WWE 2K18 Review (Xbox One)

Here we are with another annual 2K release. This time round it is the mighty wrestlers of the WWE, or WWF, as I fondly remember it, and to be honest I haven’t followed the show since it was known as WWF so the cover Superstar, Seth Rollins, is a bit of an unknown to me.

But have no fear, all the good old favourites are all there, at a cost. Yep time to be nickel and dimed again with extra purchases. Sigh…

So off the bat you get a fair selection of modern Superstars but if ,like me, you are more of a fan of the golden age of wrestling then you will need to unlock your favourites with virtual currency.

Now this currency can be earned in game  at a fairly slow rate so getting enough to unlock all the 80’s Superstars can be a lengthy process. You do start with some currency so make the most of it. I realise that most games are now going down this god awful path of paying to unlock content but at $100 a game I expect to be able to access what I want, when I want.

I am very quickly going off games that have me grinding or paying just to access features I want included.

Like a couple of other titles of recent times this inability to access content really takes the shine of an otherwise excellent game. WWE 2K18 looks great although there is the odd collision detection that looks a bit suspect, just like the real thing I guess.

Most importantly, it plays well. Easy enough to pick up but enough depth to get into some really complex moves. And on a feel good factor, I jumped into a Royal Rumble as Andre the Giant and was smiling the whole time as different Superstars showed their worth in their own unique style. All the time here I am as Andre just smashing and throwing guys around the ring, even when others teamed up on me. It took me back to the 1980’s, the whole match sat just right for me, the styles, the tactics, and it did help that I won in the end too.

Content wise there is absolute mountains of options. From new features like MyPlayer and Road to Glory to WWE Universe and MyCareer, it all is starting to follow the successful NBA 2K range of options. And on top of all these game modes you have all your fight modes, including Tag Team, Cage Match, Ladder Fight, Royal Rumble and many others.

Real fans will love to get involved in the day to day running of the WWE along with keeping up to date with all the soap opera drama that seems to have invaded this great form of entertainment. And if you just want to create a wrestler from scratch then have at it. You can even upload your creation for others to play with. Donald Trump vs. Hulk Hogan anyone?

Closing Comments.

Again 2K is at the ahead of their game with WWE 2K18 being a top notch wrestling offering and it can be enjoyed by all generations of wrestling fans. Unfortunately the bitter taste of content to unlock and the required grind or spending of real money to do so, is again the overwhelming concern of mine. The game is good, and pulling off a DDT with Jake the Snake or diving off the top rope as The Ultimate Warrior will never get old, unlocking them might….