WWE 2K16

WWE 2K16 is definitely the perfect blend of fun and competitive gameplay, and a definite shot in the arm for this series to date, being a step in the right direction that the series needed after setting the foundation with WWE 2K15.

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"WWE 2K16" is the latest installment in the WWE video game franchise, offering over 120 playable characters, the largest roster in series history. The game features 2K Showcase, allowing players to experience iconic WWE moments, and WWE Universe, with enhanced storylines, rivals, and match cards. This version also includes all DLC content.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

57%

Audience ScoreBased on 958 reviews

gameplay38 positive mentions

stability56 negative mentions

The game features a large roster, including many legends and current superstars, providing a nostalgic experience for wrestling fans.
The character creation suite is extensive, allowing for detailed customization of wrestlers, entrances, and arenas.
Gameplay improvements over previous titles, including a more strategic reversal system and better overall mechanics.

The game suffers from frequent crashes and save file corruption, leading to frustration among players.
The submission and pinning systems are poorly designed, often resulting in unfair outcomes and a lack of responsiveness.
Long loading times and performance issues, particularly during entrances and in matches with multiple wrestlers.

gameplay
138 mentions
28 % positive mentions
57 % neutral mentions
16 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the wrestling game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its depth, mechanics, and customization options, while others criticize its slow pace, clunky controls, and frustrating mechanics like the pin and reversal systems. Many players find the game enjoyable once they adapt to its mechanics, but repetitive gameplay and inconsistencies can detract from the overall experience. Overall, while there are improvements over previous titles, significant issues remain that affect the enjoyment and fluidity of gameplay.
- “The gameplay itself is more complex than I first expected but really easy to learn (yet quite difficult to master in my opinion).”
- “The huge roster is a plus, and the gameplay is solid.”
- “First of all, let me start by saying that they have definitely made improvements from 2k15; you can feel that in the overall gameplay, you can see that in the added improvement to animations, reversals, and general flow to the game.”
- “The gameplay is slow, clunky, and boring.”
- “The gameplay itself is inconsistent, with button hits occasionally not registering.”
- “Gameplay can get frustrating with the reversal system and its timing.”
graphics
116 mentions
33 % positive mentions
59 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with many players praising the visuals as good to excellent, particularly in character models and special effects. However, some users report issues with performance, optimization, and occasional graphical glitches, especially on lower-end systems. Overall, while the graphics are generally considered an improvement over previous titles, there are still concerns about consistency and playability across different hardware configurations.
- “The graphics are spectacular, the audio quality as well.”
- “Graphics are close to real life.”
- “The graphics are great, the male characters are spot on, while the divas look a little unrealistic.”
- “Poor animations, terrible graphics, terrible commentary, just not fun to play.”
- “Graphics can be improved for a 2016 game.”
- “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
60 mentions
22 % positive mentions
60 % neutral mentions
18 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game receives mixed reviews, with some players enjoying the nostalgic elements of the Stone Cold storyline and the return of season mode, while others criticize the lack of depth and coherence in the narratives. Many users express disappointment over the absence of robust story modes and creative features like "create a finisher" or "create a story," which were present in older wrestling games. Overall, while there are enjoyable moments, the storytelling often feels repetitive and lacks the engaging cutscenes and character development seen in previous titles.
- “I am loving the Stone Cold storyline, and it's so good to see a wrestling game bring back season mode.”
- “The story mode is a complete career retrospective on Stone Cold Steve Austin, and the gameplay is solid.”
- “Story mode: they added a lot to story mode, including rivalries, allies, picking which championship you want to go for, and who you want to invade.”
- “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 in trying to finish the game.”
- “It's good for wrestling fans; however, the in-game roster is lackluster, and unlike wrestling games of yesteryear, there's not really much in the way of storylines or cutscenes.”
- “MyCareer mode is boring with no storylines happening at all.”
stability
58 mentions
3 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
97 % negative mentions
The stability of the WWE 2K series, particularly from 2K17 to 2K20, has been criticized for an increase in bugs and glitches compared to earlier versions like WWE 2K16. Many players report frequent crashes, visual glitches, and gameplay issues, particularly in online modes and during high-action scenarios. While some users have experienced fewer problems after updates, the overall consensus is that the games remain buggy and can be frustrating, with a mix of humorous and annoying glitches affecting the gaming experience.
- “The gameplay runs smoothly and performs great on an AMD R9 380. My final verdict is a 9 out of 10.”
- “This game would be fun if it wasn't buggy.”
- “Finally, the game is riddled with glitches even this long after release - guess they had to get to work on their next failure.”
- “Overall, it's not a bad game, but all the crashes and model glitches that I encountered make me say that I don't recommend this game if you like customization since it will just make you feel frustrated after having to edit things because the game could not handle a wrestler or arena.”
