Heart Breaker Posted October 30, 2013 Posted October 30, 2013 WWE 2K14 Review by Brandon Burger My first wrestling video game I ever played was WrestleMania on the orginal NES. It was a hand me down from my older brother at the time. At six years old, I was captivated with the stars on my television. Andre, Hulk Hogan, and Macho Man led the charge on a stunning six man roster. I couldn't get enough of recreating the iconic WrestleMania III showdown between Andre The Giant and Hulk Hogan. Even though the game wasn't the greatest, my imagination of recreating those iconic moments always took flight. Twenty years later, we are greeted with WWE 2K14 and the promising 30 Years of WrestleMania mode. First impressions of this game is a new yet familiar feeling. The menus are easy to access and offer a plethora of options. Match types, creation options, WWE Universe, along with many others is enough to keep any wrestling fan coming back for more. Yet the one option that captivated my eye from the get go was the 30 Years of WrestleMania mode. Upon entering 30 Years of WrestleMania, you are greeted with a video package explaining the history of sports entertainment's grandest stage of them all. From there, you start from the very beginning at WrestleMania I as Andre The Giant taking on Big John Studd. Immediately you feel back in time with a beautiful lens filter that truly gives a historical feel to the match. With JR and Jerry the King Lawler on commentary, it's easily the best sights and sounds we've seen in a WWE video game to date. Over the years you are taken through Hulkamania running wild, a new generation of young superstars, the infamous attitude era, ruthless aggression, and the present day Universe era. The match recreations are fantastic. I honestly had one moment during Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior's WrestleMania VI clash that I thought I was watching a live video. However, I wasn't. I was playing the match myself. 2K has done an incredible job with arenas, attires, and feels of the match (especially the wonderfully done WrestleMania moments) to make you feel like you are part of history. Also in this mode is the streak. With the option of either defending The Deadman's streak or defeating it. However you will meet challenges with both. Defending the streak is very much like the Slobber Knocker matches of old. If you don't remember those matches, you basically start out as one character (in this case, The Undertaker) and you take on all comers. You can't escape the ring. Each opponent comes in one at a time until you are defeated. This is a fun old school type arcade mode that already has me interested to see how far some people can go. If you defeat 100 opponents, you win the mode entirely. But that's easier said than done. Defeating the streak sounds more simple, but believe me, it's not. You start out as any character of your choosing. I chose CM Punk for my epic battle. Then you challenge The Deadman one on one. However it's the most challenging experience I've ever had in a WWE video game to date. The Undertaker will reverse frequently, pin often, and even pull some tricks out of his sleeve to ensure his streak remains intact. The overall gameplay has been sped up this year as well, and it's a noticeable difference. Matches no longer drag or seem sluggish. It's a fast pace free for all from start to finish. The controls feel flawless, and we truly are met with a fun and well polished experience. Unfortunately, outside of 30 Years of WrestleMania, the commentary lacks. The same old rehashed lines still seem to come from Michael Cole. Commentary still sounds uninspired and really puts a drag on matches. This is one aspect of this franchise I expect to see improvement with 2K taking the reign. 2K has a remarkable track record of beautiful commentary tracks from it's sports titles. I expect WWE to get the same 5 star treatment in years to come. On a plus side, custom character storage has doubled this year to a stunning 100 spaces for you to create your desired superstars and/or divas. Between Create an Arena, Create a Championship, and an always customizable WWE Universe mode, the options are truly endless for any WWE fanatic to make his dream rivalry come true. This game does what no other WWE game has done for me before. It showcases the past, yet embraces the future. With legendary names like Hulk Hogan, Macho Man Randy Savage, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Goldberg, among others, this year's roster is the best to date. 30 Years of WrestleMania teaches new fans the history of the grandest stage of them all. While showing old fans what made them fall in love with sports entertainment to begin with. 2K has made a splash into the wrestling ring, and I couldn't be more excited for the future ahead. 8.9 Incredible There is always room for improvement, but WWE 2K14 is the best grappler we've seen in the squared circle in quite awhile. With the best roster to date, a thrilling 30 Years of WrestleMania mode, and plenty of customizable options, this game easily sets the standard for future WWE games ahead. Quote
