WWE 2K25 Review: Is it the Champ We’ve Been Waiting For?
Been out of the WWE loop for a while? WWE 2K25 might just be the perfect way to jump back in the ring! This game surprised me with its engaging content and kept me hooked for hours. Let’s dive into what makes WWE 2K25 a contender for wrestling game of the year.
# Like Seeing an Old Friend
Like many, my WWE fandom peaked in the late 2000s. As I got older, I drifted away. But recently, I’ve been catching glimpses of the modern WWE scene, especially through social media. Seeing names like John Cena making a heel turn made me nostalgic, and WWE 2K25 was the perfect excuse to jump back in.
One thing that often turns me off in these types of games is the story mode. I usually prefer online modes like Ultimate Team in EA SPORTS FC. But the MyRISE story mode in WWE 2K25 really grabbed me. You create your own superstar and experience a story tailored to your choices, starting in NXT and rising to WWE Live. The 6-7 hour campaign is the perfect length. You’ll forge alliances, rivalries, and even clash with Hall of Famers.
While the story is fun, the production quality isn’t perfect. The character dialogue and social media aspects feel outdated. However, the cutscenes and voice acting are top-notch, capturing the spectacle of WWE events.
The character creation is incredibly detailed. You can adjust almost everything, including using the returning “Face Scan” feature to put your own face in the game. I used it to create my wrestler, and it turned out pretty well! You can also customize your character’s entrance music, moves, combos, and attire. It’s a very liberating system, but I did have one frustrating experience that I’ll explain later…
# Beyond the Main Event: Exploring Other Game Modes
While MyRISE was my favorite, we need to talk about The Island, a new addition to the series. Think of it as WWE’s version of The City from NBA 2K. You control a created wrestler in a small open world, interacting with different content and completing missions. You can play solo for a while, then jump into the multiplayer side.
Multiplayer allows you to face off against other players online, improving your character by winning matches and earning currency to buy new costumes and cosmetics. Overall, The Island feels like a “trial run” for now. It needs more development and polish before it reaches its full potential, but it has promising foundations.
You’ll notice I’m using terms like “feels” and “seems” a lot when describing The Island. That’s because this mode is only available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, not PC. While the exact reason hasn’t been confirmed, it seems to be a measure against cheating on the PC platform.
Another returning favorite is Showcase mode, which lets you relive some of the biggest WWE storylines of the year. This year’s Showcase focuses on the Bloodline storyline, hosted by Paul Heyman. It’s one of the best stories WWE has told in recent years, and the game integrates it well with a mix of real-life footage and playable segments.
MyFACTION and MyGM modes didn’t grab my attention as much, but they’re worth mentioning. MyFACTION uses a card system where you collect wrestler cards from different eras to build a team and compete in matches. You can also open card packs to find better wrestlers. MyGM is a management simulation where you control WWE stars, shows, matches, and storylines. This year, it features online play for the first time.
# WWE 2K25 is a Visual Spectacle
The developers have clearly put effort into the graphics this year. The faces and body types of Hall of Fame wrestlers are incredibly realistic. The animations, impact sequences, and overall visual presentation are excellent and mostly seamless.
The damage visuals are also greatly improved. Wrestlers now show realistic redness and bruising after taking hits. This was present in previous games, but the quality has been elevated, making the action more immersive. You’ll notice this the most in longer matches or No Disqualification matches, especially with weapons like sledgehammers and chairs.
However, the long hair models are still a weak point. Long-haired wrestlers often look like they’re wearing wigs. The hair also lacks detail, with individual strands blurring together. This causes clipping issues, where the hair goes through characters’ shoulders.
# Performance and Bugs
I was surprised by how well-optimized the game is. I experienced almost no performance issues and maintained a stable framerate. The game is generally locked at 60 FPS, which shouldn’t be a problem for most players. However, I did encounter crashes, mostly in the menu while navigating between game modes. Load times are short, but the random crashes were frustrating. Hopefully, these issues will be fixed with updates.
My most frustrating experience was in the MyRISE character creation screen (as I mentioned earlier). I spent hours creating my wrestler in the Superstar Creations menu before starting MyRISE. I assumed I could just load that saved character into MyRISE, but that wasn’t the case. The game wouldn’t show my saved character file in the MyRISE character creation screen. After some research, I found that this was a known issue in 2K24, with various workarounds. I tried those fixes, but none worked for me, and I had to recreate my character from scratch. It was a time-consuming setback.
# Booyaka, booyaka, 619!
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by WWE 2K25. It’s packed with content and offers hours of gameplay in both single-player and multiplayer modes. With MyRISE and Showcase alone, you can easily sink 15 hours into the game. The Island, MyFACTION, and Arena modes add even more variety. The strong visuals and technical performance are the cherry on top. This might be the best WWE game I’ve played since SmackDown vs. Raw 2011.