WWE 2K25 Review: 11 Ups & 3 Downs
6. Universe Mode Is Universe Mode
Universe mode is nothing drastically different to previous WWE 2K releases, with you again having the choice of focussing solely on the career of one particular wrestler or instead going the 'sandbox' route where you essentially take control of the pro wrestling world.
For the latter, you can add and remove brands and shows/PLEs, you can change up rosters, you can book matches, you can instigate rivalries, and you can just generally enjoy yourself playing as a wide variety of characters, with storylines playing out naturally and at random should you opt to not get too involved in that side of things. As for focussing on one single wrestler, that's pretty self-explanatory, with you working your way through the week-to-week wars of the business.
For those who enjoy Universe, you'll have plenty of the same to sink your teeth into in 2K25. Sure, it may not reinvent the wheel, but hey, your writer will always get a kick out of bringing back WCW and putting together a roster of '80s and '90s favourites.
In terms of minor changes, you can now create two-day Premium Live Events, and a slight tweak to the faction listings means, for example, you can have Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa be used in tag team matches while Jacob Fatu and Solo Sikoa are held back for more singles matches. Previously, WWE 2K had a habit of throwing out random combinations in those situations, such as having Tonga Loa and Solo tag up, while Tama became the more featured singles player.