IGN First: WWE 2K15

[cdj]

Throughout this month, IGN will be unveiling info on WWE 2K15.


Day One: Story, Career Modes, and More Revealed

- 2K Showcase: New story mode (Current & last-gen). 2K Showcase will be broken up into two episodes, each one focusing in tightly on an epic rivalry from the WWE’s past.

- MyCareer: This mode has been lifted from NBA 2K14 and adapted to the WWE environment. (Current-gen only)

Over 50 days worth of motion capture sessions went on at 2K's state-of-the-art mo-cap facility, where WWE Superstars spent hours getting their signature moves digitally recreated. All told, WWE 2K15 features five times the animation data of 2K14. Thankfully, just as much effort has gone into improving the way the game sounds, the color commentary in particular. Over four times as many lines were recorded this time around, which should go a long way towards spicing up what has consistently been one of the franchise's presentational low points.

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FIRST IN-GAME SHOTS OF RANDY ORTON READY TO STRIKE





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WWE 2K15: First Hands-on

If I were forced at gunpoint to describe what I played in one word, it would simply be “different.” Now don’t freak out, that’s not a euphemism of some kind. I’m not grasping for a polite way to tell you that Yuke’s and Visual Concepts screwed the pooch. In fact, I really dig the direction 2K15 is taking the franchise. It’s a very clear step down a path that few wrestling games have ever walked. I’m here to tell you that WWE 2K15 is, for lack of a better term, a wrestling sim.

For some fans, these changes are going to sound scary, but for me, they’re exactly what I’ve been missing for years. The central question I always ask when playing any game is, “What meaningful choices am I getting to make right now?” And as much as I’ve played and loved WWE games over the years, the answer has usually been, “Not many.” But with this departure in form, I think that’s going to change for me this year, and that has me excited to play more.