WWE Battlegrounds

Remember WWE All-Stars? ( I remember!) That game was very repetitive in motion, with every character nearly having the same move set, but different finishers. WWE Battlegrounds does have some similarities to it, but it's not as bad as WWE All-Stars. WWE All-Stars was a good game. However, the designs of the characters and the gameplay wasn't that fun. Yes, it had a story mode, with three different arcade stories to play through. It had Legends vs Current matches to play. But this game eliminates all of that in favor of a new, arcade smash hit.

Being an arcade gamer, I felt that this game should be over the top fun like NBA Jam (He's on fire! No, he literally is! Just look at his fists!). And it is crazy at times, but the game itself disappoints in the one area it shouldn't. On Day 1, I booted up the game and the servers were NOT active. I received my copy through 2K, who was gracious enough to help me get a review copy. I'm not disappointed, but the servers could be better,

The main issue is with the Switch, which is how I play my copy. A Switch is built to play on the go, as well as on a TV. But, a fair warning for all Switch players. This game's currency, obtained via exhibition matches, story mode, and online, are ALL connected to ONLINE only. So, if you don't have access to WiFi, and you're playing on the go, your matches won't progress you or your currency towards anything. This needs to be patched in order to please on the go players or those who don't have access to the internet, PS Plus, or Xbox Live.

However, the gameplay is FUN! I'm hooked more than I've ever been. The entrances are fun, the gameplay is fun. Though all characters share the same move sets for most attacks, the entrances, finishers, and power ups remind me so much of the older Wrestlemania arcade game. This game has a large enough roster. Here's another fun fact. Each wrestler that needs to be unlocked is contained within a plastic cover, making it look like wrestling figures on the shelf coming to life.

For those whom are wondering about paid content and free content, currently, at launch there are 62 superstars, not including the ones from story mode. As far as we've seen, you're also only able to create 3 characters and 3 Battlegrounds, but there could be patches later. We've heard that Take-Two will be adding more wrestlers as special purchases in the game later. This still is not bad, after all, the game is an arcade style. The campaign mode is also fun. It's based around Stone Cold, as he's going around the world for Paul Heyman. They're scouting talent for the new style of wrestling, called Battlegrounds. Anything goes, which is how Paul Heyman also transformed ECW. It's based around not one, but several superstars and areas. You'll unlock them as playable characters, and also the arenas for use in exhibition mode.

Don't expect much with graphics, either. Yes, it does use Unreal Engine, but the hair is still based on the same physics as older WWE titles (2k). This isn't meant to be a graphics heavy game. The focus should be on the gameplay. The gameplay offers high replayability, as there are also wrestler outfits, attire pieces, and arena parts to unlock once you've grinded past the roster unlocks. Not to mention how fun some of the weapons are, and even interactive elements, such as jumping onto a helicopter and diving off, pushing a button to unleash a mechanical goat, and much more. 2K has pleased me very much with this game, especially since they fixed what the women looked like based on earlier trailers and images. This game is a true arcade hit. I just want 2K to fix the game so I can play it offline without having the internet to earn cash to unlock things, especially for your created character.

Brian Eckels