Game preview: WWE 2K25 (Xbox Series X)

It's time to get ready to rumble as the world's most over-the-top sport readies for this year's video game release, courtesy of Take-Two Interactive's WWE 2K25. Techday's Darren Price attended an exclusive preview event in Sydney, spending a few hours with the upcoming game.

I think it's been a couple of years since I last played a WWE game. Whilst I've always enjoyed them, the so-so visuals and loose controls would often take me right out of what should be an entertaining and immersive wrestling experience. 

The preview build of WWE 2K25 was a rather pleasant surprise. 

Of course, the new game captures the outlandish theatre of WWE, from the wrestling superstars' entrances to the TV-style presentation. But what really impressed me was the fidelity of the visuals. We are fast approaching a photo-real wrestling game. The animations and fighter models perfectly match their real-life counterparts. Every punch, kick and throw flows perfectly into the next, which is no mean feat considering the controls feel so responsive, as well. 

I wasted no time trying out the new intergender matches. Yep, you can now pitch The Rock against Rhea Ripley. Whilst a real WWE intergender match has that choreographed unspoken truth about it, WWE 2K25 plays it straight. It really did look like The Rock was beating ten barrels of the proverbial out of his female opponent. And I'm so not sure about that.

The 2K Showcase was a lot more entertaining and family-friendly, with Paul Heyman absolutely chewing the scenery with his dramatic introductions. He excitedly introduced the legendary Wild Samoans, detailing their history and WWE legacy, for the fantasy tag match with The Dudley Boyz. Things got a lot darker, though, as he recounted the falling out and rivalry between Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns, another showcase match.

The fights themselves seemed to be a lot more like a regular fighting game. It felt like a cross between the WWE of old and an arcade fighter like Tekken. I'm pretty sure the main reason for this is the tighter animations and responsiveness of the controls.  The prompts helped, but for the most part, the moves were so well animated that timing counterattacks and launching into signature moves were a breeze. On the whole, it felt a lot more intuitive than I've found in past WWE games.

Taking the action out of the ring and bringing on the props made me smile every time. There's nothing better than wrapping a table around the side of your opponent's head. The game's knockout matches turn the game into a more visceral bloodsport, with the fighters visibly taking a lot more damage than you see in real life. 

Overall, I can see WWE 2K25 going down well with fans expecting a celebration of the WWE legacy as well as newcomers, and occasional players like me. 

WWE 2K25 is out on 14 March 2024 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC.