In addition to these features, WWE 2K15 on PC provides consumers with a wealth of downloadable content, including playable characters, new moves and new story-driven content at no additional cost. This offering represents significant savings for consumers looking to experienceWWE 2K on Windows PC for the first time, and is intended to make up for the long wait for the game’s debut on PC. The free downloadable content is currently scheduled for release in spring 2015. Additional information on the available content and release schedule is as follows:

The following content is immediately accessible at launch by consumers who purchase WWE 2K15 for Windows PC:

• Full Game;
• Access to two playable Sting characters: the mysterious, ghost-like persona with black and white face paint, as well as his earlier look featuring bright colors and a blond, flattop hairstyle;
• Access to two playable Hulk Hogan® characters: Hulk Hogan and “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan.

WWE 2K15 for Windows PC – Downloadable Content (Releasing Spring 2015)

The following content, available in spring 2015, will be available free of charge to consumers who purchase WWE 2K15 for Windows PC:

• WCW Pack
• Playable WCW Superstars: Bam Bam Bigelow, Diamond Dallas Page, Fit Finlay, Lord Steven Regal and Lex Luger;
• NXT ArRIVAL Pack
• Playable Former WWE Champion, NXT General Manager and Monday Night Raw announcer: JBL;
• Playable NXT Superstars: Adam Rose and The Ascension (Konnor and Viktor);
• Playable NXT Diva: Emma;
• New Moves Pack;
• More than 30 new moves, including an alternate version of Sister Abigail (made popular by Bray Wyatt™), the Gutwrench Suplex (made popular by Cesaro), Rack Attack (made popular by Nikki Bella) and Running Knee Smash(made popular by Brie Bella), as well as the Uso Crazy and Spinning Powerbomb (made popular by Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso);
• Accelerator;
• Instant access to all unlockable content available in the game;
• 2K Showcase: One More Match;
• Story focused on the rivalry between WWE Superstars Randy Orton® and Christian® in 2011;
• Playable WWE Superstars (2011 versions): Christian, Randy Orton, Edge®, Mark Henry® and Sheamus®;
• Playable arenas from 2011: SmackDown®, Extreme Rules®, Over the Limit® and Capitol Punishment™;
• 2K Showcase: Hall of Pain
• Playable WWE Superstars (2011 versions): Mark Henry, Big Show, Kane, Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso, Sheamus, The Great Khali, Randy Orton, Daniel Bryan and Ryback
• Playable arenas: SmackDown (2011), Vengeance (2011) and WrestleMania 29;
• 2K Showcase: Path of the Warrior
• Story focused on the career of WWE Hall of Famer Ultimate Warrior;
• Playable WWE Hall of Famers: Ultimate Warrior (1989-1996), Hulk Hogan (1990), Andre the Giant (1988), Sgt. Slaughter (1991) and “Macho Man” Randy Savage (1991);
• Playable WWE Legends: Honky Tonk Man (1988), Rick Rude (1990) and Colonel Mustafa (1991);
• Playable WWE Superstars: Undertaker (1991) and Hunter Hearst Helmsley (1996);
• Access to WWE Hall of Fame ring announcer Howard Finkel and WWE managers Jimmy Hart, Bobby Heenan, Paul Bearer, Sherri, Sid Justice and General Adnan;
• Playable arenas: WrestleMania VI, VII and XII; SummerSlam (1988, 1990 and 1991); Saturday Night’s Main Event XXIV and Madison Square Garden.

“WWE 2K15 for Windows PC represents another step forward for the WWE 2K portfolio as we continue expanding the brand’s content offerings to additional platforms,” said Greg Thomas, President at Visual Concepts. “PC gamers who are long-time franchise fans are certain to enjoy the comprehensive and authentic WWE experience through simulation-based gameplay for the very first time.”

Stay tuned to GamingBolt for more on the game and franchise.

Today, 2K announced that their newest piece of DLC for WWE 2K15 is now available for purchase and download. This piece of add on content is the Path of the Warrior, a story driven piece of DLC that takes the player on a path through the career of the legendary WWE star and Hall of Famer, Ultimate Warrior.

This DLC begins with the Ultimate Warrior defeating the WWE Legend, Honky Tonk Man at Summerslam of 1988, doing so in record time. The Path of the Warrior features other historic Hall of Famers, including Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant and Sgt. Slaughter, Rick Rude and Randy Macho Man Savage. This is bolstered by superstars Undertaker and Hunter Hearst Helmsley.

