


Unlike its simulation counterpart, it never feels overwhelming.
WWE 2K BATTLEGROUNDS SWITCH REVIEW FULL
It's a good time to see how the comic book panels push the story and where the next locale and opponent might be while a flowchart of sorts serves as the main hub of progress.Īnd while that's the main talking point as far as modes go, Battlegrounds is full to the brim with fun modes. Here things are dialed down for the better-work with some fictional characters, watch the story unfold through smooth comic book-inspired setpieces and reach the end of the tale. Past 2K campaigns stumbled over themselves with slogging backstage areas that sometimes had voiceovers and sometimes didn't, and they likewise stumbled through character, entrance and arena creators that struggled to meet expectations. Obviously, players shouldn't go in expecting a massive experience by any means. Quietly, Battlegrounds packs in a fun little story mode that takes a handful of hours to beat. The fact 2K Sports could shift gears and push this out as the annual release is pretty impressive given how smooth it all can feel in the ring.
WWE 2K BATTLEGROUNDS SWITCH REVIEW PRO
There's always more room for niche, arcade-styled wrestling games like Fire Pro Wrestling as opposed to super-sims. If it all sounds like a good time, it is, even if it's just in small doses here and there. The former doesn't seem aggressive enough at times, which can make things too easy, and the latter can sometimes miss things like pin breakups. is something surely that will see more tuning post-release. But it's a far cry from the needlessly bogged down controls and modifiers from the normal annual series, which at this point is a good thing. There's a little more depth than one might expect given the presence of counters (by hitting the proper face buttons) and a variety of special moves, which players might find out pretty quickly if they hop into an online match against real opponents. opponents, things can and often will devolve into a button-mashing affair. Picking it up and simply learning the most basic controls will leave players capable of competing in the ring. But this is a smaller arcade release, so it's not the end of the world that all the brawlers fight similarly.Īs one can probably imagine, Battlegrounds has a ton of pick-up-and-play potential based on the premise alone. That said, a lot of the wrestlers end up feeling the same because they share move sets within classes. Going into the game's release, it was easy to wonder how Superstars might differentiate from one another based on weight and fighting style. There are different classes of wrestlers, which is nice. Gameplay meshes well with the presentation of it all. They always just seem flabbergasted at what's occurring in the ring, which given those occurrences is a pretty fair and fitting reaction. The announcers also seem a little delayed on most of the action, but in a funny sort of way. However, while some characters look spot on in the facial department, many of the women Superstars don't, and Baron Corbin just looks like some random bald fry cook. If Roman Reigns loses on a count-out, for example, he lays down and kicks and screams like an infant with the accompanying whining. The style extends to Superstar behavior too. Sound design plays a role too, with sound effects of punches and kicks getting met with satisfying comic book-like smacks and grunts. Moves are wildly exaggerated as Superstars toss 300-pound opponents around like they're pillows. The same charm applies to what happens in the ring. It's not trying to be the perfect simulation, so those sort of details have a certain charm. It's cool that some of the sparse crowds that watch fighters don't always react well to the in-ring action or just have goofy smiles on their faces. That same thought process benefits expectations, too. These aren't just boring stadiums filled with fans, and the background detail can almost become distracting-in a good way. Matches take place in a variety of interesting locales. It's a funny, almost comic book-stylized rendition of the Superstars that grace the ring-past and present.Ī lack of realism means the designers could go all-in on the fun. It's not trying to emulate real life all characters have bobbleheads and huge proportions. WWE 2K Battlegrounds, for the most part, is a visual treat.
