Post by Deleted on Oct 7, 2014 19:17:23 GMT -5
So far this game has been looking and sounding great, so instead of buying the game and being disappointed, let's knock ourselves back into reality with this article I just found...
When it comes to professional wrestling video games, there’s always someone who will pick their favorites; whether it’s the joyous simplicity of the classic THQ games of the WWF years or the arcade-style Here Comes The Pain. But no matter what game you choose to live and die by, it’s clear that it will have some kind of glaring issue that you can’t help but notice.
The biggest issue with wrestling games is that there will always be a nagging problem of some kind, which is something that dates back to even the most beloved wrestling titles. Problems with wrestler theme music, move sets, inaccurate television recreations or crummy AI have all been haunting wrestling games forever.
Which brings us to WWE 2K15, the upcoming game that 2K Sports promises will be the ultimate recreation of live WWE programming. Granted, this is something that they promise every year. They never seem to be able to live up to their hyperbole filled promotional machine, which is why we must take a close look at 2K15. There are bound to be problems.
So we’ll look at 10 inevitable mistakes that WWE 2K15 is destined to make.
10. Awkward TV Presentation
One thing that is seemingly impossible for any wrestling game to replicate is the live television presentation of shows like Monday Night Raw. The inevitable feeling hits every player at some point during a match; you’re still playing a wrestling game. That sense of immersion, where you feel like you are watching an actual live WWE broadcast, it’s something that Yukes and 2K have been trying to recreate for years.
With every year comes another promise of it being exactly like the show we watch every Monday night, along with the glaring disappointment. It may not even be entirely 2K’s fault, as recreating something as dynamic as a Monday Night Raw broadcast is probably way more difficult than it sounds. Ultimately, 2K15’s success doesn’t rely on one feature, but this is the one that seems to have given them the most trouble over the years. And it’s unlikely that will change.
9. Crummy AI
Funky artificial intelligence in games is nothing new, but it’s perhaps a more glaring offense in a pro wrestling game, when you consider how much that can take you out of that experience of recreating a live TV broadcast. The flow of a wrestling match is key, and is just as important within a virtual recreation of the match, where any hiccup can snap the attention in half.
The AI in nearly every wrestling game ever produced has had these problems, and it’s safe to say that WWE 2K15 will join the club when it launches later this month. Whether it’s some questionable strategic decisions regarding your computer opponent running around the floor like an idiot or randomly jumping up and down on the turnbuckles, it doesn’t seem like it will ever get a solution.
8. Wrong Ring Attire
Through no fault of their own, 2K will ultimately become the victim of the ever-changing wardrobe decisions of the WWE Superstars. These are men and women that go through more wardrobe changes than any person has a right to.
Let’s say John Cena debuts a new shirt on an episode of Raw. Great, right? Well, it’s not so great when you consider that 2K will have absolutely no time at all to potentially put that new shirt in the game. At most, that’s a DLC costume pack a few months down the road. It’s not a game breaker, but it’s an inevitable flaw that is almost tragic in the sense that 2K can do nothing to stop it. Considering that DLC is almost a dirty word in most gaming circles as it is, it probably isn’t 2K’s preferred route.
7. Mixed Up Entrance Themes
Much like the ring attire issue, another mistake that WWE 2K15 is fated to make is the entrance theme fiasco. There’s been so many times in the past where WWE decides to up and change someone’s theme song weeks before the release of a high-profile game release, resulting in a tremendously out of date selection of entrance themes.
A new entrance theme on TV means that the game will ship without it, meaning that your Seth Rollins or Dean Ambrose will be getting the raw end of the deal. And if you’re a stickler for the details, as so many fans are, this kind of thing can drive you absolutely batty. It’s an inherent flaw that seems to strike wrestling games hard, especially when you consider the on-the-fly decisions that Vince McMahon is known for these days.
6. Incorrect Entrances
Oh, and speaking of entrances, just accept the fact that some of the entrances will be straight-up wrong. Sometimes, it falls into the category of the ring attire or entrance themes, where WWE’s decisions have an adverse affect on the game. But more often than not, it’s leaving John Cena’s entrance completely unchanged for years when he had already altered the way he came to the ring.
