WrestleMania is here, the highlight of WWE the calendar. If you are a wrestling fan, it is hard not to be excited – even if not every fight on the card fits your fantasy booking. Could this be Undertaker’s final year? Will Charlotte retain the Belt? Does Ambrose have a hope against Paul Hayman’s monster, Brook Lesner? And is Roman Reigns really going to take the Heavyweight Championship from Triple H? (I really hope not).
Anyway, while you wait for the next match on the WWE Network (iOS|Android), I have three WWE games to keep you occupied.
Of course, if you want to try act out the fights before they happen, you want WWE 2K16. Despite having been on consoles for over a decade, this is only the second year that WWE’s flagship game has made its way to PC. But as this year boasts the biggest roster of Superstars and Divas to date the timing seems pretty good.
Plus, if you are picking between 2K15 and 2K16, the latest game certainly seems to have the edge. This is primarily due to the single player mode. Last year you could follow the stories of Degeneration X’s collapse or the rivalry between CM Punk and John Cena, both of which were fine but struggle to compare the this year’s offering which follows the iconic “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s run during the Attitude Era.
It’s true that the combat engine now seems a little dated – with the canned animations of the wrestlers making everything feel a little stiff – but if you want to act out the fights of WrestleMania 32 before they happen then this is what you need.
I had an almost unhealthy addiction to WWE’s collectible-card game, WWE SuperCard, when it was first released. I put in more than sixteen hours in a single weekend, and spent more money than I care to admit on cards. I am over that now… honest… just let me buy one more booster pack.
It’s a little embracing, because there is really very little to WWE SuperCard. Playing like a simplified Top Trumps, you take a hand of 5 to take into each fight. Cards feature a single Superstar or Diva on them, along with stats for Power, Speed, Toughness, and Charisma.
You then use these cards to fight online. Each contest lasts three rounds, and you have to beat your opponents numbers in whatever stat the round is based on. Only being able to use a card once across the three rounds, this leads to an interesting blend of strategy and luck as you try to predict what rules will be applied and what cards your opponent will play.
Immortals is perhaps the best WWE fighting experience in years. Based around the same basic premise as the Injustice: Gods Among Us mobile game (iOS|Android), this fantasy brawler replaces Superman and Batman with characters like a John Cena superhero and a stone warrior version of The Rock. By applying a stack of fantasy, sci-fi, and comic book tropes, WWE’s roster of Superstars and Diva’s Immortals makes for wonderfully ridiculous fun that works brilliant as an arcade style fighter.
Each three-on-three tag team match has you tap and swipe screen to unleash light and strong attacks. Once you charge up enough power, you get to unleash a special move that is in keeping with both the wrestler and their alter ego – cue Randy Orton’s Viper spitting acid before RKOing his opponent into the ground.
If you want a bit of action to pass the time between fights at this year’s WrestleMania, then WWE Immortals is perfect.
That’s it for this week, but do let me know your favorite wrestling games or your opinion on WrestleMania 32 in the comments… I need someone to talk to about it I am the only WWE fan in the office. See you next week!
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