Skip to main content

LETHALgames: WWE 2K Battlegrounds Review (PlayStation 4)

On top of collecting, I also play my fair share of video games so every now and then I may post a review or just talk about a game in general on the blog. I by no means am any kind of video game expert or critic, just a regular guy giving his take on a game I put a bit of time into.

The first game I’m going to tackle? WWE 2K Battlegrounds. For the record, this is all based on my experience playing this on PlayStation 4.

———
To sum it up in one sentence: 
I like this game but I don’t love it.
———
I had actually pre-ordered this game in August with pretty high hopes for it, but things in life happened & I had to kick video games to the side for a little while. I actually didn’t even start giving it a proper, fair play until late November / early December.

I’m going to break down the review for this specific game into three specific categories: game concept, content, and gameplay.

Game Concept:



This is what sold me. The second I saw the first reveal trailer (above) I instantly though “oh cool! An arcade style, over the top game like All Stars!”. Usually I would be hesitant if it’s the right time to drop a game outside of their main line series, but with news that WWE 2K21 was canceled it seemed like the perfect time. The idea that they were porting to Nintendo Switch as well was exciting too, although that came with some concern as the launch of WWE 2K18 on Nintendo Switch was BAD.

Content:

I love how they did the content for this game, from a release perspective. Some would see it as an annoyance, but I like how it’s gone. Instead of having every roster member available day one they staggered a good chunk of the roster to be released through updates. It gives you constant reason to pop back into the game and check out who’s been added. The only change I would potentially make to the approach is making most of the post-release content legends/special attires/etc. Having to wait until late December/early January to be able to use current roster people like The Street Profits is kind of weird to me.

Rob Gronkowski being added to the game isn’t shocking to me since he had the short run in WWE, but I though Damian Lillard being added was really cool. I would guess it’s something tied into the deal he inked to be the NBA 2K21 cover star but I find it hilarious they seemingly can’t get the rights to putting him in by his real name. They need to call him “Laheem Lillard”, but they had the $ to get the rights to put the Adidas logo in the game for him and him alone? Strange.

I hope this is something that 2K keeps in their tool belt, as I think it could be a great addition to the mainline games. Giving those gamers who don’t buy the DLC pass a reason to come back after they binge the game for the first two weeks is key. It’s helps keep the game’s player base active and alive, especially with things like Community Creations which gives WWE 2K it’s lasting appeal. Anyways, enough about the main line games - back to Battlegrounds!

Gameplay:

This was always going to be the make or break with this game. It’s fun, quick, and action packed... but man... it’s REPETITIVE. I still haven’t gotten too far in the game because I can only do the same stuff so many times over and over again in one sitting. Everyone on the game falls into one of 5-6 different categories based on the way they typically wrestle (high flyer, brawler, etc). Based on that all wrestlers within the same type seem to have the same move-set based on their fighter category, with the only differences being their signature and finisher. That in mind, you can see how it could get to be A LOT of the same over and over again.
All that considered - it’s still a lot of fun. The campaign is a good play through at 100+ matches, and if you want to unlock EVERYTHING it’s a game built to have a longer grind for all the unlocks. With it carrying a lower price tag than the average game, it’s definitely a game you’ll get your money’s worth if you’re putting all the time into unlocking everything.

I enjoy sitting down and playing it for 20-30 minutes, but that’s about it. Once I pass that mark I get downright bored with it.

Final Rating: 6.5/10

If there’s anything I know with WWE & 2K games - this game is eventually going to be so heavily discounted that it would feel like it’s free (around Feb/March is my guess). If you’re interested and on the fence about buying it, I would wait until that massive sale. It’s something that is nice to kill some time in short stints, but not much more. Maybe the beauty of this one is in the multiplayer, which I admittedly have not touched (be it online or local). 

For other game reviews check out this archive of other titles that I’ve given my thoughts on!

Comments