WWE 2K25 Review | TheXboxHub

March 17, 2025

Heyman’s Homecoming and Gameplay Foundations

Rule Beyond The Ring. That’s the motto for WWE 2K25, which clearly applies to WWE itself as they’ve really expanded their empire in recent times. The Netflix exclusive rights deal alone has enabled the biggest wrestling company in the world to reach far and wide with its weekly shows and Premium Live Events. So, can WWE 2K25 help cement a place in the gaming market and build upon the excellent offering of last year?

WWE 2K25 wants to introduce you to someone straight out of the blocks – his name is Paul Heyman. The Wiseman welcomes you to the Performance Center, where a series of comprehensive lessons will explain many facets of the gameplay. Not only is Mr. Heyman simply brilliant during the opening video, but the tutorials that follow it are very easy to grasp and do the important job of detailing the newest features.

Obviously, there hasn’t been a major overhaul on the action between the ropes or on the outside. You’ll still have to damage the opposition using a vast and varied arsenal of manoeuvres, including single attacks, combos, grapples, high flying moves, and more. The more effective signature and finishing moves are on hand to really hurt your opponents, while the awesome ‘Super Finishers’ are also at your disposal for when a devastating amount of damage is needed to claim victory. An array of defensive mechanics are available to prevent being on the receiving end of such attacks too, like dodging and precisely-timed inputs to perform reversals.

Chain Wrestling and Barricade Brawls

What’s different in WWE 2K25 though, is the return of ‘Chain Wrestling’; a cornerstone of wrestling. At the beginning of a match, you can go in for a grapple that leads to a sequence of classic holds, with a mini-game determining who gets the upper hand. By finding the sweet spot, you can transition between the likes of headlocks and wristlocks as well as put extra pressure into said holds. Another addition is the ability to climb barricades and dive off of them to cause pain to anyone nearby. In isolation, these aren’t game-changers at all, but they’re still decent inclusions to the great foundations already in place.

Everything comes together excellently to create exciting match-ups and, as long as you don’t lower the difficulty too much, ensures engaging contests. Don’t be expecting to squash everyone as if you’re Goldberg running through the entire WCW roster; instead, you must wear your fellow combatants down and counter their actions regularly. Wearing the opponent down is especially true should you face off against someone classed as a giant, whose health bar is shielded for an extra level of protection. Nevertheless, there are enough variables in a match to keep encounters fresh and entertaining for a prolonged length of time.

Showcase and The Island

Moving onto the main modes available to venture into with WWE 2K25 and perhaps it’s best to start with the 2K Showcase: The Bloodline’s Dynasty. Focusing on the illustrious Anoa’i family and those connected to the Samoan dynasty one way or another, the 2K Showcase features a selection of matches alongside video packages.

Now, I must say that the documentary-style cutscenes are produced to a high quality and it’s fascinating to get insights from people like Paul Heyman, Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa. As a long-time fan, I love the nostalgia, but it also works for newcomers wanting to know more about some of the legends of the business and their origins. The downside is one that’s plagued every other Showcase in recent memory, which is the excessive blurring of wrestler’s faces during the classic footage.

In this mode, you won’t merely be playing matches as you wish, but instead following a series of objectives to reach the natural conclusion. The absolute spectacle from WrestleMania 40, where stars past and present tried to interfere in Cody Rhodes versus Roman Reigns, serves as a tutorial. It’ll have you putting Solo Sikoa through a table with an Attitude Adjustment, chokeslamming The Rock as old man Taker, before setting up the big finish for Cody Rhodes to finish his story. While this is a taste of what’s to come in terms of what you’ll have to do to progress in Showcase mode, there are also optional timed objectives to watch out for, which keep you on your toes.

Reliving moments in history, rewriting the wrongs, and playing out dream match-ups is on the agenda throughout. Unlike the majority of 2K Showcases over the years, where the spotlight is often on a single person, there’s a great mix of different Superstars and Legends here. Even though the current and former members of the Bloodline are likely to be popular inclusions, it’s brilliant to see The Headshrinkers, Umaga, Haku, Rikishi, and Peter Maivia be a part of the match list. The actual match types are nicely varied too, featuring everything from ladders and steel cages, to tables and no holds barred affairs.

WWE 2K25 Review 2 — Tons to get involved with

Not only is it very enjoyable, but rather rewarding in that you get to learn about the stars of yesteryear and you can earn lots of awesome unlockables along the way. Unfortunately, one thing that has been removed this year, is the seamless transitions mid-match between in-game and real footage. Once the bell rings, any cutscenes are presented using the game engine, which I feel is detrimental to what Showcase is all about.

Continuing with The Bloodline theme, there’s a brand new mode known as The Island, which is run by the Tribal Chief, Roman Reigns. Essentially, it’s a fantastical free-roam area, split into different themed districts, where you take control of a created character. The idea is to partake in a series of quests in order to prove yourself worthy enough to be acknowledged by Reigns.

Starting with the positives, the themed parts of The Island, like the supernatural Deadlands and the neon-filled Arcade of Tomorrow, are really cool design-wise. There’s also a decent amount of creativity for the core concepts of the quest lines, however the execution is lacklustre. Finding the quest givers is harder than it should be due to the omission of a map, but even when you do locate them, the text-based dialogue is disengaging. Furthermore it’s a real slog to earn the necessary currency to upgrade your character without resorting to monetary investment.

