WWE 2K Battlegrounds Review: 4 Ups & 4 Downs
A total stylistic shift from WWE 2K20, for better AND worse...
This year's WWE 2K game is a sharp left turn.
Even those whose exposure to 2K Battleground consists of a handful of screenshots or seconds of trailer footage should be able to see this is an entirely different beast from the mainline series, which is currently on ice after last year's launch. Calling 2K20's day one state a nightmare wouldn't be an exaggeration. Plagued by myriad bugs, glitches, and other snafus, the game was so poorly-received that its immediate sequel was panned in April 2020, followed closely by Battlegrounds' launch announcement.
In every sense, this new game is everything 2K20 was not. Released worldwide on 18 September, it eschews the realism and simulation-based gameplay typically associated with the WWE 2K series for straightforward, arcadey fun, drawing comparisons to WWE All Stars, Def Jam: Fight for NY, and other less-than-serious fighting games, wrapped up in a cartoonish aesthetic. It is both stronger and weaker for this approach.
Whatever the case, it's hard to fault 2K's change of direction after 2K20. They have laid solid foundations for would could become a more complete series should future incarnations materialise.
Thanks to 2K Sports for supply a copy of WWE 2K Battlegrounds for review.