WWE 2K Battlegrounds

WWE 2K Battlegrounds is a good comeback for the saga, and leaving us with a fun game for fans and casuals. Much more arcade than any of its predecessors, a well-polished cartoon look and an entertaining combat make WWE 2K Battlegrounds a game you will want to try if you like fighting games.

The game will perpetually get compared to WWE All Stars and I think it’s fair. I have to admit that through my rose colored glasses, I remember All Stars as the better overall title at launch, but the lack of roster depth (including no women) and the fact that it died off because its parent studio did really hurt its potential. The fact that Battlegrounds still that potential to be discovered and 2K can do so much more with it makes this an interesting title to watch, and one I’d recommend giving a shot if it intrigues you enough.

WWE 2K Battlegrounds is a fun and needed change for the series, that became too gritty and complex. Now this game is closer to the 90's arcade games and may not be as deep as previous WWE games, but its fun as hell, and if you are one of those who love wrestling, you'll like this one.

WWE 2K Battlegrounds is a fun romp that I enjoyed a lot more than I anticipated I would. Again, take it with a grain of salt as I am not a wrestling fan anymore. This reminded me of the more friendly spectacle of past games like WWE Arcade and Superstars. I wish there were more legends to be found and the models weren’t so creepy at times, but as a whole this is the best use of the license in years.

WWE 2k Battlegrounds brings us the craziest and funniest wrestling, but it ends up being repetitive.

WWE 2K Battlegrounds is the WWE’s big release for the year, but it’s taken a new direction after last years effort and is a decent arcade alternative to the previous WWE games. The gameplay is fair and different, but you always expect a decent storyline to play through as well. The comic strip idea is OK but with no voice acting anywhere it just feels a bit weak.

WWE 2K Battlegrounds on Xbox One brings a fast-paced arcade wrestling game to the market, which features a greatly diverse roster, a decent variety of modes and moves that pack a punch. Sadly, the bulk of the gameplay takes a while to get to grips with and even then, it becomes monotonous after a short length of time. The limited access to the roster doesn’t help in that sense, nor does the utterly bland narrative.

The game has tons of items to unlock and an overall good amount of stuff to do, but all of this really falls flat when the gameplay gets so repetitive. No matter what mode you play, there isn’t much gameplay variety outside of the standard gameplay mechanics. You don’t have the options that you get in the usual WWE 2K yearly release and it all wears thin fast and becomes a chore to play. The game is honestly fun at first, but it just doesn’t hold up well in the long run. I honestly prefer WWE 2K20 over Battlegrounds and that’s saying a lot with all the problems that game had.

A simple but enjoyable party game that’s very easy to pick up and play with friends – and a considerably better video game than last year’s WWE 2K20.

WWE 2K Battlegrounds has significantly less online and technical issues than most of the WWE 2K games, but it still struggles to shake off its identity as a small-scale, "budget" game. A lot of it feels rushed or lacks depth, and the result is a relatively barebones, repetitive wrestling game that loses its appeal in mere hours. That being said, those looking to use it as a multiplayer party game may find it to be a worthwhile investment after a price drop.

Like an early card match at a pay-per-view event, WWE 2K Battlegrounds is meant to keep the crowd entertained before the main event re-enters the arena, but it's rarely as flashy or fun as its concept implies.