WWE 2K15: A franchise built on pain

The tension begins to rise, the crowds chant ecstatically with each passing moment as the fighters engage in the middle of the ring. Fatigue lines their faces, sweat drops glisten with each flashing light, illuminating what must surely be the match of the century. Legends and newcomers face off against one another in an effort to establish their names in the WWE history books, right alongside names like Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Triple H, Brock Lesnar. An entire roster of memorable moments, memorable characters and heart wrenching upsets that have kept World Wrestling Entertainment going for decades and WWE 2K15 captures it all for you.

WW2K15 brings to life all the WWE fighters as seen on screen at the moment, as well as Legends past, with a new lighting system and new character models capturing the WWE fighters in impressive quality with clean, crisp detail. Fans are dynamic and not too generic, with little things such as signs for the selected fighters showing up to finish the atmosphere and feel of a WWE televised match.

Movement is fluid, attacks are realistic and the fights capture what the WWE is all about. A return of the reversal system improves the match dynamics and tactics, however it requires perfect timing and intense anticipation for that right moment while waiting to escape what could be a match ending grapple.

The fighting system has been improved, with the continued use of the targeting system, allowing you to hit certain parts of the opponent such as head, neck, legs and body, getting serious damage the more you target it and characters respond accordingly to it.

2K Showcase is the Single Player game mode focussing on iconic moments in current WWE history. Following the storyline of C.M Punks dramatic fight against John Cena for the WWE title, going against Vince MacMahon for yet another historic moment in the WWE legacy and the enduring fights following as per the televised events. 2K Showcase also features the Historic moment as D-Generation X team member Triple H decides to break from the Tag Team with an attack on Shawn Michaels, and the dramatic scenes and fights between the two icons.

Part of the 2K Showcase, is the memorable moments in each of the fights, recreated so you are part of the action. Button prompts activate on the screen when you have triggered an objective and an interactive cinematic displays as part of the fight.

Playing through these fights unlocks the video replays from the battles as well as the in-game cinematic from the fights.

The upcoming wrestling stars of the WWE make their videogame debut in the exclusive Who got NXT game mode. Fighters such as Sami Zayn, Adrian Neville, Rusev, Corey Graves and Bo Dallas, get to fight other NXT fighters in gruelling matches, all in an effort to rise from rookie to NXT champion to WWE Superstar.

Many more game modes are playable such as the WWE Universe as seen in previous titles in which Rivalries, Stories and Alliances can be created to make your own WWE Universe.

Looking past the somewhat lacking graphics seen especially in the cinematic, the repetitive commentators and their old jokes repeated over the decades, WWE 2K15 is perfect for wrestling fans who have enjoyed and still enjoy the thrill of watching their favourite WWE Super Star tackle on the wide roster of fighters both past, current and upcoming.