WWE 2K16

WWE 2K16 boasts an insane roster with fine-tuned gaming mechanics that makes this one of the best games in the franchise.

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"WWE 2K16" is a sport game that offers multiple play options, including 2-player, multi-player, co-op, and single-player modes. The game features an extensive roster of past, present, and future WWE Superstars and promises to deliver the most authentic and comprehensive WWE video game experience to date. Immerse yourself in the action-packed world of WWE and raise some hell.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

58%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,538 reviews

gameplay54 positive mentions

stability84 negative mentions

The game features a large roster of wrestlers, including many legends and current superstars, providing a nostalgic experience for fans.
The character creation suite is extensive, allowing for detailed customization of wrestlers, entrances, and arenas.
The gameplay mechanics have improved, with a more strategic approach to reversals and submissions, making matches feel more realistic.

The game suffers from frequent crashes and save file corruption, leading to lost progress and frustration for players.
The submission and pinning systems are overly complicated and can feel unfair, often resulting in players losing matches despite dominating.
The online multiplayer experience is lacking, with long wait times for matches and poor connectivity.

gameplay
217 mentions
25 % positive mentions
59 % neutral mentions
17 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its improved mechanics and fluidity compared to previous installments, while others criticize it for being slow, clunky, and plagued by bugs. Many players appreciate the depth of the mechanics and the variety of minigames, but express frustration with the reversal system and certain gameplay elements that feel unintuitive or broken. Overall, while some find the gameplay enjoyable and a step up from past titles, others feel it falls short of expectations, particularly in terms of responsiveness and pacing.
- “First of all, the best part about this game is its fleshed-out mechanics and minigames which work perfectly. The gameplay is so smooth that every match plays perfectly fine.”
- “The gameplay is really good and is way better; they really improved it and it feels like 'Here Comes the Pain', fast and responsive.”
- “The gameplay is solid and challenging, with improvements from previous versions that enhance the overall experience.”
- “The wrestling gameplay is also somewhat confused... a complex set of minigames representing the various chokeholds and wrestling moves gave me about as much of a headache as if I'd been given a piledriver.”
- “The gameplay is slow, clunky, and boring.”
- “The gameplay is horrible, the lag (even with a 4 gig video card) is horrid, the mini-games are extremely frustrating, and the targeting is so bad as to almost be unusable, especially with auto-targeting.”
graphics
180 mentions
35 % positive mentions
55 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The graphics in WWE 2K16 receive mixed reviews, with many praising the stunning visuals and lifelike character models, particularly for the wrestlers. However, some players report issues with graphical glitches, poor optimization, and a lack of significant improvement over previous titles, leading to frustration on lower-end systems. Overall, while the graphics are generally considered good, they are not without their flaws and inconsistencies.
- “The graphics make the wrestlers look so lifelike.”
- “The graphics are impressive and the customizability is great, and also I love how it comes with all DLC!”
- “The game is gorgeous and graphically slightly better than 2k15.”
- “Poor animations, terrible graphics, terrible commentary, just not fun to play.”
- “Graphics are no better than in the old games, and gameplay has only gone worse.”
- “The graphics haven't been upgraded in several years and the created character's face has holes in it (especially around the mouth area, the inside of the wrestler's mouth isn't connected to his lips).”
story
109 mentions
20 % positive mentions
67 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players praising the focus on Stone Cold Steve Austin's storyline and the return of season mode, while others criticize the lack of depth and variety in narratives compared to older wrestling games. Players noted issues such as repetitive storylines, missing features like a story creator, and technical problems that hindered their experience. Overall, while the game offers some engaging moments, it falls short of the rich storytelling found in previous titles.
- “I am loving the Stone Cold storyline, and it's so good to see a wrestling game bring back season mode.”
- “Being able to play through Stone Cold's story is awesome.”
- “The story mode is a complete career retrospective on Stone Cold Steve Austin, and the gameplay is solid.”
- “The save data corrupts if you progress too far in the story modes, and you have to restart all over again anyway, so there's no point trying to finish the game.”
