WWE 2K25 Review – Body Slammed by the Learning Curve

WWE 2K25 Review

As a brand-new wrestling fan, I didn’t know squat about this game series. 2K’s wrestling games are gigantic affairs, crammed with distinct game modes, playable characters, and a remarkable character creation system. It’s all new to me, and it’s all pretty rad. But the downside is that I’m not familiar with the series’ history. So things like missing content, repeated content, and persistent issues will fly right over my head. Sorry! Even so, I found a fair few points of frustration and elation to orbit around. If you’re familiar with these games, you won’t realize – WWE 2K25 has a very imposing mechanical system in place.

Sorry – to be more concise, learning to actually play is a huge pain. You have dozens of moves to memorize, and they’re all extremely dependent on placement. You gotta be standing in just the right place for most of them. Or on the ropes. Or running in the right direction. Plus, the dodge mechanic is insufferable. If you wait for the button prompt to appear, you’ve already made a terrible mistake. On top of that, things like specials and finishers have these giant animations you have to watch every time. But! I also recognize that this is very normal for fans of the series. It seems insane to me, an outsider. But anyone who’s been playing these games for years is totally accustomed to all of this. It’s just rather imposing to a new player.

Learning The Ropes

Okay, speaking of imposing context-dependent knowledge, it’s not obvious which moves are more effective. But I think (maybe!) the most important thing is how cool the move looks. I had several fights go suddenly south because my opponent did something incredibly rad that swallowed a gigantic chunk of my health bar. You can also recover health? Again, I think it’s based on what kind of cool moves you’re making in the ring. To an experienced fan, this is probably like concluding that the ocean is wet. Of course, that’s how damage and health work, you absolute buffoon. You half-baked potato. How did you not get this? Anyway.

The variety of wrestlers available is downright astounding. You’ve got hundreds of Superstars to choose from, spread across the whole history of the WWE. And if that’s not enough, the character creator lets you whip up your own custom Superstars. You can get some real freaks in the ring, it rules. Everything from teeth (how many missing?) to bulging vein density is at your discretion. You can also tweak the moves they use, the music they walk in to, and the signs fans are holding during matches. It’s almost overwhelming how granular you can get.

Right Down To The Contact Lenses

I love all the musclebound drama that comes with MyRise. Just a sweaty soap opera played out for your amusement. MyGM puts you in the manager’s chair, which seems like a ton of work. Honestly, too much for me to bother with, but I appreciate that it’s there at all. Universe mode lets you follow a given Superstar’s career across a season. Meanwhile, the Island has you competing for recognition from Roman Reigns. Actually, Roman and the Bloodline Dynasty comprise a pretty meaty chunk of the narrative content available. Not only is the Island focused on them, but the Showcase matches follow the same wrestling family across the decades.

Also, I hated the Showcase matches. Conceptually, it’s an extremely cool idea. You recreate famous matches, complete with all the dramatic tension and buildup of the real thing. How cool is that? It turns out that playing these matches was (for me) an absolutely murderous slog. You’re expected to perform a lot of very specific moves, you see. And I find this combat system so fiddly on the best days. So being pigeonholed into particular strikes, grapples, and slams was an exhausting endeavor. I get it, I haven’t had years to master these mechanics. I’m not immersed in this style of fighting. But oh man, being locked in an endless waltz with Hulk Hogan because a carry attack automatically fails whenever I attempt it sucks super, duper bad. I would simply rather not.

Cooler In Concept

WWE 2K25 ran pretty well for me, at least during the review period. I played it on PS5 and it only crashed once or twice. Otherwise, all the textures came in clean, the framerate was what I hoped for, and I didn’t see any serious glitches. I can’t speak to other versions of the game, however. All the Superstars I saw looked incredible, and the soundtrack has some real bangers on it. I’ve heard some versions had some serious issues, so definitely weigh your options beforehand.

I felt rather conflicted about covering this one. As a new player, I was floored by the character creator, impressed by the roster, and almost overwhelmed by the amount of content available. More seasoned fans of the franchise and returning players will simply have a different experience. And that’s okay! My frustrations with the mechanics are also deeply personal. I’m certain that anyone with more than a review period’s worth of time to practice will have a much easier time. But I’ve got no way of knowing for sure. In the end, I can easily recommend WWE 2K25 to new players and fans. This is a gigantic entry in a venerated franchise that won’t steer you wrong. For more familiar fans, I can’t be so certain. Hopefully, my outsider’s viewpoint is still a useful one.

***A PS5 code was provided by the publisher***