WWE 2K BATTLEGROUNDS
A less glitchy take on the world of WWE
The Rock wasn’t the only person who smelt something foul cooking in WWE 2K20 – so did everyone who watched floating metal chairs autonomously enter the ring or the faces of wrestlers collapsing in on themselves. Yes, last year’s official tie-in game was a glitch-riddled mess, so 2K has rightly taken a different tack this time, with a more arcadey-looking and less grounded offering. The result is an experience that, while fun for a few hours, never develops beyond its simple mechanics.
The good news is that new developer Saber Interactive hasn’t skimped on any modes. Despite depicting superstars with a fresh, pint-sized aesthetic, the usual match type suspects are all here. Royal Rumble, Tag Team, and even Steel Cage can all deliver a good time, especially the latter, whose ruleset has been tweaked to better suit Battlegrounds’ much zanier approach. Because who doesn’t want to collect piles of cash before climbing over the top of the cell?
ROCK BOTTOM
Problems arise, however, when you realise that performing punches, kicks, and grapple holds grows tiresome and doesn’t offer exciting combat opportunities beyond a few special moves. Battlegrounds attempts to offset this by dividing wrestlers into five different classes – Brawler, Technician, All-Rounder, HighFlyer, and Powerhouse – which should theoretically change how each handles. In reality, it means that every superstar is guaranteed to play identically to someone else.
Much more promising is the power-up system. Power-ups are ranked by tier and allow for a little customisation during matches. They’re activated by landing hits and/or stirring up the crowd. It’s just a shame that you’ll unlock the best of them incredibly early in the story; there’s never any reason to give up your ability to pin an opponent more powerfully.
WWE 2K Battlegrounds is a far more successful attempt at capturing the spectacle of wrestling entertainment than last year’s debacle, though that’s not saying much. There are the makings of a fun spin-off series here, providing enough depth can be added to better hold players’ attention.