![]() Remember the ones? The cool little ones with the action features? Yeah, those. It’s mainly because the character models look like a mixture of the aesthetics of Celebrity Deathmatch and the form factor of the classic Hasbro WWE action figures. And I say that with all of what I just mentioned in mind. This might be the most divisive part of Battlegrounds. It’s incredibly strange, but honestly fun as well. They have a weird gimmick that sees players collecting bags of cash in order to escape. Particularly included in that statement are the Steel Cage matches. Each one has all the trappings of the real-life versions, though some have odd enhancements. Those include singles and tag, Royal Rumbles, triple threats, and Steel Cage matches. It’s crazy and off the wall.Īs mentioned above as well, there are several modes of play. Not all of the above seem to fit the wrestlers they’re assigned to, but I’m guessing that’s in line with the thinking behind the game in general. Holds and throws are supplemented with punches and kicks, stage-specific moves, as well as finishers surrounded with special effects. It’s up to you whether or not that appeals.įor me, I could see quite a bit of fun in it. The limited repertoire is, I presume, to keep things moving at a fast clip and not mired in lots of technical and potentially drawn-out moves. It’s probably best described as a mashup of the wrestling and fighting genres.īattlegrounds does have wrestling moves, though characters don’t have tons of them. And even the faster-paced wrestling titles of the past can’t hold a candle to the changes that Battlegrounds puts into effect. So, yeah, this isn’t a pure wrestling game. It’s also pretty fun because of something else, that being the gameplay. That’s something that you have to do if you want to unlock most of what the game stocks. ![]() ![]() And if nothing else, it forces players to actually try multiple match types. There are some legit funny moments like a goofball Jake Roberts living with snakes in a swamp, and carrying on conversations with them. Still, even with all of that, the story mode isn’t without its charms. Stone Cold Steve Austin considers Paul Heyman his good buddy? Yeah maybe in real life, but when was that on WWE TV? The story also would make little sense to a WWE fan who purely takes in the on-screen action, and doesn’t care much for backstage reality. That might sound unique, and it is, but it’s also not that well done. The narrative in the campaign plays out in comic book style panels, between matches. For the most part, these wannabe-grapplers are pretty dull and basic, but then so’s the story. Instead, the game sets you to task as pre-made original characters. But unlike previous wrestling games, Battlegrounds doesn’t allow you to pick to play as a current or past ‘star, or a created one. The game sets players on a quest to become a WWE superstar. Yes, Battlegrounds is still a wrestling game at its core, but it’s one that plays fast and loose with the formula. What if you took one of 2K’s WWE games, and then infused over the top, insane moves, super-deformed character models, wild arenas, and crazy special effects? You’d get Battlegrounds, that’s what. But with their sim on the bench till 2021, what would 2K put out for wrestling fans to dig into this year? Of course, that’s where WWE 2K Battlegrounds comes in.īattlegrounds takes the wrestling formula back to it’s very beginning, melding that with a simpler, fast-paced, arcade-y feel. The response to WWE 2K20 was the cause of that, with the game accruing plenty of derision from fans, and for a myriad of issues. That’s until this year anyway, when the main brand was shelved by publisher 2K. Each year’s iteration tries a little harder to be more like the real thing, complete with hyper-realistic arenas, wrestlers, and moves. Outside of a few outliers though, they’ve drifted exclusively in the other direction since. Starting out way back in the NES days, the very first WWE (then WWF) title was much more like a fighting game, complete with power-ups. Wrestling games have had an interesting trip through the annals of video-gamedom. ![]() WWE 2K Battlegrounds trends more towards the fighting game end of the genre pool than the grappling. ![]()
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