BrotchMrToast Posted October 30, 2013 Posted October 30, 2013 This is how it's done! Love it! Fuck GameSpot Quote
Heart Breaker Posted October 30, 2013 Author Posted October 30, 2013 Thanks everyone! It's very much appreciated! Quote
the King Lives Posted October 30, 2013 Posted October 30, 2013 Awesome review! This is what I like to see! Quote
DANIELakaDEE Posted October 30, 2013 Posted October 30, 2013 I couldn't have said it any better. .excellent review bro Quote
Smacktalks Posted October 31, 2013 Posted October 31, 2013 Awesome review HB, really well written! Quote
nikethebike Posted October 31, 2013 Posted October 31, 2013 I feel the same way. About the review AND the game... Quote
AdzmR Posted October 31, 2013 Posted October 31, 2013 Incredible review, and it's nice that you look past the obvious Creation Suite downfalls - unlike some people who are not willing to look at everything that has improved. Quote
ECWDanSelby Posted October 31, 2013 Posted October 31, 2013 Incredible review, and it's nice that you look past the obvious Creation Suite downfalls - unlike some people who are not willing to look at everything that has improved. Not sure that's a fair statement. I think many still applaud the huge improvements to the game. The reason we're so upset IS because of that. Think about it - we'd simply play WWE '13 and use that creative suite, because it's the same. We're upset because stuff has been taken away/made a lot more difficult, but the gameplay has been greatly improved, basically leaving us high and dry. Quote
AdzmR Posted October 31, 2013 Posted October 31, 2013 Incredible review, and it's nice that you look past the obvious Creation Suite downfalls - unlike some people who are not willing to look at everything that has improved. Not sure that's a fair statement. I think many still applaud the huge improvements to the game. The reason we're so upset IS because of that. Think about it - we'd simply play WWE '13 and use that creative suite, because it's the same. We're upset because stuff has been taken away/made a lot more difficult, but the gameplay has been greatly improved, basically leaving us high and dry. There are some people who are rendering the game unplayable because of what has gone, rather than looking at what is now in and better than previous games. I think the statement is fair and does apply to some people. Quote
the King Lives Posted October 31, 2013 Posted October 31, 2013 Incredible review, and it's nice that you look past the obvious Creation Suite downfalls - unlike some people who are not willing to look at everything that has improved. Not sure that's a fair statement. I think many still applaud the huge improvements to the game. The reason we're so upset IS because of that. Think about it - we'd simply play WWE '13 and use that creative suite, because it's the same. We're upset because stuff has been taken away/made a lot more difficult, but the gameplay has been greatly improved, basically leaving us high and dry. i'm sorry but to have the incredible ai, legends, moves nwo dlc etc as well as a ton of dramatic 2 counts back in the game, i think i can give 2K a pass especially since they weren't even responsible for doing anything on the game other than putting their logos on/in it. this was still a thq game so like i said, i can give them a pass. If they don't patch/fix these issues, then there's a reason to cause an uproar. Quote
SimplyCreations99 Posted October 31, 2013 Posted October 31, 2013 This is how this game should be reviewed. Apart from the lack of definition in the CAW section this year, this game looks to be one of the best. Now if only Friday could come quicker, I'd be able to finally end that damn streak! ;p Quote
best in the world Posted October 31, 2013 Posted October 31, 2013 Very well written and at least you give valid reasons why you love the game and dislike certain things or think improvements can be made. GameSpot lost me as soon as they couldn't even correctly classify the game and called it a "fighting game". I totally agree that while there are things that 2K can improve upon, this is the best WWE game title to-date. Quote
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