WWE 2K15 isn’t quite yet a championship contender

WWE 2K15 is the newest entry in the long running wrestling video game franchise. Since this is the first game to hit the PS4 and Xbox One consoles, expectations were very high. The game does hit some high notes, but it fails to become a heavyweight champion. First things first, WWE 2K15 for PS4 and Xbox One has the best graphics that have ever been seen in a wrestling video game. I played both the PS4 and Xbox One versions of the game and both of them perform and look great. The atmosphere of a pro-wrestling match is captured here perfectly. The crowd is more vocal than they have been in the past video games, and the commentary is slightly more tolerable this time around. The graphics have been overhauled for the PS4 and Xbox One and wrestlers look more authentic than ever before. You won't see the clay-like character models like from the PS3/Xbox 360 versions.

In terms of game modes, there are a few new features that have been added that will keep hardcore wrestling fans occupied for hours. Available on all versions of WWE 2K15 is the "2K Showcase" mode. This mode focuses on two famous rivalries headlined by John Cena vs. CM Punk and Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels. 2K Showcase is fun as it features 33 matches in total plus includes historical footage too. There will be even more rivalries added in 2015 with future DLC. Exclusive to the PS4 and Xbox One versions of WWE 2K15 is the all-new "MyCareer" mode. This mode is where you take a "Jabroni" and then climb your way through the WWE ladder to become thr WWE champion one day. It's quite a lengthy mode as your career spans for over 15 years. Not to mention it's difficult at the start as you need to win matches in order to get promoted to a better position on the card. It's still a fun mode, but may be too difficult for casual gamers.

The PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of WWE 2K15 get their own exclusive mode instead called "Who Got NXT". This mode isn't as extensive as the MyCareer mode, but it allows you to unlock five NXT wrestlers for you to use. It plays like some of the matches in the 2K Showcase mode as you have to complete many objectives during a match to be successful. The gameplay in WWE 2K15 is exactly the same as WWE 2K14 for the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions. It's the PS4 and Xbox One versions where the gameplay has received a complete overhaul. It almost feels like the next-gen version of the game feels like an entirely new game. The wrestling itself is slower paced and the collision detection has been improved. Everything feels more realistic than the faster pace in the older games. One of the worst things about WWE 2K15 for PS4 and Xbox One is the amount of content that has been removed from the previous games. There are a ton of match types that have been removed and a lot of content has been cut from the creation suite. Even worse is that you can no longer create a female wrestler in the game. This is disappointing as the game only has around seven or eight female wrestlers in total. It's quite funny as WWE 2K15 on PS3 and Xbox 360 still has all the match types and other content that are removed on PS4 and Xbox One. Yes, this also includes the ability for you to create a female wrestler too. On the flip side, the PS3 and Xbox 360 version of the game lacks the gameplay and graphical improvements. If only both versions were merged to become one, this game would have been a much better game. In the end, WWE 2K15 sees some improvements over the past games to become a proper reboot of the long time running series. The graphics are amazing and the gameplay has been improved immensely. The main things preventing this game from being a champion is the number of removed features and content. The game is missing a lot of content that the older games have which is very disappointing. WWE 2K15 could have been a complete package like The Rock, but sadly ends up being like Roman Reigns instead. Verdict: 7.0/10