The content may be purchased on its own for £7.99, but if you’re invested in the game then the Season Pass, debatable though they may be, looks to be good value for money. Costing £19.99, the season pass will entitle gamers to all three of the 2K showcase stories (One More Match, Hall of Pain and Path of the Warrior).

WE 2K15 looks visually appealing on the outside and being a game that walks the cross-generation tight rope, and the question of whether or not this would be a significant graphical leap over it’s last-generation counterpart as well as being one that’s actually evolved through the means of it’s gameplay and attention to realism, is one that will without a doubt have fans of the series scratching their heads over.

While the game is clearly a step up and minor improvements have been made, the underlying problem that exists within it’s gameplay mechanics may not prove in being enough should it attempt to maintain the attention of it’s fans. Gameplay places a large focus on the wrestler’s momentum and stamina limits in reference to how fast and how strong they’re able to attack. And while this strategic yet semi-realistic element seems like a good idea at first, the end result is a large majority of the gameplay feeling slow and sluggish with characters moving and reacting as if they’re carrying to much weight, regardless of their which weight-class they’re participating within.

Nothing feels fast, flashy, or frantic, nor does it do well in delivering a sense of immersion or believability. It’s easy to say the game has taken a step backwards in terms of it’s methods in character control and gameplay mechanics, but that would also be too generous. WWE 2K15 plays like an under-developed version of EA Sports UFC.

Everything that resides within the character’s movements and attacks as well as the damage they receive from their opponents, feels like you’re watching a slow acting rehearsal that has you anticipating your opponents next move, which will undoubtedly play out in the same manner as it did before.

"WWE 2K15 plays like an under-developed version of EA Sports UFC. "

For instance, grappling your opponent results in a game of rock, paper, scissors, where certain button presses can cancel out your opponents attack. This forms part of a combination involving the rotation of the game-pad’s analog sticks in order to find the weak spot for which your character can counter or escape their clinch.

While these features are welcomed and the potential to see where it could have succeeded are obvious at that, sadly it takes away some of the excitement of the combat  as you’re left playing a game of strategic waiting  rather than engaging in some actual action. These issues also affect the way the characters throw quick melee attacks which by their very own nature should appear light and quick, rather than visually exhausting.

Those such as drop kicks, slaps, and running towards your opponents in an attempt to perform a clothesline never feel accurate, as the game’s slow-paced movements and it’s reliance on strategic attack methods outweigh a sense of speed and excitement. Amongst the frustration that comes from this strange form of strategy and slow-paced countering, the game also feels like it’s disregarding the player’s inputs and deliberately exploits the player’s actions, which can often have some matches feeling broken and unfair, as well as ending too quickly.

There’s just no getting around how slow and heavy each one of these superstars appear to play, and it directly affects the player’s sense of freedom in regards to how much and how fast they can move around the ring. It’s feels like you’re watching a pair of semi-trailers attempting to drag race down a one-lane bridge. And it can be exhausting to watch as it is to actually play.

" It's feels like you're watching a pair of semi-trailers attempting to drag race down a one-lane bridge. And it can be exhausting to watch as it is to actually play."

Custom character progression on the other hand does prove to be of something worthwhile enjoyability, as the player makes their way up the ranks through the game’s career mode section. Starting of as a rookie wrestler trying to prove his worth in landing a contract deal, the early stages of the career mode plays out as a brief tutorial section so that the player may become familiar with how the gameplay works.

Calling these stages of the game a tutorial is being quite generous, as the game makes no attempt whatsoever in demonstrating or delivering any form of visuals cues as to how the player is actually meant to play. Before each tutorial the player is given a set of objectives that will later be applied when engaging in professional matches.

The problem that lies within these painfully aggravating sessions however, is that the player is given no on-screen commands or button mappings and is left to strike and grapple in a last-man’s attempt to get through the tutorial. While some of these explanations are explored in other game modes outside of the career through the use pop-up windows and loading screens. It’s almost as if the developers forgot to add this in. And for what is essentially the most important place in the game where they’ll actually be of most use, the game appears as rushed and underdeveloped.

Upon making your way in to the career mode the player is required to create their own wrestler using the a set of tools provided by the game. While character creation often brings to mind  immersion, attention, and identity not to mention embracing  yourself in what the game has to offer by making a name for yourself within it’s world. Character customization works in a very slow and exhausting manner that has almost every little change and increment that’s made to the character’s appearance run through lengthy loading screens rather than on-the-fly changes.

