game didn’t launch a new version–that’s virtually unheard of in the world of annualized sports (and sports entertainment) games. It clearly helped. 

Since then, it’s been slowly and steadily improving year over year, making WWE 2K25 the best game in the series.Though 2K25 now reinstates chain wrestling, which is employed voluntarily in-game as it is in real life to start some battles, the match mechanics are essentially the same as those of the previous year’s game. Although this year’s game doesn’t contribute much to the series’ in-ring gameplay, which was redesigned after the 2K20 fiasco, the chain wrestling does enhance its strongest point, which is the ability to create battles that feel authentic. Several times a week, you can mimic the real-life drama you watch on television by starting with some chain wrestling, progressing to progressively stunning maneuvers, and building up your character’s momentum to execute their hallmark moves and finisher—all before a false finish (or several).

Game Overview

The Giant archetype, which coexists with more traditional options like High Flyers and Strikers, is a small but entertaining addition to 2K25. Like a strongly shielded enemy in Destiny or The Division, Giants have an extra health bar that must be reduced and eliminated before a lesser enemy can use the majority of their moves on a Giant. Pro wrestling is not a conventional sport, and its video game simulation differs from that of Tekken or Street Fighter. This Giant archetype, which could seem overpowered in a traditional fighting game, is recognized here to heighten the storytelling and psychology—to use a common industry term—of a contest. Visual Concepts frequently demonstrates a great knowledge of these principles.

WWE 2K25 is not attempting to be a fighting game, much like the minigame where participants trade body chops through quick-time events until one wins, or how animations after a broken submission let both wrestlers restore their composure. By regularly focusing on the moments that make professional wrestling special, it does a fantastic job of capturing the essence of the scripted drama. It’s a combination of stage drama and athletics, and this series continuously demonstrates that its producers value both equally.

This year, Bloodline Rules and the MMA-inspired Underground battle are among its new match formats. In long-form modes like Universe and GM, where match variation is essential to producing high-caliber presentations over extended periods of time, each of these enjoyable improvements is very beneficial. Neither of them is particularly significant in my opinion, much like the ambulance match type from last year. In the best-case scenario, the match list should expand annually, therefore the addition of two new match types in 2K25 is a positive step, regardless of the specifics.

Every year, there are sporting events that barely provide one or two interesting modes. WWE 2K comes next. It contains the most valuable modes in the sports gaming industry, in my opinion. This year’s documentary-style mode, which begins with 2K25’s Showcase, focuses on The Bloodline, the Samoan wrestling family that has dominated several decades of WWE history. Even though “The Bloodline” is a relatively new naming tradition, a lot has been said about the remarkable lineage—some, but not all, are indeed related by blood. This year’s showcase is presented by Paul Heyman, who does an amazing job of promoting every member of the family, from contemporary greats like Roman Reigns and The Usos to historical icons like Yokozuna and The Wild Samoans.

Game modes

It is a little startling at times that this year’s mode is told without taking chronology into account, but again, its greatest virtue is that it fills in any gaps in players’ knowledge of the past. I personally stopped watching wrestling around 15 years after the Attitude era and only really started up again a few years ago. For this reason, I really appreciate Showcase for introducing me to Tamina and showcasing Rikishi’s earlier work as Fatu, which predates even my earliest wrestling years.

Even when a match or two got more frustrating—like Tamina’s Money in the Bank match, where the numerous CPU opponents have a way of spoiling your challenge checklist—I found it well worth it to finally check off every box, earn every reward, and experience the entire history for myself. The mode takes several hours to complete and primarily offers manageable challenges that reward you with new characters, arenas, championship belts, and more.

Fantasy bookers like me find that playing in one of two modes—Universe or GM—with somewhat distinct goals is the most fulfilling way to play. The former is comparable to the Franchise mode in a conventional sports game. You are in charge of the whole WWE brand, scheduling events, establishing rivalries, and crafting as many stories as you like. As an alternative, you can concentrate on playing as a single wrestler and treat it more like a career mode. I prefer going into Universe mode in this fashion, picking an NXT star and making them a household brand, like I did this year with Cora Jade, just like I like building up a tiny school in College Football 25.

Promos, which have been missing for some time, are returning this year. Their implementation is somewhat clumsy, like previously. Characters are forced to only emote with a microphone in their hands in the absence of voice acting, which may be advantageous nevertheless given how well it works in another mode. However, text-based alternatives allow you to control the promos’ results and keep the plot moving in the direction you want. It’s a pleasant return to form because the mode is better off with promos than without them, but it’s not very thrilling when an annualized game brings back something that was previously available but vanished.

While Universe and GM mode have similar objectives, GM mode presents a more competitive viewpoint while Universe is more of a storytelling sim. While you are still the fantasy booker, you recruit wrestlers, make match cards, and gradually increase your production value in an effort to surpass your friends or the CPU in terms of cash and milestones. In 2K25, online multiplayer—something I’ve been longing for in GM mode—finally makes its appearance. Unfortunately, it feels like a half-measure because it’s not where it should be.

You can only sim matches in online GM mode; you cannot play or watch them. Since many GM players already simulate their matches, even in solo mode, this won’t matter to others. However, the presence of online GM mode is marked with a bolded asterisk because it is a conspicuous omission to not be able to play or watch the matches. With a few friends, I intended to arrange a WWE GM league with Twitch streaming. Instead, we’re just waiting for this crucial feature to be added to the game next year. Although the main new feature of GM mode is underdeveloped, I still enjoy it and the other additions like more GM character possibilities and cross-brand events are good quality-of-life improvements.

