Here's my first hands-on impressions of the game.
http://www.southatlantawrestling.com/2014/10/wwe-2k15-first-hands-on-impressions-for.htmlOverall the game is basically a minor revision of WWE 2K14. For me personally, that isn't really a huge issue. Maybe I should ask for more from my wrestling games, but to me the engine is just about perfect as is so the idea of some revolutionary new control system concerns me. The movement in the ring feels slightly different. It's kind of like the difference between playing NCAA Football (RIP) and Madden or maybe the difference between Madden from year to year. It just "feels" different, but I got used to that with very little playtime at all so that wasn't a big deal.
The roster feels a touch light although some good DLC is coming that will help fill it out. The biggest aggravation, and I feel 2K wasn't really clear about this, is that without the Hulkamania Edition you do not get any version of Hulk Hogan. I was surprised by that because I was under the impression as were others that you'd get a version of Hogan and with the special edition you got two more Hogans. Not the case at all as I purchased the Accelerator and unlocked everything and no Hulk Hogan to be found. The other thing that plagues the roster is the amount of duplicate characters. It's cool that you get classic Alberto Del Rio and modern Alberto Del Rio for example, but I think most of us would want a wider variety of characters instead of two Ortons, two ADRs, two Jerichos, etc.
Roster additions that I really like are Sting (both versions are cool) and the Wyatt Family. I've already had a really fun Hell In A Cell with Bray Wyatt vs Sting. The Stinger Splash was kind of disappointing, but it's still a neat move. The ability to change Surfer Sting's outfit colors with Superstars Threads is nice as I created his red and white look that looks so sharp.
The biggest gripe is that for some unknown reason 2K has ripped out the ability to do custom theme songs. This is inexcusable and apparently that functionality is included in the PS4/Xbox One versions of the game. If it was some sort of current gen limitation then that would be one thing, but this was a functionality that we've had for years and it's been removed for no reason that I am aware.
I did not try Who Got NXT or WWE Universe yet. I did play a match in 2K Showcase Rivalries and it was similar to the Attitude Era or 30 Years of WrestleMania mode. Pretty cool to relive some great feuds. Again, DLC will round some more of these out as well.
Basically, it's still a fun game, but you can tell this version is being neglected for the next gen ones. Unfortunately, I can't make the move to PS4 right now so that's disappointing. There are some aggravating things about the new game (removing custom themes being high on that list), but it's still a lot of fun. It's always nice to get the new roster and all at least and like I said I'm not hard to please. I'm willing to bet that the experience for the next gen (PS4/Xbox One) users is a lot better. Here's IGN's review if you'd like a more critical review. They gave it a 5.9 and called it a "Lightweight Pretender," but I think it's more like a 7 - 7.5. It's solid, not spectacular. If you have WWE 2K14 and are perfectly happy using Community Creations and the creation mode to round out and update your roster then this certainly isn't a must buy unless you're like me and always want the new version.