It’s a bit glaring, coming off as being too cheap to add new content to the game. With WWE 2K15, you can bet your bottom dollar that someone on that roster will have a screwy entrance. Whether it’s incorrectly timed with the music or simply years out of date, there’s bound to be an entrance in the game that just doesn’t match up to the live tv version.
5. Terrible Online
There has always been something very exciting about the prospect of taking your grappler online and seeing how well you would fare against wrestling fans across the world, sometimes to embarrassing results. But no matter how good your win/loss record was, the stability of the online component in WWE games has always been rather suspect.
Just forget about players exiting a match to avoid an actual loss for a second, despite how truly annoying that is, and you’ll probably walk away rather angry about 2K’s lack of support in the area. While it’s possible that 2K will be ready for the onslaught of online players later this month, it’s more likely that you’ll spend most of your time waiting for a match to connect as opposed to getting in some fight time.
4. Clunky Animation Transitions
Let’s be honest here; we’ve all seen our opponent run through the ring steps and then magically appear on the other side of the ring, right? Good, because it’s pretty obvious that we’ll be seeing more of this in WWE 2K15. The transition between moves has always been a little iffy when it comes to these WWE games, where the grapples never quite seem to mesh with any of the go-behinds or reversals.
It often results in combat that looks quite odd, nearly snapping the illusion of being in control of a pro wrestling match in half. When you spend more time cringing as a wrestler awkwardly warps into the position that the game needs him in, it starts to really wear on your patience with the game. It’s a long-standing issue that will likely continue to cripple 2K15, which is quite a detriment to a game that looks as beautiful as it does.
3. Clumsy Finishers
There’s always been some questionable decisions made within these WWE games; whether it’s the aforementioned entrance botches or just plain weird single-player campaigns. The WWE games have always been a little odd with the mistakes that seem almost impossibly silly. And one that springs to mind immediately is finishers, where there’s an almost locked-in guarantee that WWE 2K15 will ship with someone having either a painfully outdated finisher or the wrong one altogether.
It’s a bit unusual as there often doesn’t seem to be a lack of time to fit it into a tight release schedule, but rather a direct and purposeful decision to leave something out of the game that has been on WWE television for years. 2K15 has so many things going for it, but this is one of the more glaring errors that likely won’t ever get fixed in either this game or the near future.
2. Lackluster Single Player
While WWE 2K14’s “30 Years of WrestleMania” was a fun little time-killer, the fact that it was presented as the game’s defacto single player campaign was simply laughable. As a mode on it’s own, it’s fine, but it lacks the depth of a true single-player experience that WWE 2K15 really needs.
The single-player mode in most WWE games have been pretty ho-hum, rarely ever feeling like an appropriate venture for the solo crowd. While it’s utterly impossible to create a separate story mode for each individual WWE Superstar, that sense of having a beginning, middle and end would probably do the series some good. The concept of telling a single story over the period of a year, while giving the player an almost Mass Effect-esque control over good/evil alignment is endlessly tantalizing; which means we won’t get it.
1. Horrible Commentary
There have been so many moments in the history of Monday Night Raw that were made all the more memorable by the commentary, whether it was Jim Ross or even Michael Cole. That passion and excitement they felt during some of Raw’s most memorable moments came through because it was genuine, and you were able to get caught up in their emotion to the point where kayfabe didn’t matter; in that moment, it was real.
Which makes a pattern of recycled lines and reactions all the more painful when you play a WWE game, as it’s the one thing that will perhaps take you out of the experience more than anything. There’s nothing more jarring than having an absolutely spectacular match against one of your buddies and hearing Michael Cole sound so bored; in fact, it’s almost demoralizing. Here you are, having the greatest match ever and Jerry Lawler sounds like he’d rather be anywhere else.
The bad commentary has become a staple of the genre, almost to the point where players have just come to live with it. And apparently, so have the developers, as it has shown no signs of improving. Where other wrestling games have failed in delivering compelling commentary, 2K15 will likely fail just as hard. The lack of spirit or excitement in the commentary is just par for the course, and we’ve all probably prepared for the inevitable moment when Michael Cole couldn’t give a crap about our match.
1 & 2 are outdated complaints because these are the 2 main issues 2K has said they fixed. People seem to be forgetting this is 2K's first game just because THQ went out almost 2 years ago. THQ made 2K14. So hopefully 2K fixes most of these, which from what I've seen, they have been. Nevertheless, these probably are the major problems we'd see if there were any. So lower your expectations now and prepare yourselves for it.