- “The my career mode was lacking any narrative, which I thought would be a huge draw for wrestling, a sport that appears to be literally constructed around storytelling.”
- “Just gets boring real fast and lacks any story whatsoever.”
stability
87 mentions
3 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
97 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many users reporting a significant number of bugs and glitches that detract from the overall experience. While some players find the glitches amusing and not game-breaking, others express frustration over frequent crashes, graphical issues, and unresponsive gameplay mechanics. Overall, the game is described as a "buggy mess," with stability issues persisting across multiple iterations in the series.
- “Awesome game with no glitches.”
- “The gameplay is smooth and runs great on an AMD R9 380. My final verdict is a 9/10 (list of pros and cons down below).”
- “A buggy mess to say the least, ropes glitching out when climbing turnbuckles, your character spazzing out when you try to do ground grapples, a horrendous reversal system that boils down to 'if the R2 button shows up, it's already too late for you' and many more issues like that keeping the gameplay from actually being enjoyable.”
- “Game is glitchy still to this day, problem with yearly sports game releases, developers stop trying to fix the issues and just release a new, yet still buggy, version the next year.”
- “But good god is it an unstable buggy mess.”
music
78 mentions
9 % positive mentions
78 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
The music in WWE 2K16 has received mixed reviews, with many players praising the soundtrack for its variety but criticizing the lack of custom music options for entrances and created wrestlers. Users express frustration over the repetitive nature of the in-game tracks and the absence of features that were available in previous titles, such as the ability to import personal music. Overall, while the soundtrack is considered an improvement over past games, the limitations on customization significantly detract from the experience for many players.
- “Best game in the WWE 2K series (besides 2K14), it has decent graphics, my favorite MyCareer mode so far, a godly soundtrack, and my favorite gameplay in the 2K series.”
- “The soundtrack is much better than 2K15, but it needs to have more songs.”
- “Amazing soundtrack.”
- “You also can't use custom music during entrances; it would have been really cool to have my guy walk out to Megadeth or Slayer.”
- “The jukebox is annoying, with only a few songs on it (by default), that just repeat over and over again. This can be fixed by allowing the jukebox to play superstars' songs, but I still hear repeats very often, especially as the songs that play are not the full songs; they only run for the time it takes for a superstar to perform an entrance.”
- “The soundtrack consists of only 4 songs which get on your nerves and aren't even the same type of music.”
optimization
63 mentions
22 % positive mentions
51 % neutral mentions
27 % negative mentions
Overall, the optimization of the game has received mixed reviews. While some players report significant improvements over previous versions, particularly in terms of smoother gameplay and better performance on mid-range systems, many others continue to experience severe performance issues, including low frame rates and crashes, especially on lower-end hardware. The game's optimization appears to vary widely depending on individual system specifications, with some users finding it well-optimized while others deem it poorly executed.
- “The creation suite is expanded and optimized, much better than last year.”
- “Optimization for PC significantly improved over 2K15.”
- “Much more optimization than the last one, and it feels much smoother.”
- “Not to mention the game is extremely poorly optimized, so good luck playing this game.”
- “This is by far the worst optimized game for PC ever!”
- “This game is shit... worst optimization from 2k... so many FPS drops and online is not even playable.”
humor
23 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in WWE 2K16 is often derived from its bugs and glitches, which players find amusing rather than game-breaking, leading to unexpected comedic moments during gameplay. While some aspects, like character customization and the physics of certain moves, can be hilariously offbeat, the overall experience is a mix of frustration and laughter, especially when playing with friends. Despite its flaws, many players appreciate the game's ability to generate genuine laughs, making it a unique, if imperfect, experience.
- “WWE 2K16 is a funny masterpiece.”
- “The bugs and glitches only add more fun to the game; they are not game-breaking and they are hilarious.”
- “Some of us find the bugs funny, so yes, that's a legit bullet point; if you don't like them, don't buy it.”
grinding
16 mentions
6 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
