WWE 2K15: Expert Reviews, Superstar Roster and More

Gamers who waited on purchasing a next-gen console now get a head start on grabbing WWE 2K15 on Tuesday, while PlayStation 4 and Xbox One owners must wait patiently for the game's release.

WWE 2K announced a delay in the next-gen release date last month, bumping the highly anticipated video game's arrival back to Nov. 18.

For those in possession of a PS3 or Xbox 360, however, WWE 2K15 is now available in North America as of Tuesday (European gamers have to wait an extra three days apiece for all versions). In the series' second iteration under 2K Games, the latest installment will offer new game modes for all consoles as well as a fresh roster filled with WWE Superstars. Here's a breakdown of what this one offers.

Superstar Roster

No.	Superstar
1	AJ Lee
2	Alberto Del Rio
3	Bad News Barrett
4	Batista
5	Big E
6	Big Show
7	Bray Wyatt
8	Brie Bella
9	Brock Lesnar
10	Cameron
11	Cesaro
12	Chris Jericho
13	CM Punk
14	Cody Rhodes
15	Curtis Axel
16	Damien Sandow
17	Daniel Bryan
18	Darren Young
19	Dean Ambrose
20	Dolph Ziggler
21	Erick Rowan
22	Fandango
23	Goldust
24	Hulk Hogan/ "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan (Hulkamania Edition)
25	Jack Swagger
26	Jey Uso
27	Jimmy Uso
28	John Cena
29	Justin Gabriel
30	Kane
31	Kofi Kingston
32	Luke Harper
33	Mark Henry
34	Naomi
35	Natalya
36	Nikki Bella
37	R-Truth
38	Randy Orton
39	Rey Mysterio
40	Ric Flair
41	Rob Van Dam
42	Roman Reigns
43	Ryback
44	Santino Marella
45	Seth Rollins
46	Shawn Michaels
47	Sheamus
48	“Stone Cold” Steve Austin
49	Sting (Pre-order or DLC)
50	Summer Rae
51	Tamina
52	The Miz
53	The Rock
54	The Undertaker
55	Titus O'Neil
56	Triple H
57	Tyson Kidd
58	Xavier Woods

New additions to the WWE 2K15 roster include the Wyatt Family, Big E, Jimmy and Jey Uso, Goldust, Summer Rae and Fandango. Turn down the lights and watch the Wyatts' eerie ring entrance. 

Of course, none of those can match the excitement of Sting's attachment to the product.

A rare star who didn't step into Vince McMahon's world, the WCW icon is available as a pre-order bonus or as downloadable content. It remains uncertain whether he'll lace up for an actual match, but pairing him against The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels or CM Punk in a virtual reality will have to suffice for now.

Speaking of CM Punk, enjoy his presence while you can, as the departed voice of the voiceless won't be around for the fun next year. 

Those willing to spend beyond the $59.99 price tag can also buy access to other playable characters, including the Ultimate Warrior, JBL, Adam Rose and Paige. There's no shortage of dream matches to assemble with such a deep pool of wrestlers.

Game Modes

As a reward for feeding the gaming industry more money and waiting longer for this precious game, next-gen players will bask in the innovative MyCareer Mode, carrying over a common staple of NBA 2K to the WWE.

In this new mode, players will create a custom Superstar and fight that newcomer up the developmental ladder. The neophyte will start at the WWE Performance Center, where he'll earn a spot on NXT. There, players will identify as a face or heel.

The customization continues, where choices will impact the Superstar's path to the main event. Not a fan of playing nice? Reject your opponent's handshake offering and instead decide to lay out a vicious assault. Those options create more of an RPG feel to the story.

Another intriguing twist in the story mode allows friends' created stars to invade your storyline, running out of nowhere to make a save or attack. As long as this doesn't create any real-life feuds between friends, it's a nice touch that will keep players guessing.

While those who didn't upgrade systems will miss out on this feature, they will be instead be treated to Who Got NXT, which looks similar to last year's Road to WrestleMania, instead swapping legends for NXT prospects as they ascend up the WWE hierarchy.

Gamers will be tasked to win a series of matches as Sami Zayn, Adrian Neville, Rusev, Corey Graves and Bo Dallas, completing goals and objectives in the process. After running through the gauntlet of obstacles, the toughest challenge awaits in Proving Ground, this year's answer to battling The Undertaker in Defeat the Streak.

This time around, you'll have to top John Cena with those rising stars. Senior Designer Bryan Williams detailed the major reward for anyone who can best WWE's Superman with all five wrestlers.

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Initially, you’ll only be able to select one of the five NXT Superstars to go against Cena. However, you will be able to unlock the entire roster (including created Superstars) if you defeat Cena using all five NXT Superstars. The match itself is a traditional, 1-on-1 match with a 30 minute time limit. The Proving Ground match also contains mode-specific commentary that can be heard during the entrance scenes, gameplay and victory scene. Like Defeat the Streak, you’re provided a score at the end of your match, and should you manage to beat Cena, you’ll be able to upload your score to the Proving Ground online leaderboard. Here’s a tip: if you force Cena to submit, you’ll score a huge win bonus!

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Receiving autonomy in creating a unique character is great, but this allows people to play as future main-eventers Zayn and Neville rather than face them in MyCareer mode.

What the Experts are Saying

More reviews will surface following the release, but there isn't a clear consensus from the early round of opinions.

IGN.com's Vince Ingenito noted a much more realistic gameplay experience that seasoned WWE fans will appreciate. Part of that stems from a heightened grappling system, but a stamina meter also forces another layer of strategy into the in-ring proceedings.

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2K15 packs a new stamina system that you absolutely must manage if you want to succeed. Running in circles around the ring to escape your opponent might seem like a fun way to troll someone online, until you’ve burned your wrestler out to the point of no return and you’re throwing spaghetti-armed punches for the rest of the match. That might not sound like the fun you want to have with your wrestling game, but it’s the exact kind of thoughtful limitation that I’ve been missing – the kind that has always kept matches from truly mimicking the storytelling and psychology of the matches I grew up loving.

For some fans, these changes are going to sound scary, but for me, they’re exactly what I’ve been missing for years.

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Fans clamoring for a more authentic experience will further enjoy what Ingenito wrote about MyCareer, which isn't predicated solely on wins or losses.

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Over a long enough period of time, winning every match might be enough to get you over, but even a loss can be great for your career, because each match you compete in is rated on things like move variety, memorable moments, back-and-forth momentum swings, and overall drama. So, you're good enough at the game's mechanics to squash John Cena in two minutes flat using the same move over and over? That's nice. My 15-minute long loss where we both kicked out of multiple finishers at the 2.9999 count is the match fans want to see though, so expect me to land on a PPV card well before you.

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The reviewers aren't all positive, however, as MoviePilot's Kenny McDonnell it doesn't expand enough on last year's version to warrant another investment.

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It certainly is a lot cleaner than 2K14, and the graphics have slight improvements, but all the other gameplay mechanics feel like too little too late and demonstrate 2K's reluctance for change. In my opinion, unless everything looks and feels better on the PS4 and Xbox One, this is one WWE title that you can afford to miss out on.

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That decision is up to you. Given the nature of sports games, consumers are always weary of companies regurgitating the same product with an updated roster. Early signs don't point to 2K Games succumbing to that complacency with WWE 2K15.