WWE 2K15’s 10 Big Mistakes You Are Bound To See
When it comes to professional wrestling video games, there’s always someone who will pick their favorites; whether it’s the joyous simplicity of the classic THQ games of the WWF years or the arcade-style Here Comes The Pain. But no matter what game you choose to live and die by, it’s clear that it will have some kind of glaring issue that you can’t help but notice.
The biggest issue with wrestling games is that there will always be a nagging problem of some kind, which is something that dates back to even the most beloved wrestling titles. Problems with wrestler theme music, move sets, inaccurate television recreations or crummy AI have all been haunting wrestling games forever.
Which brings us to WWE 2K15, the upcoming game that 2K Sports promises will be the ultimate recreation of live WWE programming. Granted, this is something that they promise every year. They never seem to be able to live up to their hyperbole filled promotional machine, which is why we must take a close look at 2K15. There are bound to be problems.
So we’ll look at 10 inevitable mistakes that WWE 2K15 is destined to make.
10. Awkward TV Presentation
One thing that is seemingly impossible for any wrestling game to replicate is the live television presentation of shows like Monday Night Raw. The inevitable feeling hits every player at some point during a match; you’re still playing a wrestling game. That sense of immersion, where you feel like you are watching an actual live WWE broadcast, it’s something that Yukes and 2K have been trying to recreate for years.
With every year comes another promise of it being exactly like the show we watch every Monday night, along with the glaring disappointment. It may not even be entirely 2K’s fault, as recreating something as dynamic as a Monday Night Raw broadcast is probably way more difficult than it sounds. Ultimately, 2K15’s success doesn’t rely on one feature, but this is the one that seems to have given them the most trouble over the years. And it’s unlikely that will change.
9. Crummy AI
Funky artificial intelligence in games is nothing new, but it’s perhaps a more glaring offense in a pro wrestling game, when you consider how much that can take you out of that experience of recreating a live TV broadcast. The flow of a wrestling match is key, and is just as important within a virtual recreation of the match, where any hiccup can snap the attention in half.
The AI in nearly every wrestling game ever produced has had these problems, and it’s safe to say that WWE 2K15 will join the club when it launches later this month. Whether it’s some questionable strategic decisions regarding your computer opponent running around the floor like an idiot or randomly jumping up and down on the turnbuckles, it doesn’t seem like it will ever get a solution.
8. Wrong Ring Attire
Through no fault of their own, 2K will ultimately become the victim of the ever-changing wardrobe decisions of the WWE Superstars. These are men and women that go through more wardrobe changes than any person has a right to.
Let’s say John Cena debuts a new shirt on an episode of Raw. Great, right? Well, it’s not so great when you consider that 2K will have absolutely no time at all to potentially put that new shirt in the game. At most, that’s a DLC costume pack a few months down the road. It’s not a game breaker, but it’s an inevitable flaw that is almost tragic in the sense that 2K can do nothing to stop it. Considering that DLC is almost a dirty word in most gaming circles as it is, it probably isn’t 2K’s preferred route.
7. Mixed Up Entrance Themes
Much like the ring attire issue, another mistake that WWE 2K15 is fated to make is the entrance theme fiasco. There’s been so many times in the past where WWE decides to up and change someone’s theme song weeks before the release of a high-profile game release, resulting in a tremendously out of date selection of entrance themes.
A new entrance theme on TV means that the game will ship without it, meaning that your Seth Rollins or Dean Ambrose will be getting the raw end of the deal. And if you’re a stickler for the details, as so many fans are, this kind of thing can drive you absolutely batty. It’s an inherent flaw that seems to strike wrestling games hard, especially when you consider the on-the-fly decisions that Vince McMahon is known for these days.
6. Incorrect Entrances
Oh, and speaking of entrances, just accept the fact that some of the entrances will be straight-up wrong. Sometimes, it falls into the category of the ring attire or entrance themes, where WWE’s decisions have an adverse affect on the game. But more often than not, it’s leaving John Cena’s entrance completely unchanged for years when he had already altered the way he came to the ring.
It’s a bit glaring, coming off as being too cheap to add new content to the game. With WWE 2K15, you can bet your bottom dollar that someone on that roster will have a screwy entrance. Whether it’s incorrectly timed with the music or simply years out of date, there’s bound to be an entrance in the game that just doesn’t match up to the live tv version.