"Custom character progression on the other hand does prove to be of something worthwhile enjoyability, as the player makes their way up the ranks through the game's career mode section."

This takes away the excitement of what the game has to offer as it is fairly diverse in what it offers up for character appearances. The one thing I did find very peculiar however was the absence for a female character choice. Especially since it places a female wrestler as a banner for the game’s clothing option menus.

Irony?, insulting?, to difficult to animate? Who knows. But with the lack of diversity aside as well as the obsession with loading screens, the customization options work well in providing just enough choice for the player to mess around with.

Earning two different sets of progression points one being SP and the other being VC, both of which are awarded for completing different objectives and meeting certain criteria in matches. The player is able to change their character’s clothing, wrestling gear, buy special moves, and level up the character’s skills and attributes.

Character attributes do well in being precise and detailed, although be it an unfortunate one as it’s tied directly in to it’s slow and clunky gameplay. Stamina, leg power, defence, strike speed, body durability and so on, can all be raised in accordance to the player’s earnings as well. The more you wrestle the more you get paid.

Taking this a step further one of which that also aids in delivering a sense of immersion in regards to the character’s wrestling career. VC can also be used to hire different managers to represent them in a match, each equipped with their own perks for manipulating certain situations that may arise during gameplay. This currency can also be spent on training sessions with more advanced wrestlers, so that the player’s character can adopt elements from their skill sets and tune it to their own.

" Character attributes do well in being precise and detailed, although be it an unfortunate one as it's tied directly in to it's slow and clunky gameplay."

It’s a nice touch and aside from the severely lacking sense of believability that takes place when ever each of these superstars engage in dialogue, upgrading the skills, abilities, and attributes that my character had to work ever so painfully slow for did prove satisfying at times.

But given the option for a more simple combat system and one that moved at a much faster pace, I would’ve been happy to spend more time in this mode and see just how far I could push my character’s potential.

Outside of the game’s career mode the game provides players with a variety of matches and tournaments to take part in where they’re free to choose from the game’s roster of characters. Proving to be more fun than the career mode itself due to the amount of choice available right at the player’s disposal, players will no doubt spend the majority of their time here especially when taking in to account the game’s social aspects.

With the options for a standard one on one, a 6-man standoff, triple threats, royal rumbles, and so on. Each with their own variation of rules, regulations, criteria, and match types, wrestling fans will no doubt find themselves at home with what the game has to offer. As for the character roster that players are left to choose from when actually going in to battle, I can’t help but feel the game lacked in this department as the selection at hand feels slightly neutered down in comparison to past games.

On to the visual qualities of the game the Xbox One version of WWE 2K15 operates at a 1920 by 1080p resolution, and runs at sixty frames per second. As stiff as they are animations look smooth and character models are descent to say the least. While there’s nothing magnificent here in terms of texture quality, shadows, lighting, and level of detail within the game’s level design it does looks acceptable.

"Outside of the game's career mode the game provides players with a variety of matches and tournaments to take part in where they're free to choose from the game's roster of characters. "

NPC crowds are large enough to fill the stands and carry a fair amount of diversity to them within their appearances, and flashing spot lights and ringside decoration are detailed enough to compliment the game. Odd graphical glitches such as floating objects and characters facing collision problems did arise, but none of these where game breaking or common enough to distract me from the gameplay.

The game also licenses music from popular mainstream artists from a variety of genres, and it does an exceptional job in raising the player’s excitement before heading in to a match. The soundtrack plays throughout all of the game’s menus and provides enough choice before becoming repetitive.

WWE 2K15 has it’s fair share of downfalls primarily in regards to how the game plays which feels stiff, slow, and weighted in regards to character movement. And the lack of variety that resides within it’s character selection screen is something I can see fans of the series won’t be pleased with. The choice for gameplay modes that the game does offer however, should be enough in keeping players entertained for a good amount of time.

Combined with the online-playability which is no more than an extension of what players can engage in when playing the game solo, and I’m sure the game will pick up a small fan-base. Needless to say this isn’t a good starting point for beginners and newcomers would be better off playing one of the past tiles while skipping this entirely.

This game was reviewed on the Xbox One.

