Summary: *It's rather pointless to force people to pick between 'recommend' and 'not recommend'. In the end, despite issues, one could stillSummary: *It's rather pointless to force people to pick between 'recommend' and 'not recommend'. In the end, despite issues, one could still recommend this title -- with the hope that many of its issues are addressed eventually -- but there are some real concerns that need highlighting.* This review is subject to revisions, and even a shift in recommendation.
It is understandable -- and to be expected -- that wrestling fans are going to react to this title with a certain bias. Multiple console generations have passed since the PC has had a mainstream wrestling title from the WWE, so the enthusiasm and naive view that it must be 'great' can be excused to a degree. The problem is that many, but not all, of the positive reviews are blatantly overlooking the technical issues and flaws within this game, so this won't be an overall review as it will be an actual overview of the shortcomings that are inherent in this title. These flaws range from actual in-game bugs, to overall game stability, the general uncertainty about the so-called 'included DLCs' (although these can be expected to appear sooner than later given other published claims) the criticisms about lesser options than previous titles, and frame rate issues that do not correlate with the actual recommended system requirements for this title.
Going through the problems in more detail, and these have been verified by other accounts of the game:
- First off, the game has its bugs. From visual glitches and random artefacts like ropes disappearing and reappearing half-way in the middle of the ring, to bodies cliping into the ring as well as the ringside. And no, deactivating FXAA doesn't help. One could actually go on to experience and list more but that would simply be repeating a fundamental issue that a title being released this late as a port should be looking to avoid. If there is one thing the positive reviews do speak to, it is fan/gamer expectation and 2K games is not off to the most graceful of starts, but such is the case in an era where many hopeful titles are coming out as glitchy works in progress on release date.
- Secondly, there is a serious issue with random crashes. It really cannot be excused and arguments from the positive-reviewers about this being an 'isolated issue' is disingenuous at best. One could say that their experience with stability is an isolated experience, but that would be sinking the argument to the levels of their bias. Fact remains that for a sizeable number of people who have paid for this title, the experience with basic game stability is coming up short and this needs to be addressed. Positive reviewers in denial of this can remain in denial but that doesn't mean that their out of touch with reality views actually negate the problem for the consumer base. Again, 2K needs to get on top of this issue.
- The general uncertainty about all the included DLC is more of a minor issue. Since it isn't absolutely clear when this DLC is meant to appear -- we are already approaching the end of spring -- confusion can arise, but one can certainly hope that the consumers can unite on this matter and expect that 2K delivers this content soon, or at least that it offers a more definitive idea of when this content can be expected.
- This takes us to the general issue with the overall quality of this game as a product of the WWE video game franchise. Just because the PC has finally received some modicum of acknowledgement after being ignored for over a decade as a viable gaming platform by games publishers and developers working on WWE titles, doesn't mean that PC gamers should actually drop their standards. It's rather unsettling to watch all the positive reviews float in without a sense of self-awareness when even the next generation console rendition of this title has received plenty of valid criticism. PC gamers should have respectable representation with respectable standards. Fact remains that across the board, the 2K15 title -- despite a hefty graphics engine upgrade -- has undergone an even heftier customisation and broad playability downgrade. It is beyond dispute, and a matter of consensus (has been since this game was released last year on all consoles), that WWE 2K15 is a parred back experience in terms of feature, content and customisation options when compared to earlier entries. Many fans on the current generation have expressed dissatisfaction with this approach. PC gamers, while late to this experience, should not let their desperation and lack of acknowledgement get in the way of valid criticism: they should expect the same as their console counterparts and expect better from 2K games. This title, in terms of feature quality -- for this generation -- is actually verging on being mediocre, and this fact needs to be acknowledged rather than glossed over with the noisy desperation of wrestling devotees in denial. This is actually a rather anaemic, stripped-down title that happens to look great.… Expand