The announcement of the Wrestlemania-themed single-player mode in “WWE 2K14†got those pesky kids chit-chatting on the Internet last week didn’t it? The roster reveal for the mode this past weekend was just as much a “talker†as well.
But after a media hands-on with the story mode this past weekend, it’s fair to say that 2K is becoming a video game version of Bonnie Raitt herself and giving gamers plenty of things to “talk about.’
The story mode is essentially all about fulfilling a list of objectives. The way the “moments†are incorporated into the game is so streamlined that at times they feel effortlessly included. During gameplay, you’ll see a list of objectives that need to be completed in order to recreate the match’s “Wrestlemania moments.†Once you complete a task, others will soon become available. Finish all of them and you advance to the next match. Even though they are simple and most of the time intuitive, they change the thinking process behind wrestling games completely. While it’s still all about dishing out damage to your opponents, you’ll have to think more during the process. From our initial playthrough alone, the mode proves to be fun and addictive.
It also helps that the gameplay in “WWE 2K14†is smooth and sound. The updated locomotion animations and speedier strikes definitely enhance the overall gameplay from last year. The same thing goes for the changes in the counter system. Gone forever are the tedious back and forth counters from last year, replaced with a much faster and easier “one and done†counter system. Overall, with speedier transitions, more logical counters and polished new animations, this build of “WWE 2K14†was downright sexy.
On the downside, some of the hidden objectives in the story mode are hard to unlock. While some objectives are easier, such as hurling an opponent across the ring via an Irish Whip or inflict a certain amount of damage, some of them are nearly impossible to figure out if you haven’t seen the match before. Luckily, you don’t have to complete all of the objectives to finish the match, but failing to finish all of the assigned tasks can affect your ability to continue the mode. For those that have some of these matches memorized, they’ll have a blast. For those who don’t have as much familiarity with the history of the WWE, they’ll have to wait for some geek on YouTube to post walkthroughs.
This is a situation however where the amount of detail and polish and shine bring out the real strengths of the game. Simply put, the payoffs start well before the matches. 45 minutes of WWE-produced videos set up the matches. Stunningly produced, they take you back in time and recreate the atmosphere behind each bout wonderfully. For wrestling aficionados, the opportunity to see what led up to classic encounters between stars the likes of Ricky Steamboat and Macho Man Randy Savage or Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon and plenty more is an element that serves this mode perfectly. Actually watching these moments unfold in gameplay is as gratifying an experience a wrestling gamer can have.
From the looks of it, the single-player story mode in “WWE 2K14†definitely screams 2K. It’s polished, thoughtful and even in spite of a few blemishes, ones that casual gamers will feel much more than dedicated fans of the series, it appears that it’ll be one that will be remembered for quite some time.
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