WWE 2K14: Is the Game worth the Hype?

WWE 2K14 is the first WWE game under the 2K brand and its release was pretty much hyped by its pre-release information, which showed the game as a major improvement over the previous WWE games. But, does the hype really live up to the expectations? Let’s take a look at the game’s features and find it out.

The game has a big number of 85 playable superstars in all.  Some of them are the gimmicks of the same wrestler, like for instance we have 3 different personas of Kevin Nash. This year the WWE game has been centered on WrestleMania, so many of these 85 superstars are those who have had great WrestleMania moments. The roster list of the game ranges from Bruno Sammartino to Jake “The Snake” Roberts to nWo to The Shield. There’s a variety of superstars present in the game, though they left out active wrestlers like The Usos, The Wyatt Family, Curtis Axel as well as Rob Van Dam (who was active for 4 months) we still have a great roster in the game.

The game is considered better than the previous installment of the WWE game series, WWE ’13. This game has been introduced with some new customizations, for example, they have increased the number of ‘Create a Superstar’ slots from 50 to 100. You can also ‘clone’ some selected superstars in the game; you cannot change their face but their attire and body proportions. You can also create your own championship belts. Just like the Attitude Era mode in the previous edition, this time there is 30 Years of WrestleMania mode.  The mode consists of 46 classic WrestleMania matches which give the player a chance to relive all the great moments from the last 30 years of WrestleMania. Advancing in this mode will be the key to open all the locked items in the game, unless you order the Season Pass.

The game has a new feature named ‘The Streak’, referring to the Undertaker. This feature has two sides. One, in which you play as the Undertaker and take on superstar after superstar to see how many wrestlers you can defeat in one go and the other in which you challenge Taker and try to end his streak. This time in the Universe Mode there is a rivalry manager option through which you control the feuds; the superstars involved and the feud length. You can also make an all-Divas show in this game, with the Divas Championship as the main title and a show filled with only Divas matches.

The overall gameplay has been improved, though it still has some issues like the lightweights are still able to lift and throw the heavyweights, the gameplay is more realistic and enjoyable than before. The sound effects in the game are good but the commentary still lags, most of it is the same from previous versions. Despite these minor shortcomings the game is a big improvement over the previous editions. This game comes with some new and innovative modes which are enjoyable at the same time. The hype about the game has been justified as it garnered positive reviews from the gamers as well as the critics. So, the game has lived up to its hype and you can definitely try it out.