WWE 2K25 Review – Acknowledge It
Stepping Into the Ring with WWE 2K25
It’s time! It’s time! IT’S VADER TIME!…
Wait, wrong script – it is time though to put on your size-too-small speedos, shine up those boots, tape up those wrists, and crack open an ice-cold can of Whoop Ass™ as you get ready to enter the crazy world of the virtual WWE universe once again.
Visual Concepts With the Hot Tag
I said last year that developer Visual Concepts delivered (arguably) one of the best wrestling games in a long while, and somehow, they topped themselves this year with WWE 2K25, because they’ve once again delivered a stupidly tight package to rival the wrestling games of yesteryears.
Punches, Kicks, and Polish
Gameplay is still the same arcade-style combo-driven experience of the previous entries, and while there’s not much new, why try to reinvent the wheel when you can just improve it? Gameplay is further refined, and the small new additions like greatly improved chain wrestling and some quality-of-life refinements make stomping mudholes into your rivals really fun.
I’ll still yearn for the mines and also the control scheme of 2K19, but 2K25 is still really fun to play, and each year, the game gets a little kookier, a little crazier, and overall, more fun, and it’s probably 2 years or so from coming full circle and getting really silly like Bring the Pain or Shut Your Mouth were back in the day.
Equal Rights, Equal Lefts
One of the biggest new additions this year is the introduction of intergender matches. That’s right, it’s about equal rights and equal lefts, as you can beat respect into the boys as your favourite girl, or show the ladies your five-knuckle shuffle as Johnathan Cena and his bald spot of doom.
While interesting, it feels lacklustre as it’s limited for now (for example, women and men cannot compete for certain titles, that granted, might be a nit-pick), but it’s probably going to get better later with patches or the next game entry. But for now, it leads to a whole new set of possibilities for you to mess around with.
Mutiny Mayhem
There are of course dozens of iconic matches you can put your digital beefcakes through, but the real star this year is the game’s annual create-a-wrestler story. Mutiny is probably one of the best storylines these games have ever had, and it sees your created wrestlers taking on a revolution from WWE’s developmental territory NXT, harkening back to the (fond) days of the Nexus and their brutal debut. And yes, you read that right – this year, you’ll have to create both a male and female wrestler, and fight your way to reclaim WWE dominance, switching between the two as you go.
The story is great, and it takes multiple playthroughs to see everything it has to offer. Each playthrough leads to significant changes as you choose different paths to explore, and you’ll find yourself on quite the journey as you stand shoulder-to-shoulder with legends, rising stars… and a few truly surprising allies I won’t spoil. But those aren’t the only modes you can play with.
God Mode Engaged
Universe Mode of course makes its return, and as usual, you can be the very own God of your own WWE universe. Universe got some love this year, and it feels more refined, and promos finally make their return. While far from perfect, it allows your shows to feel like the real product, and makes running your Universe more fun.
Suit Up or Shut Up
MyGM also expanded and gone online now, so you and your friends can try to manage the perfect show, balancing the books and shows to deliver the best product. There’s some additions I can’t mention without spoilers, but for those who like slipping into a suit and hitting the books rather than the ring, it’s the perfect mode for you. But the restrictions are still annoying (good guys vs good guys? Not on WWE 2K25’s watch, pal), not allowing for complete freedom if you want to make the best show, forcing to stick to a formula that can get boring.
A Bloodline Worthy of an Emmy
The showcase this year is probably one of the game’s best, as it takes you through the epic, generational-spanning Bloodline story. For those who don’t know, the Samoan Dynasty of not only the WWE, but wrestling in general, is a legendary story, and this year, you can play through a curated slice of its history, walking the path of the past, leading into the Oscar-worthy story of the modern Bloodline story.
But there’s also some “What if” scenarios that are really fun to experience. It’s a brilliant mode only held back by the annoying addition of timed objectives (missed the prompt to do X amount of damage? Well guess who’s restarting the whole match, buddy) as well as some really annoying matches.
MyFaction: Gacha Gotcha
The MyFaction card game also returns, and while it CAN be fun, the grind gets tired very, very quickly, and it’s incredibly frustrating because there’s some insane unlockables exclusive to the mode. Damnnit, let me get my 2010 CM Punk another way, Visual Concepts! There’s some improvements and additions to make playing the mode more fun, but the RNG and grind is just too much, especially when you can spend your time just enjoying yourself in other areas.
The Island of No Return
Finally, there’s the microtransaction hell known as The Island… Sigh. The Island is the biggest new addition to the game, and it’s honestly the worst. This would have been a 10/10 game for me, but The Island drops the score down because of how… greedy it is. T
he only saving grace is that it’s not truly necessary. This mode is inspired by Roman Reign’s “Welcome to the Island of Relevancy” comment I can only assume, and sees you creating a new wrestler and going to a physical island controlled by the Tribal Chief himself. The island is a hub of WWE-inspired areas you can run around, and initially, it’s really fun to see the little hubs and stores, and who they’re inspired by, but that wonder dies quick. There are really boring missions you’re given (mainly just objectives in matches), and the whole goal is to win matches in order to get the game’s premium currency, VC, upgrade your character, and repeat to infinity.
But the VC you earn is nothing, forcing you to turn to the almighty wallet if you want to unlock the multiple outfits, clothing items and more exclusive to The Island. It’s just a boring, frustrating addition and hopefully, this is the first and last time we set foot here.
Verdict:
WWE 2K25 is once again the full package. An absolutely gorgeous, tight, fun game courtesy of the maestros over at by Visual Concepts. They’ve improved everything from the visuals (that somehow manage to get better each year just when you think they couldn’t) to the commentary to the gameplay. You could argue they played it safe, but it doesn’t matter when you’re getting banger, after banger, after bangers of a game each year.
Score: 9/10
Check out our previous WWE 2K Reviews
WWE 2K24 Review – A Story Worth Finishing
