WWE 2K16: Latest News and Buzz for Week of October 5

The curtains are now pulled back on WWE 2K16 more than they have been at any other point. A preview event in California allowed a number of writers to get their hands on the upcoming WWE video game, seeing firsthand just what improvements 2K Sports has made in the series.

With WWE 2K16's release date fast approaching (Oct. 27 in the U.S.; Oct. 30 internationally), the latest word on the game isn't about big reveals as much as it is a closer look at what's been refined, what's returned and what bonuses await players.

The game will feature three times the Kane, some unannounced managers and a host of new finishing moves.

Screenshots and new video clips offer plenty of info. The biggest treasure troves this week, though, are the words of those who attended the WWE 2K16 preview event in San Francisco last week:

The following video game writers reviewed the game after getting some hands-on experience:

• Nicholas Tan: Game Revolution 
• Ozzie Mejia: Shacknews 
• Paul Rosselli: Gaming Age
• Randolph Ramsay GameSpot 
• Russell Archey: Gaming Nexus
• Vince Ingenito: IGN 

Roster Update

A slip-up created a star as fans believed Rhyno to be one of the game's secret characters. No need to start booking fantasy matches that end in the Gore; this was just a typo.

Ingenito of IGN mentioned Rhyno in his write-up, but later announced he had made a mistake:

"

On the train and realizing I wrote "Rhyno" instead of "Ryback" in my WWE 2K16 preview. My bad people! Fixing shortly!

— Vincent Ingenito (@Vincogneato) October 5, 2015"

Rather than have that robust powerhouse as an available character, WWE 2K16 is apparently set to feature a trio of vastly different managers.

A screenshot of the selection (h/t SmackTalks) shows Rosa Mendes, Sherri Martel and Ted DiBiase as options: 

There is no word yet whether any of these folks will be available as wrestlers as well. None of them are on the official roster as of now. More managers is certainly a welcome addition, but it's odd that 2K went with Rosa. Los Matadores, who she managed, aren't in the game.

Additions

With as many new wrestlers 2K put in the game, one would expect that would mean a host of new finishers would pop, too. That is most certainly the case. 

The WWE2KDev YouTube channel posted a look at the healthy supply of finishers that the game offers:

It's hard to see all of the moves in the clip, but Kalisto's Salida Del Sol, Tyler Breeze's Beauty Shot and the Phoenix Splash are clearly visible in the long list.

Long before one can have Breeze and company finish their foes off, there's fun to be had during the entrance and in the opening moments of the game. Gaming Age's Rosselli revealed that WWE 2K16 features more pre-match ambush options, and that these attacks are worked in smoothly.

He noted, "Wrestlers who enter with weapons or different entrance gear will still have those items when the entrance gets interrupted for an extra level of consistency and authenticity."

The creation suite offers more choices as well.

Stuart Ramson/Associated Press

Archey wrote in his review for Gaming Nexus, "There are a lot of first and last name options, plus the nickname selection has been improved.  Furthermore you can have your name announced in different ways by putting the nickname before, after or in the middle of your name."

Not every player is going to notice these added details, but they are welcome improvements. They allow fans more ways to tinker in the Create a Superstar feature. More created wrestlers having their names announced adds realism.

A bigger addition appears to be headed for WWE 2K16 on top of that.

The MyCareer mode may be opened up to the outside world. Tan of Game Revolution talked about the game having an "invasion" option where one can play with or against other players' created wrestlers within the MyCareer format.

That's a smart use of online play. Merging players' created Superstars into a shared world deepens gameplay and adds to the game's shelf life.

Impressions

The shared sentiment among the reviews is that some of the game's changes are of the smaller-scale variety, but how they affect gameplay is massive. The new reversal system is the biggest example, forcing players to think differently about how they approach matches.

Ingenito raved about a match he had between Neville and Finn Balor. The amount of strategy he had to employ and the dramatic flow of the game was thanks largely to the new system where one stores reversals rather than just use them at will.

He called the tweak a "game changer." Tan added, "The major boon from this new reversal system is that matches no longer boil down to reversals upon upon reversals upon reversals."

Credit: WWE.com

The experience many of these writers had sounded more challenging than those offered in previous games, but it was more rewarding as a result. It's hard to just spam one's opponent. And one has to willingly absorb punishment at times in order to prepare to mount a comeback.

Other improvements noted by the game experts included overall flow and the look of the game. Tan wrote, "The animations are much crisper and cleaner than before."

On the negative side, Archey of Gaming Nexus wasn't a fan of the change to submissions.  It's not necessary to wear an opponent down before ending a bout with a submission.  

He wrote, "If the defender is really unlucky, they can be made to submit within the opening moments of the match."

Mejia wasn't a huge fan of the new MyCareer mode, calling it "unchanged and somewhat uninspired." He noted that it was more fun to play with friends as opposed to against the sometimes-relentless computer opponents.

New Footage

If you aren't getting enough Kane on Raw each Monday, WWE 2K16 has you covered. A recent YouTube video showed off the fact that the game features three different versions of the big man:

Kane's original look, his Director of Operations gimmick and the current masked look are all in the game. No word if Isaac Yankem D.D.S. will be available as DLC.

IGN released clips of both Dean Ambrose and Daniel Bryan's entrances. SmackTalks put Bryan's video side-by-side with his entrance from WWE 2K15 for comparison purposes:

It's obviously not as dramatic a change as the move to next-gen consoles, but 2K's work on the graphics is clear. Most notably, Bryan's hair moves more realistically.

It's telling, though, that the bulk of the reviews from the San Francisco event didn't focus much on the game's visuals. It's the fine-tuning of the wrestling that is the star of the new game. 2K has to be hoping that leads to fans having five-star virtual matches like the one Ingenito described.

That will pull in gamers more than any roster addition or spot-on rendition of a wrestler's face.