Think you're tough? Step into the squared circle in 5 of best WWE video games!
Yes, it’s as fake as a porn star’s silicone implants, and it’s not exactly what you’d call intellectually stimulating. But it’s one of the biggest phenomena on television, watched by millions of fans worldwide. What the heck are we talking about? Why, World Wrestling Entertainment, a.k.a. WWE, of course!
Nothing beats the visceral thrill of watching two sweaty, half-naked musclemen pummeling each other senseless and throwing each other around like rag dolls. And the suspense when one man has wrapped his enormous thighs around another man’s head, ready to crush his skull to the rousing cheers of thousands? Priceless.
WWE games have been with us since for decades, allowing armchair wrestlers a glimpse of what it’s like to be our favorite wrestling superstars in the squared circle. Recent boosts in the power of our game machines have made these games more realistic, with more life-like models and believable physics. Here then, is our list of the 5 Best WWE Video Games To Play in 2015 – which will include only the most enjoyable titles released within the last five years – starting with…
5. WWE 2K
Your favorite superstars go miniature in WWE 2K!
What’s this? A great game for the iOS, and a wrestling game, at that? My, how times have changed!
For a mobile game, this year’s WWE 2K is surprisingly complex. You tap the screen to do basic attacks and move around the ring, pinch your fingers to grapple, and swipe to perform a throw. At times, arrows will appear on the screen, prompting you to do specific gestures to get out of holds, initiate reversals, and all sorts of other actions.
As you may have noticed, we’ve made no mention of virtual buttons. That’s because there aren’t any. As described above, everything is controlled by gestures. This might make for a clunky video game wrestling experience, but with practice, it’s something you can become adept at.
Everything else is as you can expect from a WWE game. You punish your opponent – with everything from special moves to chairs to the face – until he’s too weak to escape a pinfall. Available superstars to play as or against range from Daniel Bryan to Hulk Hogan, although you can also customize your own unique wrestler in the career mode. There’s even multiplayer!
WWE 2K is as good as a WWE game can get on iPads and iPhones, making it one of the best WWE video games currently on the market.
Pain in 3... 2... 1...
Time for a chokeslam!
4. WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011
They talk to him
Looking a little green there, Triple H. Still an explosive entrance, though!
If you want to get into the nitty-gritty of the circus that is professional wrestling, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011 is the game to play.
Aside from “proper” brawls in the squared circle, SvR 2011 gives you a backstage pass, allowing you to play out events that occur in the locker room and other areas outside the ring. The Road to WrestleMania mode lets you assume the role and follow the storylines of John Cena, Rey Mysterio, Chris Jericho, and Christian. In addition, you can choose to play as Kofi Kingston, Dolph Ziggler, John Morrison, R-Truth, or your own created superstar as they embark on a quest to end The Undertaker’s winning streak.
WWE Universe, on the other hand, lets you build your own storylines based on your choices. These storylines incorporate alliances, rivalries, and titles. They also make use of random cut scenes, of which there are over 100 the game can select from.
With improved physics that allow for more realistic uses of objects such as ladders and chairs, revamped Hell in a Cell matches, and a roster that boasts over 70 superstars and divas, SvR 2011 is one of the best WWE video games to play in 2015.
Bromance
This will not end well...
3. WWE All Stars
I don't remember these wrestlers being THIS huge!
When it comes down to it, WWE is pretty silly stuff. 2011’s WWE All Stars takes this fact to heart, giving you a game that’s less a simulation of the world’s biggest sports entertainment brand, and more a fast-paced, arcade-style beat down.
You can tell all of this from the game’s unique art style itself, which gives superstars more mass in all the right places for an exaggerated, cartoony look.
Even their signature moves have taken a turn for the ridiculous. Triple H’s Pedigree and Kane’s Chokeslam are already brutal, but in All Stars, they slam their opponents down with such force that they create shockwaves at the point of impact. Randy Orton, Steve Austin, the Rock, and several other wrestlers incorporate gravity-defying, ten-foot jumps into more explosive versions of their finishers. And Roddy Piper looks like he actually breaks his opponent’s neck with his Sleeper Hold.
As for the gameplay, All Stars combines elements of both wrestling and fighting game genres – which means faster movements, and a significant role for ground and air combos. While it features simpler controls than your average wrestling simulation, it has enough depth to satisfy more hardcore wrestling game fans.
The roster includes contemporary wrestlers, as well as legends such as Andre the Giant, Jake “the Snake” Roberts, and the Ultimate Warrior. There’s definitely something special about seeing your favorite superstars in a new, comic book-ish light, and performing their moves with all the supercharged flair of fighting game heroes. Thanks to its crisp, colorful visuals, intensely exciting action, and refreshing take on the WWE universe, we think it deserves a spot on this list of the best WWE video games to play in 2015.
