WWE 2K25 Review: 11 Ups & 3 Downs

2. Still Some Iffy Character Models

To put it out there, 90% of WWE 2K25's character models look phenomenal. This is a stunning game visually, and Visual Concepts capture the spirit of the vast majority of wrestlers in truly magnificent, best-ever fashion.

However, there are a few character models that warrant a minor Down for this article. Case in point, take a look at that Chyna model above. The Ninth Wonder of the World did admittedly change up her look at various stages of her career, but that character right there? Yeah, that looks absolutely nothing like the former Intercontinental Champion.

Now, for someone like Chyna, one could make the point that the real-life Joanie Laurer is sadly no longer with us, so it's not like Visual Concepts could get one of their highly detailed facial scans. That said, there are several on-roster WWE and NXT names - Roxanne Perez and Bayley being two who immediately come to mind - that only bear a passing resemblance to their real-life counterparts, having a whiff of a PS3-era character model to them.

There's still plenty of praise to come for WWE 2K25's visuals, but we can't totally overlook some of those more ropey models.

1. The Island

Ahead of WWE 2K25's release, so much was made of the new Island mode.

Here, players would seek a place on Roman Reigns' Island of Relevancy - basically, impress Roman enough to get a WWE contract - in what was an online, open-world setting that would allow you to interact with other real-world players. And to be fair, that is what we've got, but the result is an incredibly frustrating one.

Yes, you can interact with other players. Yes, your aim is to build up enough wins and credit to catch the Tribal Chief's eye. And yes, the actual Island location itself looks impressive. The main problem, though, is that this all feels like the outer shell for yet another soulless cash-grab. As in, we're talking those pesky microtransactions.

The Island is a place for your unique wrestler, and with that, obviously comes plenty of customisation options. While you clearly don't have to fork out for them, so many items require Virtual Currency. How do you get this VC? Why, you of course have to grind, grind, grind, and grind some more, or you can drop your own cash on that swanky jacket or Nike-branded shoes. Now, that choice is up to each individual player, but it just leaves a bad taste in the mouth knowing that you're being offered an in-game piece of footwear for what equates to over £5/$5 of real-world money.

The unique setting of The Island is nicely done - even if it feels like it takes forever to get from place to place - and the quirky storefronts of the likes of Mysterio's Masks or Hurricane's Outfitters are cute, but the truth of the matter is these cute, quirky stores are very real storefronts designed to lure people in to spend their real money on a new mask for their character.

Again, all of this comes down to choice, but for all the hype and hooplah around The Island pre-launch, it all ultimately feels so soulless.

Of course, the WWE 2K series has long featured microtransactions with MyFaction, a mode that was originally going to get its own Down, but that will instead be included here with The Island. MyFaction is the same as it ever was, grinding endlessly in the hope of lucking your way to a pack that includes one of those much-lauded rare character cards - CM Punk 2010 or Rob Van Dam 1997, anyone? - with the temptation being to just splash your own cash on all of that instead.

With those cash-grabs out of the way, then, let's get to the good stuff...