- “This game is buggy as all hell, just like WWE 2K15 and the NBA series.”
music
51 mentions
6 % positive mentions
84 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The music aspect of the game has received significant criticism, primarily due to the lack of custom music options, which many players find essential for creating a personalized experience. The official soundtrack is limited and repetitive, consisting of only a few songs that do not cater to diverse musical tastes, leading to frustration among fans who long for the customization features present in previous titles. Overall, while some improvements have been noted, the absence of custom music remains a major drawback for players.
- “The stereotypical Italian music came on as the famed Italian mobster, Guido, rushed into the ring to assert his dominance.”
- “With the community mods adding in custom wrestlers, arenas, music & menus, this will be the definitive wrestling game on the PC.”
- “Amazing soundtrack.”
- “You still can't use your own music for your created wrestler.”
- “The game is great but after years of waiting, it seems like they will never let you add custom music in a WWE game ever again.”
- “I make leagues of my own CAWs, and if I can't give them custom music, that's half of the pro wrestling experience completely thrown out the window.”
optimization
45 mentions
18 % positive mentions
53 % neutral mentions
29 % negative mentions
Overall, the optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues, especially on lower-end systems. While some users noted improvements over previous versions, such as better in-match performance and enhanced customization options, others experienced severe frame rate drops and crashes, indicating that the game is still poorly optimized for a wide range of hardware. A few players did find success with tweaks and patches, but the consensus leans towards the game needing further optimization to meet player expectations.
- “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.”
- “Game was poorly optimized to begin with, but now with the inability to play multiplayer, 2K has put the nail in the coffin of yet another game I enjoyed playing with friends.”
- “This is by far the worst optimized game for PC ever!”
- “Poor performance no matter what settings I choose and my computer meets the spec requirements.”
humor
16 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is largely derived from its glitches and bugs, which many players find amusing despite their frustration. Character customization and the absurdities of gameplay, such as the "smart" targeting system and hilarious entrance moments, contribute to a lighthearted experience. While some aspects may detract from immersion, they often lead to unexpected laughter, making the game enjoyable in a quirky way.
- “Hilariously enough, the game crashed again and wiped all my CAWs, so the corrupted CAW that was crashing my game was now wiped, so the crashes stopped!”
- “Far from perfect, but some glitches make for some of the best fits of belly laughing I have ever had.”
- “7 for the Bret Hart match alone, and some of the descriptions for the objectives are hilariously appalling.”
grinding
11 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and repetitive, often requiring long hours of battling the same opponents to progress in career mode. Many reviewers express frustration with the slow accumulation of resources needed to upgrade characters, leading to a monotonous experience that detracts from overall enjoyment. Overall, the grinding is seen as a significant drawback, making it difficult for players to recommend the game without substantial improvements to this feature.
- “I would recommend not buying this game until that feature is fixed, unless you enjoy spending a lot of time grinding matches against the same opponent over and over.”
- “The problem with MyCareer is that this is pretty much all it has for all the championships and it costs stat points and virtual currency to upgrade your stats, and you gain very little of those at first. Even when you start earning more after each match, everything starts costing more, so you end up going year after year in MyCareer mode grinding for points unless you cheat using Cheat Engine and give yourself more.”
- “The amounts of useless, redundant, boring grinding is embarrassing; maxing out your created superstar should be challenging, not invoke suicidal thoughts.”
replayability
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Reviewers highlight the game's strong replayability, noting enjoyable offline modes and fun gameplay. The addition of more playable characters and customization options enhances the overall experience, making it a game worth revisiting.
- “The offline modes are still fun, and the game has a high replayability factor.”
- “The gameplay is enjoyable, with significant replayability value.”
- “It features more playable characters than 2K15, offering more variations for create-a-wrestler and improved gameplay.”
emotional
2 mentions
50 % positive mentions
-100 % neutral mentions
150 % negative mentions
Users express disappointment with the emotional aspect of the game, citing repetitive and boring storylines that fail to engage players. Additionally, the limited selection and functionality contribute to a lack of emotional depth.
- “The storylines are boring and repetitive, lacking any emotional depth.”
- “I found the emotional aspects to be underwhelming and uninspired.”
- “The game fails to evoke any real emotions, making it a forgettable experience.”
character development
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Reviewers praise the character development for its impressive design and depth, highlighting a sophisticated control scheme that allows for strategic gameplay involving reversals and stamina management. The combination of these elements contributes to a rich and engaging character experience.
- “The character design is amazing.”
- “It combines a comparable control scheme with an almost Fire Pro-depth moveset, allowing for strategic planning on your reversals and stamina, along with creative character design.”