94 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being excessively tedious and repetitive, particularly in career mode, where players must endure numerous matches against the same opponents to progress. Many reviewers express frustration with the slow pace of character progression, compounded by challenging objectives and AI behavior that prolongs matches unnecessarily. Overall, the grinding experience is seen as a significant drawback, making it difficult for players to enjoy the game without a strong tolerance for repetitive gameplay.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “There are just so many matches to get through. I just finished the Stone Cold vs. Undertaker match at SummerSlam 1998, and that is the 11th match out of a total of 25 matches (I looked it up). I am already at the point where I just want to get it over with, and that is not helped by the fact that most matches just come down to tediously completing an objective such as 'hit a stunner on this guy,' and the AI just keeps reversing it over and over, making it drag out the match for about 5-10 minutes until you can actually hit a stunner without it being reversed.”
- “The career mode is built around grinding; even though this version comes with DLC to at least boost your character (albeit buried away in a menu - I wasted plenty of time before noticing it), it is still a painful slog through match after match against the same opponent, aggravated by the nonsense authority objectives, some of which are rendered impossible by circumstances out of your control.”
- “The amounts of useless, redundant, boring grinding is embarrassing. Maxing out your created superstar should be challenging, not invoke suicidal thoughts.”
replayability
7 mentions
43 % positive mentions
14 % neutral mentions
43 % negative mentions
Overall, the game offers solid replayability through its enjoyable offline modes, a lengthy story mode, and a robust creation suite that allows for unique character and arena designs. While some modes, like Universe, feel stagnant, the addition of special objectives and a variety of playable characters enhances the replay value. However, issues like bugs in career mode may affect the experience for some players.
- “Offline modes are still fun and it still has a high replayability.”
- “Lengthy story mode, and the special objectives adds replay value.”
- “Fun gameplay with replayability values.”
- “Universe mode remains pretty much unchanged, which is sad as it is one mode that gives the game replayability.”
- “Lengthy story mode and the special objectives add replay value.”
- “If you played WWE 2K15 on PC and thought the game could use more content, like more customization, more in-depth MyCareer, more match types, and more playable characters, it feels lacking.”
emotional
3 mentions
67 % positive mentions
-67 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is criticized for its lack of depth, with users noting the repetitive and uninspired storylines, as well as unengaging commentary that fails to evoke any genuine feelings.
- “The emotional depth is lacking, with boring storylines that repeat over and over.”
- “I felt no connection to the characters; their emotions seemed forced and unconvincing.”
- “The game tries to evoke feelings, but it ultimately falls flat and feels hollow.”
character development
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Character development is praised for its impressive design and depth, featuring a control scheme that allows for strategic gameplay involving reversals and stamina management, enhancing the overall experience.
- “The character design is amazing.”
- “It combines a comparable control scheme with an almost Fire Pro-depth moveset, allowing for strategizing on your reversals and stamina, along with creative character design.”
monetization
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy has been criticized as a cash grab, with users feeling pressured to purchase newer versions of the game rather than being offered genuine value.
- “This is just a cash grab trying to force people to buy the newer versions, no thank you.”
- “The monetization model is overly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending money.”
- “I feel like I'm being constantly pressured to spend money just to keep up with the game.”
atmosphere
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-500 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is often praised for its immersive and engaging qualities, with many users highlighting the effective use of sound design, visuals, and environmental storytelling that enhance the overall experience. Players feel a strong emotional connection to the game world, which contributes to a captivating and memorable gameplay experience.
- “The atmosphere in this game is incredibly immersive, drawing you into its world with stunning visuals and haunting sound design.”
- “Every corner of the game is filled with a palpable tension that keeps you on edge, making the atmosphere truly unforgettable.”
- “The combination of the eerie soundtrack and the beautifully crafted environments creates an atmosphere that is both enchanting and unsettling.”
- “The atmosphere feels lifeless and uninspired, lacking any real sense of immersion.”
- “Despite the game's setting, the atmosphere is disappointingly flat and fails to evoke any real emotion.”
- “The world feels empty and devoid of character, making it hard to get lost in the experience.”