Well, here’s your daily dose of disappointment so break out your big mug of cynicism and fill that sucker to the brim. WWE games are very, nay, extremely popular amongst both the young fans of the sport and the older fans that grew up watching men bounce each other around a ring.

Well 2K have decided to walk all over the legacy of the popular video game franchise based on the WWE in their most recent title, WWE 2K15. It’s well known that a lot gameplay features weren’t in the 7th generation build of the game. Well, it turns out that the 8th generation build is just as bad, if not worse.

To name but a tiny percentage of missing content, you can kiss goodbye to 1v1 inferno matches, ladder matches, 2 out of 3 fall matches, 2v2 extreme rules and hell in a cell matches. The list is really quite extensive. I can only imagine that this content is being held behind a wall labelled “DLC STUFF”, but all the letters are made out of money symbols.

[Source]

Fans who were looking forward to WWE 2K15 may be in for a treat as the developers have unveiled a flurry of details for the upcoming game. The developers wanted to give the players a creation suite that was pretty much higher than the bar previously set by other WWE games.However the developers also mentioned that in order to improve the franchise they wanted to scale back a few things in order to focus on quality rather than quantity.

Developers also stated that they won’t be including new versions of Create-an-Arena, Custom Divas, Create-a-Championship and Story Designer in order to focus on a more better and polished product. However while some features were removed the developers did add something new to the fray and that was “the future of in-game customization”: the Superstar Studio.

The Superstar Studio allows the player to customize their character anyway they want, right from putting their likeness on their own personal wrestlers, to changing the color threads on the Superstars, to being able to change their attires, tattoo’s, T-shirts etc. And of course as the months go by the developers will adding more and more new features to the Superstar Studio.

The latest UKIE game charts courtesy of Gfk Chart-Track are in and it appears that the hype behind Insomniac Games’ Sunset Overdrive is very much real. The Xbox One exclusive debuted to positive reviews last week and has managed to enter the charts at number 2.

Other new entries includes 2K Games’ WWE 2K15 which entered at fifth place and Lords of the Fallen, CI Games’ action RPG that sadly only made it to eleventh place (though PC digital sales haven’t been included).

Despite all the new games, EA Sports’ FIFA 15 still managed to dominate the charts several weeks after its release. However, with Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare releasing on November 4th worldwide, FIFA 15 will be facing its biggest challenge yet. Will Sledgehammer Games’ first game and the latest iteration in the franchise unseat the unbeatable sports simulation? We’ll find out next week so stay tuned for more information in the mean-time.

Yes, I’m getting a bit sick and tired of all the WWE 2K15 coverage too, but stay with me here, as this is actually pretty cool- the soundtrack of WWE 2K15? The selection of licensed songs that will be playing in the game, that is. Well, 2K Games came out today and announced that it was curated by John Cena himself. So, you know. If you don’t like the songs there, and start to wonder exactly whose bad taste it was that landed you with them, you can blame Cena.

Anyway, the soundtrack is actually fairly extensive, covering genres such as hip-hop, rock, and country. It even includes two new songs by Cena himself, that he worked on in collaboration with Wiz Khalifa. The songs include B.o.B’s “Ready,” Wiz Khalifa’s “We Dem Boyz,” and Knife Party’s “Bonfire.”

WWE 2K15 launches for Xbox 360 and PS3 on October 28, with Xbox One and PS4 versions releasing on November 18.

WWE 2K15 is a video game releasing in 2014. Hence, it will have some DLC. DLC plans that are already being outlined now, ahead of the game’s launch. DLC plans that entail a full fledged DLC Pass. DLC plans so extensive, that 2K Sports calls this the “largest and most comprehensive” DLC offering in the history of the professional wrestling franchise.

Still with me? Okay, so in case you are interested, there are a lot of goodies available to you if you decide to go the DLC route. This includes new, bonus playable characters, new single player offerings, and a whole lot more. If you want to check it out, a full list of the DLC planned for this game is available below for you to peruse:

Accelerator ($2)

• Players will gain instant access to all unlockable content available in the game (excluding downloadable content);

2K Showcase: One More Match ($10)

• Story focused on the rivalry between WWE Superstars Randy Orton and Christian in 2011;
• Playable WWE Superstars: Christian, Randy Orton, Edge, Mark Henry and Sheamus;
• Playable arenas from 2011: SmackDown®, Extreme Rules, Over the Limit, and Capitol Punishment;

2K Showcase: Hall of Pain ($10)