5. Terrible Online
There has always been something very exciting about the prospect of taking your grappler online and seeing how well you would fare against wrestling fans across the world, sometimes to embarrassing results. But no matter how good your win/loss record was, the stability of the online component in WWE games has always been rather suspect.
Just forget about players exiting a match to avoid an actual loss for a second, despite how truly annoying that is, and you’ll probably walk away rather angry about 2K’s lack of support in the area. While it’s possible that 2K will be ready for the onslaught of online players later this month, it’s more likely that you’ll spend most of your time waiting for a match to connect as opposed to getting in some fight time.
4. Clunky Animation Transitions
Let’s be honest here; we’ve all seen our opponent run through the ring steps and then magically appear on the other side of the ring, right? Good, because it’s pretty obvious that we’ll be seeing more of this in WWE 2K15. The transition between moves has always been a little iffy when it comes to these WWE games, where the grapples never quite seem to mesh with any of the go-behinds or reversals.
It often results in combat that looks quite odd, nearly snapping the illusion of being in control of a pro wrestling match in half. When you spend more time cringing as a wrestler awkwardly warps into the position that the game needs him in, it starts to really wear on your patience with the game. It’s a long-standing issue that will likely continue to cripple 2K15, which is quite a detriment to a game that looks as beautiful as it does.
3. Clumsy Finishers
There’s always been some questionable decisions made within these WWE games; whether it’s the aforementioned entrance botches or just plain weird single-player campaigns. The WWE games have always been a little odd with the mistakes that seem almost impossibly silly. And one that springs to mind immediately is finishers, where there’s an almost locked-in guarantee that WWE 2K15 will ship with someone having either a painfully outdated finisher or the wrong one altogether.
It’s a bit unusual as there often doesn’t seem to be a lack of time to fit it into a tight release schedule, but rather a direct and purposeful decision to leave something out of the game that has been on WWE television for years. 2K15 has so many things going for it, but this is one of the more glaring errors that likely won’t ever get fixed in either this game or the near future.
2. Lackluster Single Player
While WWE 2K14’s “30 Years of WrestleMania” was a fun little time-killer, the fact that it was presented as the game’s defacto single player campaign was simply laughable. As a mode on it’s own, it’s fine, but it lacks the depth of a true single-player experience that WWE 2K15 really needs.
The single-player mode in most WWE games have been pretty ho-hum, rarely ever feeling like an appropriate venture for the solo crowd. While it’s utterly impossible to create a separate story mode for each individual WWE Superstar, that sense of having a beginning, middle and end would probably do the series some good. The concept of telling a single story over the period of a year, while giving the player an almost Mass Effect-esque control over good/evil alignment is endlessly tantalizing; which means we won’t get it.
1. Horrible Commentary
There have been so many moments in the history of Monday Night Raw that were made all the more memorable by the commentary, whether it was Jim Ross or even Michael Cole. That passion and excitement they felt during some of Raw’s most memorable moments came through because it was genuine, and you were able to get caught up in their emotion to the point where kayfabe didn’t matter; in that moment, it was real.
Which makes a pattern of recycled lines and reactions all the more painful when you play a WWE game, as it’s the one thing that will perhaps take you out of the experience more than anything. There’s nothing more jarring than having an absolutely spectacular match against one of your buddies and hearing Michael Cole sound so bored; in fact, it’s almost demoralizing. Here you are, having the greatest match ever and Jerry Lawler sounds like he’d rather be anywhere else.
The bad commentary has become a staple of the genre, almost to the point where players have just come to live with it. And apparently, so have the developers, as it has shown no signs of improving. Where other wrestling games have failed in delivering compelling commentary, 2K15 will likely fail just as hard. The lack of spirit or excitement in the commentary is just par for the course, and we’ve all probably prepared for the inevitable moment when Michael Cole couldn’t give a crap about our match.
1 & 2 are outdated complaints because these are the 2 main issues 2K has said they fixed. People seem to be forgetting this is 2K's first game just because THQ went out almost 2 years ago. THQ made 2K14. So hopefully 2K fixes most of these, which from what I've seen, they have been. Nevertheless, these probably are the major problems we'd see if there were any. So lower your expectations now and prepare yourselves for it.
