WWE 2K25

WWE 2K25 is impressive all-round with its exciting and enthralling gameplay that’s enhanced by a great selection of game modes. While The Island doesn’t reach its potential, the likes of MyFACTION, MyRISE and Showcase are thriving. And then there’s the massive roster to take into account, which is crucial to longevity.

WWE 2K25, even with its small drawbacks like the seeming clunkiness of The Island and its almost impossible 90-second completion of objectives in Showcase, is the best offering thus far for the WWE 2K franchise. Showcase remains the best part of the game, with the Bloodline storylines coming alive like never before, and MyRISE continuing to excel as the main driver of the game. Now we wait patiently and see how New Jack's entrance will look in the game this summer.

Not every mode in WWE 2K25 is a home run; MyFaction still feels like an UltimateTeam-inspired mode that's designed for whales, and The Island gives the same vibe as well. Despite those issues, WWE 2K25 stakes its claim as not just one of the best wrestling games ever made but also an all-time great sports game. There's an impressive amount of content that will keep you busy long after WrestleMania season ends. Showcase is an excellent love letter to The Bloodline, MyGM will keep me busy for who knows how long, and MyRise blew me away with how much I enjoyed the story. For those looking to consume more WWE content with its boon in popularity, you can't go wrong with WWE 2K25.

WWE 2K25 is the best WWE 2K game since the franchise made its return with WWE 2K22. The in-ring action is top-notch, MyGM is more fun than ever, and there is enough content here to keep WWE diehards busy for months on end. And that's not even taking into account the inevitable community creations that will supply players with an endless supply of new characters and content. The community creations will no doubt make WWE 2K25 an even stronger game, but even without them, it's a blast to play and has quickly become one of my favorite wrestling games ever.

It had a tough task following up last year’s incredible effort, but with the injection of The Bloodline this new entry becomes another top notch wrestling game.

WWE 2K25 moves in the groove of the previous version, which was already excellent, by the way. The main addition is The Island mode, which, however, still appears immature (and a bit of a money-spinner). The rest of the game has enjoyed refinements and adjustments that raise the bar of quality a little more. Unfortunately, at the moment a few bugs undermine stability, but more importantly the audience feel of the arenas is not up to par with the rest of the simulation.

Overall WWE2K25 is a much better step forward than previous years. The franchise has been playing it too safely ever since 2K22 and it finally has stepped away from that safe haven to advance a bit. Each mode seems to have gained some extras that make them more relevant. I think My Rise has improved the most overall. It’s gone from a bloated filler story that I would never want to play again to a shorter more plot focused story that is easily more replayable. If you’re a WWE fan, this game is definitely one to pick up. It’s the best WWE since 2K22, and the My Rise mode is the best one since 2K19. For the developers to have only one year to create this game, it’s quite impressive with what all they have done with this installment.

WWE 2K25 brings back the wrestling saga created in collaboration between WWE, 2K and Visual Concepts to the glories of the past with a revamped Showcase, which revels in playing with the great “what ifs” of history, and many additions and refinements in each of its components. The Island, the new online mode, did not, however, bring that hoped-for momentum. This chapter is great, but the risk of repetitiveness is around the corner: new ideas are needed for the future.

A more than worthy installment, with many new features, perhaps some that don't quite work like The Island, but that could be tweaked for a future installment with a better system. While WWE 2K22 will always hold a special place in my heart for its return to the right path, this new installment, arriving three years later, has all the potential to become the "favorite" title for many. In fact, if you haven't tried another installment since the 2022 release, I think this new offering is the perfect way to take the plunge and upgrade. You won't regret it.

WWE 2K25 continues a strong run of wrestling games with another enormously enjoyable and robust entry, full to bursting with modes and playable Superstars, and an interesting new distraction in The Island. This is well worth swandiving into.

While the catalogue of game modes and the gameplay itself make it the most complete and fun WWE game to date, those who want to enjoy the more competitive or online-focused modes will find the experience unfair due to the abusive microtransactions.

With a solid Showcase mode, plenty of content to engage with and tons of wrestlers to unlock and play with, WWE 2K25 may not be a technical jump forward, but an instalment that will be well worth your time if you are a fan of the WWE.

I can see myself sticking with WWE 2K25 for a long time. It’s almost anxiety-inducing that this is a yearly franchise, because there’s so much game to dive into here it’ll be impossible to see it through to a satisfying end before having to move on to what’s next.

WWE 2K25 would be a near-perfect game if The Island wasn't a greed-fueled dumpster fire sucking the oxygen out of this franchise.

The beginning of a dynasty? The Samoan Bloodline has ruled the WWE for over half a century: Dwayne Johnson, Roman Reigns' Fatu and Anoa'i families can attest. With The Island and an interesting open world, WWE 2K25 aims to revive its family tree. It's a milestone, but with significant room for improvement for this ambitious mode. Despite its richness, the latter lacks a map, shaky matchmaking, and a near-essential need for VC (virtual currency) to be competitive online. It's a first step toward the heights already reached in terms of lifespan: the game modes and customization options are still gargantuan enough to impress newcomers. A good omen for the future of the violent saga.

WWE 2K25 is an excellent game on a mechanical level, offering tremendous depth and breadth to create matches that mimic reality in exciting ways. Its bevy of game modes comprises several worthwhile timesinks and interesting new wrinkles, each of them appealing to one or more sections of wrestling fandom. Its creation suite is in a tier of its own and deserves to be the envy of everyone else bringing user-generated content into their games. Online multiplayer woes exist in both previously seen and new forms this year, but there is so much here that deserves praise. I wouldn't throw out an otherwise exciting WrestleMania over a bad match or two. Similarly, I don't feel a handful of poorly implemented PvP features leaves WWE 2K25 as anything less than the number one contender for sports game of the year.

From the return with WWE 2K22, year after year they have improved the series and WWE 2K25 is probably the best game in the history of the series. The matches are as phenomenal as AJ Styles and all game modes have received some type of update. The completely unnecessary addition of The Island, which is a worse The City copy from NBA 2K, and which is more a shopping centre with a little wrestling than the other way around, unfortunately pulls down the overall impression.

Aspects of WWE 2K25, like The Island, won’t be for everyone, but with professional wrestling going through something of a renaissance spearheaded by WWE’s jump to Netflix, this game at least has something for every type of wrestling fan.

These yearly sports title releases can be tough to review. I don’t get to live in them like so many people reading this will choose to do. From someone who has reviewed the last few, this one feels like a solid iteration on what last year accomplished. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel so much as refines it to run more smoothly. WWE 2K25 is a big game, with an enormous amount of content on offer whether you’re into the online part of it or not.

With a string of improvements across all its existing modes, WWE 2K25 outdoes its predecessor in pretty much every way. The weak link is the new Island mode with its cynical pay-to-win mechanics, but throw a Cena taunt in its face and pretend it doesn't exist and you'll find more than enough elsewhere in the game to keep you entertained for months.