MyRise mode is the narrative-first mode that frequently offers some laughs, albeit not always on purpose, whereas Showcase is more suited for historians and Universe and GM are for fantasy bookers. I wouldn’t advocate this cutscene-heavy mode to anyone who are unfamiliar with pro wrestling or WWE 2K, but it is an entertaining story with rough voice acting every year. In 2K25, the explanation why that is once more stated: Its plot, which doesn’t make much sense when you look past the obvious, clumsily straddles the line between being in and out of kayfabe.

Game Storyline

In 2K25, the company’s main brands, Raw and Smackdown, are being hostilely taken over by past and present NXT stars. According to the story’s plot, Paul “Triple H” Levesque, the head of WWE’s creative team, was unaware of the takeover but chose to let it happen to see how it developed. It’s difficult to tell if I’m supposed to interpret it as a simulation of what it’s like to be a working professional wrestler or their in-ring persona because characters talk both in and out of character at different points in time. However, these conflicting perceptions are not a major issue because I am accustomed to them, as the style strangely does this most years.

I wouldn’t anticipate a compelling plot when playing this mode. I play it because it’s a crazy extra mode that offers a variety of entertaining tasks, a ton of unlockables to obtain, and an alternative perspective on the pro wrestling audience. My children also like this mode, and this year’s plot, which focused on their own Batman and Billie Eilish characters, helped me understand that MyRise is primarily for children, which in turn made it easier for me to overlook the occasionally ridiculous plot.

The game’s creation suite, to use a term from CM Punk’s lexicon, produced those custom wrestlers. It’s the best in the world. Since so many fans want to bring renowned faces into the ring, the WWE creative suite offers incredibly extensive tools to create any persona, sign, moveset, and more every year. There are almost infinite alternatives that intentionally push toward digital cosplay. While perusing this year’s suite, I discovered jackets designed to mimic those worn by Leon from Resident Evil, Joel from The Last of Us, and Alan Wake, to name just a handful. Players can also construct out-of-company stars like Will Ospreay and Kenny Omega using movesets.

The starting rating (OVR) for custom wrestlers without the advantage of a purchased upgrade to greatness is 75 out of 100. I was frequently paired with people who were at least 90 OVR during my first few days on The Island; some of them were already 100 OVR. Like the NBA 2K community does every year, these players had invested a great deal of money in this process. Beyond that fundamental problem, though, NBA 2K differs significantly in that, at the very least, The City is entertaining and engaging. Given how many enjoyable activities the game offers players elsewhere, the Island doesn’t have much to offer. It is a hauntingly silent, mostly deserted, and sometimes shattered environment.

My opponent and I could see each other’s characters as we loaded in on the match preview screen, and sometimes it would show my right rating. Other times, it would say that I shared my opponent’s rating, or even a figure that was different from ours. My poor 76 OVR Larry David was thrown to the wolves, staring down instantly unstoppable brutes who would spam me with moves until my health bar was just theoretical. At first, I wondered if the game was “upscaling” my character to reach parity with my opponent, but they never felt like it. Eventually, I realized this was just a visual bug.

In general, playing WWE 2K online may be challenging because even a small input lag makes it difficult to reverse attacks and can put you in a bad position during a squash. Because playing online requires me to time my inputs on two tracks—one for competitive online matches and one for solo play—it can actually make me poorer at solo experiences. Even a fantastic version of The Island would have suffered if a whole mode centered around PvP had been created before this legacy issue was resolved.

And exploring the space is weird. It’s difficult to determine whether the team ran out of time to create a map for the open-world environment or whether doing so would have merely highlighted how inadequate The Island is—there are far more cosmetic stores than play areas. The globe is populated with NPCs and other players rushing from one largely dead sector to another, so you can’t watch matches unfold the way you can watch other players compete in the NBA’s live social center. Additionally, the tale is primarily delivered using text boxes and static images, which makes this new mode seem outdated in terms of presentation. Roman Reigns exudes an aura, and his persona is indelible.

I know it sounds strange, but even after this year’s lackluster performance, I’ve been wanting WWE 2K’s version of The City for years. I hope this mode keeps the pay-to-win scum out of what could be a pleasant wrestling hangout area if the team decides to give it another go next year. There’s not much to do there now, and it’s a needlessly darkened abyss. Similar to a dilapidated mall you frequented as a child, The Island is a dull sight with negative energy and a few obnoxious vendors vying for your money. I feel sorry for everyone who invested money on The Island character development right away before realizing how flimsy it is.

Conclusion

This ends on a sour tone, to be sure, but it doesn’t affect my overall impressions. On a mechanical level, WWE 2K25 is a fantastic game that offers a great deal of depth and variety to build matchups that excitingly imitate reality. Each of its many game modes appeals to a different segment of the wrestling fans and includes a number of worthwhile time-wasters and intriguing new features. Its creativity suite is unmatched and ought to make other developers who incorporate user-generated material into their games jealous. There is a lot to be commended here, despite the fact that online multiplayer problems come in both new and old forms this year.

A few poor matches wouldn’t ruin an otherwise thrilling WrestleMania, in my opinion. Similarly, I don’t think WWE 2K25 is any less than the top contender for sports game of the year because of a few badly executed PvP elements.