• Story focused on top matches for WWE Superstar Mark Henry;
• Playable WWE Superstars: Mark Henry, Big Show, Kane, Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso, Sheamus, The Great Khali, Randy Orton, Daniel Bryan, and Ryback;
• Playable arenas: SmackDown (2011), Vengeance (2011), and WrestleMania 29;

2K Showcase: Path of the Warrior ($10)

• Story focused on the career of WWE Hall of Famer Ultimate Warrior;
• Playable WWE Hall of Famers: Ultimate Warrior, Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, and Sgt. Slaughter;
• Playable WWE Legends: Honky Tonk Man, Rick Rude, Macho King, and Colonel Mustafa;
• Playable WWE Superstars: Undertaker and Hunter Hearst Helmsley;
• Access to WWE Hall of Fame ring announcer Howard Finkel and WWE managers Jimmy Hart, Bobby Heenan, Paul Bearer, Sherri, Sid Justice, and General Adnan;
• Playable arenas: WrestleMania VI, VII and XII; SummerSlam (1988, 1990, and 1991); Saturday Night’s Main Event XXIV and Madison Square Garden;

WCW Pack ($8)

• Playable WCW Superstars: Fit Finlay, Lord Steven Regal, Bam Bam Bigelow, Diamond Dallas Page, and Lex Luger;

NXT Arrival ($7)

• Playable NXT Superstars: JBL, Adam Rose, and The Ascension (Konnor and Victor);
• Playable NXT Diva: Emma;

New Moves Pack ($4)

• Moves Pack: More than 30 new moves, including an alternate version of Sister Abigail (performed from the ring corner and made popular by Bray Wyatt) and Multiple Gut Wrenches (made popular by Cesaro);

WWE 2K15 DLC Pass ($25)

• Access to exclusive playable WWE Diva Paige;
• Accelerator (access to all unlockable content available in the game);
• Access to all three 2K Showcase stories (One More Match, Hall of Pain, and Path of the Warrior)

The DLC Pass will save you some money over having to buy each piece of DLC individually, so personally, I’d say go for that one if you are interested in the DLC offerings. Me, I’d probably buy it just to unlock Paige, and I suspect so will everyone else. 2K are literal devils.

We’ve heard so much about WWE 2K15, the first game in the long running, venerable wrestling game video game series that is also the first one to be developed entirely under the 2K Games banner. If all the hype and pre-release information that we’ve gotten on the game is even halfway accurate, then we’re going to have one of the greatest wrestling games of all time on our hands, a veritable classic.

Now, here’s some more information about how this game tries to deliver a realistic experience: it delves into the wrestler’s psyche.

“A lot of the new pacing in the game came from our desire to really build the most authentic video game possible,” “WWE 2K15” Executive Producer Mark Little told The Examiner. “To do that, we look a lot at the broadcasts and pay-per-views to see how those guys perform in matches and how they tell stories in matches. We spent a lot of time with a lot of wrestlers talking about what they call ring psychology. That means, how do you create drama over the course of the match? How do matches progress? Why do they do certain things at certain times? We wanted to bring that sort of thought and experience to our new-gen gameplay experience. We’ve created this more fluid and dynamic pacing of a match where you go from a faster, back-and-forth beginning part, to a more meaty part, to the dramatic ending of a match.”

Okay, so it sounds like they’ve tried to translate some intangible factors into the game, all in the hopes of delivering a more realistic and more immersive wrestling game experience. We’ll see how that pans out.

We’ve been promised a lot with 2K Games’ upcoming WWE 2K15, the first game in the venerable wrestling game franchise to be developed and published entirely under their guidance. We’ve been promised a game that does justice to the long and rich history of WWE, as well as it’s fanbase’s adoration.

If the new Career Mode is any indication, those promises might have been right on point. It’s called MyCareer Mode (similar to the career mode in the NBA 2K series), and it will track players’ journey from the earliest, relatively unknown events, from NXT, and then all the way through to their becoming a high profile wrestler, participating in flagship events such as WrestleMania and the SummerSlam.

Players will have complete control over their career and how it plays out. 2K claims that they will be able to “upgrade their attributes, acquire new abilities, skills and moves, earn new clothing and unlock managers”.

“These decisions, along with a player’s win/loss record, will lead to multiple branching storylines, surprises, twists and turns that offer significant replay value to explore different career paths.”

Okay, sounds good. If you’re a wrestling fan, you should definitely be on board with this.