Redefines the term "high flying"
Triple H and the Undertaker getting intimate
2. WWE ’13
'Coz Stone Cold says so!
The Celtic warrior introducing his opponent's head to the mat
Sequel to the excellent WWE ’12 is 2012’s equally impressive WWE ’13.
This title focuses on WWE’s epic Attitude Era, with a mode that lets players experience the period via six storylines. The game ramps up the nostalgia factor by recreating the Era’s most celebrated matches and rivalries. It even borrows actual video and audio clips from the show’s historical archives, and you’ll be playing several WWE luminaries such as Stone Cold Steve Austin, Mankind, Bret Hart, and Shaw Michaels. Though these matches are won by submission or pinfall, you can choose to achieve historical objectives for a variety of rewards, from special costumes to new characters.
D-Generation X!!!
The Creative Suite returns to let players create their own characters, as well as customize the environment, from the ring all the way to the audience and the entire stadium. Story Creation mode has been expanded to allow for as many as 500 matches and hundreds of branching options. You can even create your own finishing move under Special Moves.
Gameplay-wise, the engine has been tweaked to near perfection. The animations are more fluid, and little details, such as each brawler always striking towards his challenger, go a long way towards making the whole experience seem more authentic. Even each wrestler’s weight is taken into account, so that a smaller individual such as Rey Mysterio can’t lift bigger superstars such as the Big Show.
By offering a more realistic fighting system, and by highlighting WWE’s vaunted Attitude Era, WWE ’13 lands itself at spot #2 on our list of best WWE video games.
Sometimes, a good kick to the face is enough to end the match!
Whoever blinks first loses
1. WWE 2K14
Two of the greatest wrestling legends
Andre the Giant and package
Following WWE ’13 is WWE 2K14, which saw global release in 2013.
WWE 2K14’s sees the engine that was introduced in its predecessors receiving further upgrades. The walking speed is faster. Aiming for more realism, characters start up before they’re able to run at full tilt. And there are new techniques to exploit, too; for example, some wrestlers can hurl an enemy into the air, seize them as they fall, and perform a catch finisher.
Like the game before it, WWE 2K14 plays the nostalgia card by giving us the 30 Years of WrestleMania mode. Here, players get to relive legendary matches from three decades of the show’s biggest annual event, WrestleMania. There are over 40 classic matches to play. Like in WWE ’13, these have special historical objectives that, when met, allow players to access various unlockables.
Razor Ramon and Shawn Michaels sharing a ladder
Bret Hart's going to have a hard time getting up from Yokozuna's leg drop
The storylines included in this mode range from “Hulkamania Runs Wild,” which centers of Hulk Hogan’s road to becoming a wrestling icon in the WrestleMania events of the ‘80s; “The New Generation” which focuses on mid-1990s superstars Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart; and the “Universe Era,” which showcases John Cena’s rise to popularity, and the return of Brock Lesnar and The Rock.
It’s a lengthy, well-executed mode, and should be a treat for anyone who’s stuck with WWE throughout the years.
As for the roster, it’s bigger than ever. There are more than 100 wrestlers, ranging from Randy Macho Man Savage to CM Punk. You’re going to have a hard time picking a character to main!
For all these reasons, WWE 2K14 wins spot #1 on our list of best WWE video games.
Big Show, meet boot. Boot, meet Big Show
One of the most memorable feuds in pro wrestling history culminates in this legendary match
Honorable Mentions
We would have loved to include the stellar WWE ’12 on this list, but given that it’s succeeded by sequels WWE ’13 and WWE 2K14, we had to leave it out to make room for other titles. This year’s WWE 2K15 was considered, but did not make the final cut due to its relatively poor critical performance.
WWE SuperCard is a lot of fun and immensely addicting. However, it’s not even a real wrestling game, but a WWE-inspired collectible card game for iOS devices.
Then there’s WWE Immortals from the makers of Mortal Kombat X, NetherRealm Studios. This iOS game reimagines wrestling superstars as gritty fighting game heroes. As such, it’s more of a fighting game than a wrestling game, heavily borrowing combat elements from the studios’ other title, Injustice: Gods Among Us.
And that about wraps up our list of 5 Best WWE Video Games to Play in 2015! Now that you’ve heard our opinions, we’d like to turn the tables. So, what are the best WWE video games you’ve played? Feel free to share your thoughts with us in the comments section below!