It’s possible to take on other humans on The Island via PvP if that’s more your style, although the gulf in power that’s regularly seen between characters is probably going to be quite off-putting. Many people have maxed out their attributes already and so you’re playing catch-up from the outset. As a result, it’s unlikely you’ll spend any hard-earned currency on the multitude of customisation options, rendering the shops a tad useless as you try to upgrade the important aspects of the created wrestler instead.

Ultimately, it’s a next-gen exclusive game mode that’s not quite up to scratch and feels underdeveloped as a whole. So don’t worry if you’re on the old-gen systems, as I’m sure you’ll cope without it.

WWE 2K25’s Career Modes and Team Building

Moving on to MyRISE, and this time the storytelling is centered on just one created Superstar. There’s a single narrative to explore, with branching paths to add some replayability to proceedings. Whether you choose a male or female character to begin with, the opposite choice soon joins the fray, which allows you to switch things up now and again. The actual story is interesting, if a little silly at points, and dialogue is delivered through well-acted voiceovers.

Following the different paths within MyRISE is encouraged as you can unlock a nice array of alternate attires, playable characters, arenas, and more. There’s further opportunity to earn extra goodies by competing in the optional Live Events and garnering stars for putting on entertaining matches. These unlockables are very useful, with more characters made available to use alongside their special cards for the next mode of discussion – MyFACTION.

WWE 2K25 Review 3 — The action is strong with WWE 2k25

MyFACTION is WWE 2K’s answer to Ultimate Team, with you collecting cards depicting your favourite Superstars and building dependable squads of four to dominate the squared circle. It’s still addictive and not an awful lot has changed in truth, but there are improvements to the Live Events. The requirements to attempt them aren’t as niche as before, so more players can enjoy giving them a go. The Faction Wars have seen fresh nodes integrated too as you venture through each stage in hopes of reaching and defeating the bosses.

Perhaps the biggest change is the rebranding of the Proving Grounds to a World Tour offering. Get ready to traverse the globe and stop off at various locations for a battle or two, with an assortment of stipulations in place to make things interesting. There’s not much to complain about, apart from the temptations to spend cash on shiny new card packs. Unless you’re going to test yourself in Ranked Play, where the best wrestle, you’re better off enjoying the grind instead and keeping the money in your wallet.

And then there’s MyGM, which is the go-to for every fan who reckons they can book better shows than Triple H and Tony Khan. Drafting a starting roster, managing the budget, and deciding on the line-up for each show that will make the audience go wild, is easy on paper. In reality, it’s still utterly baffling to me as to how the system works because the results are too inconsistent. On top of that, you still can’t pick a winner during simulations and if you choose to play the match to take matters into your own hand, your performance isn’t reflected in the post-match rating.

That said, for anyone not taking it as seriously as me, fantasy booking in MyGM can still keep you entertained for a while. The additional match type options is a big plus, with that aspect seeming quite limited in previous iterations like WWE 2K24. More choices as to the General Managers you can pick from is great too; even if it’s a little odd to have someone like Sensational Sherri or Mr. Fuji taking the reins. Should you have a few friends, the chance to play the mode together online now is a welcome one.

Universe Mode, Online Play, and Roster Variety

Last, but not least, is the Universe mode. Here, you can focus on taking a Superstar through the WWE calendar or look at the bigger picture in a sandbox style setup, where you can get your hands on everything. The latter has such great scope for customising the schedule, the rosters, the belts, and other things, it’s almost overwhelming. In an ideal world, Universe and MyGM would merge into an absolutely awesome hybrid. Alas, it’s not the case and even with the power to do almost everything in sandbox, the long-term satisfaction ceases due to repetitive cutscenes and the boring new promo feature.

Outside of the main modes, there are the dreaded online lobbies, which seldom bring joy to anyone, and the one-off matches. Even though the thought of having a match without purpose isn’t very enticing, it’s a good way to get to grips with the new types available. I’m alluding to the Underground and Bloodline Rules matches, which are definitely unlike anything else. Personally however, I think the real intrigue is surrounding the WWE Archives brawl environment and the cavalcade of easter eggs lurking there.

Whatever you decide to do, be sure that there’s a fantastic roster available in WWE 2K25 and they’re kitted out with great movesets to ensure they feel unique to use. Factoring in the unlockables, you’re looking at over 300 characters, which is nothing short of phenomenal. This means you can hit the ring with up and comers like Roxanne Perez and Trick Williams, the popular stars of the main roster Liv Morgan and CM Punk, or go old school with Chyna and Lex Luger. For the most part, the character models are excellent, but there are always exceptions and some have seen better days.

If for some reason you can’t find your favourite wrestler, because they’re signed to AEW, Stardom, or ChocoPro, don’t panic yet. Community Creations might have what you’re looking for thanks to talented folks that have put the effort in to create tons of characters to download. Alternatively, you could create them yourself, for there are great tools in place to design all sorts.

One thing that surprised me throughout the many matches I’ve played across all modes, is how few bugs and glitches I’ve encountered. Aside from a couple of awkward moments where the character stands still and becomes temporarily unresponsive, there’s been very little hindrance to the gameplay. Considering the history of WWE 2K games, that’s rather impressive.

An Impressive WWE Experience with Minor Flaws and Major Fun

In fact, WWE 2K25 is impressive all-round with its exciting and enthralling gameplay that’s enhanced by a great selection of game modes. While The Island doesn’t reach its potential, the likes of MyFACTION, MyRISE and Showcase are thriving. And then there’s the massive roster to take into account, which is crucial to longevity and bringing variety to whatever you’re doing.

Do you like WWE? Enjoy wrestling? Want to have fun? If the answer to any of those questions is yes, then pick up WWE 2K25 immediately and get in that ring!