Some are extremely powerful, with my favorite being a buff that adds another layer to the pin minigame, forcing your opponents to mash even faster if they want to break a pin. These are temporary buffs that can either increase the damage of your strikes, give you some health regeneration, or make all of your attacks unblockable. One final notable wrinkle on the arcadey nature of Battlegrounds’ combat is the powerups, of which you can select three before each match. As a result, many of my most competitive online matches of Battlegrounds were also among the most miserable: we just took turns reversing everything, with neither of us making much progress toward ending the match. It simply gives you way too much time to reverse throws and attempts to balance that by having throws cost a portion of your Heat meter, which is what’s used to execute your signature and finishing moves. That said, my biggest gripe with the gameplay of Battlegrounds, aside from the poor hit detection, is the reversal system. It’s similar to what WWE All Stars did with its class system, but here it’s less about defining a style of play and more about defining what specific cool things you can and can’t do. Powerhouses are slow, but have attacks that can power through their opponent’s strikes Brawlers can create weapons like steel chairs and motorcycles out of thin air and have extra power on their strikes Technicians have extremely powerful throws and can even cause limb damage, which will cause opponents to stagger around briefly High-Flyers can jump off the ropes, use running throws, and get to the top rope faster than other classes and All-Arounders can do a little bit of everything. There are, at the very least, a few meaningful differences between each of the five classes. But aside from that, these characters play exactly the same. There are some slight differences, with a few select characters having one or two moves that are unique to only them, and every character has their own signature and finishing move. So Shinsuke Nakamura has almost the exact same moves as the Miz, Charlotte Flair has almost the exact same moveset as Stephanie McMahon, and Triple H has almost the exact same moves as Andre the Giant. Worse still, these moves are copied and pasted onto virtually every wrestler that falls within the same class of either Powerhouse, Brawler, All-Rounder, Technician, or High-Flyer. The movelist for every character is extraordinarily thin for a wrestling game, even an arcadey one, with each wrestler only having a small handful of basic combos and throws. Namely, any semblance of depth or complexity to its combat. Terms apply.“This puts Battlegrounds in a unique position of being by far the most approachable wrestling game for complete newcomers in years, but it also comes with a pretty substantial sacrifice.
***Locker code expires on Februat 11:59 p.m.
Unless otherwise indicated, content requires unlocking to access. In-game currency can be earned or purchased. **Some Superstars, arenas and cosmetics require unlocking through in-game currency.
2K is a wholly owned publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. WWE 2K Battlegrounds is developed by Saber Interactive for 2K. The locker code is redeemable until February 14, 2021.įor more information on WWE 2K Battlegrounds and 2K, visit WWE.2K.com/Battlegrounds, become a fan on Facebook, follow the game on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #WWE2KBattlegrounds or subscribe on YouTube. Make sure to tune-in to the Royal Rumble broadcast on January 31 to see a bonus locker code redeemable for 500 Golden Bucks***, which can be used to purchase in-game content, including the new Royal Rumble Pack featuring The Rock, Becky Lynch, and Stone Cold Steve Austin. The following WWE Superstars, Legends and Hall of Famers, as well as a new arena, are currently scheduled to appear in WWE 2K Battlegrounds via automatic updates, with some content requiring unlocking**:
The roster update starts Wednesday, January 27* and includes six new WWE Superstars, as well as a new arena.** You asked and we delivered! WWE Hall of Famers “Ninth Wonder of the World” Chyna and “World’s Strongest Man” Mark Henry are joining the WWE® 2K Battlegrounds roster alongside several current WWE Superstars and WWE Legends, including Christian, Dana Brooke, Otis and Tyler Breeze. WWE Superstars Christian, Dana Brooke, Otis and Tyler Breeze Are Headed to WWE® 2K Battlegrounds!