MattMav21

I've never had less fun creating things in a WWE game than in WWE 2K25. That alone is a dealbreaker for me. The creation suite—once a cornerstone of the franchise—is now frustrating, clunky, and stifles creativity at every turn. Creating superstars, arenas, entrances, and championships feels more like a chore than an outlet for imagination. WWE 2K19 not only had a better creation suite, but the created wrestlers also looked miles better. For a fanbase built around customization and fantasy booking, it’s disheartening to see these tools regress. It's clear the focus of the series has shifted—from fostering creativity and replayability to squeezing money out of players while delivering an unfinished, buggy mess because they know people will just buy the same game with minimal updates and an updated roster every year. And I don't say that lightly. That said, the gameplay itself isn’t bad. I lean more toward simulation-style wrestling, and once I adjusted the sliders, the matches felt better. Playing as the default roster can be fun, and Bloodline Rules matches in particular are a highlight—probably the best part of the game. Wargames is solid too. Universe Mode, my go-to for replayability and CAW storytelling, is basically the same as it has been for years. The only notable update is a cleaner UI. It still doesn’t feel like you’re running a show. Money in the Bank doesn’t work properly on PLEs due to it being locked behind Rivalry Actions, which don’t trigger there. The last time this mode felt truly alive was 2K19. Even WWE 12 had a more dynamic and unpredictable Universe Mode—with features like triple threat and handicap rivalries. Mind you that by this point, that game is nearly 15 years old. The fact that we’re still lacking basic things like show intros in 2025 is just sad, and bringing promos back and acting like it's the big new feature after we had it years ago is insulting. MyRise has some effort put into the storyline and branching choices, but there’s little incentive to replay after a few runs—aside from unlocking content that should be available via the SuperCharger like in past games. Instead, you’re locked into grinding through MyRise, Showcase, The Island, and MyFaction just to unlock things that used to be immediately accessible. Showcase Mode is actually decent this year. Timed objectives can be annoying, but not game-breaking. It's probably the most polished mode of the bunch. They actually did a great job at helping people relive one of the greatest storylines WWE ever had and also highlighting careers of various people in the Anoai family. MyFaction remains what it’s always been: a grind-heavy, microtransaction-focused mode that offers little VC for winning matches and expects you to either play hundreds of hours or spend real money on a game I've already spent seemingly a fortune on. The same goes for The Island. Visually it's cool, but it's a shallow, grindy experience. Most rewards are overpriced and not even customizable. Honestly, The Island of Relevancy is the perfect metaphor for this game: eye-catching at first glance, mildly fun in the beginning, but ultimately hollow, repetitive, and unsatisfying.