There hasn’t been a great deal of choice for fans of the wrestling game genre in the last decade. WWE games have the market cornered with their yearly releasedWWE2Kgames with the only other licensed wrestling gameTNA iMPACTunderperforming both critically and in sales.
Sadly, this means that there is no competition for the series and this usually means there’s no drive for developers to try and push the envelope. However, it seems that evenYukesthe original developers of theWWE 2Kseries has become bored with the series and moved on to create their own yet to be named wrestling franchise.
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However, as surprising as it may be,WWEtitles don’t completely dominate the worst wrestling games of the decade according to Metacritic.
10WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2011 (Metascore 74)
WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2011was released in 2010 for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PSP, Xbox 360 and the Nintendo Wii. It was the last game in the series to use the “brand wars” storyline with the next entries in the series simply using theWWEname.
Despite being in the “worst games of the decade” listSmackdown vs Raw 2011is still one of the better games in series. This is mostly due to the fact that there aren’t that many wrestling games outside of the WWE brand. This entry was the first in the series to introduce the Universe mode and featured a very flexible Create a Match mode.
9WWE ‘12 (Metascore 72)
WWE ‘12was released in 2011 for the PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii and the Xbox 360. Just like its predecessorWWE Smackdown vs Raw 2011,it is rated on both the best and worst list according to Metacritic. While it’s not a bad game the developers made unnecessary adjustments to the gameplay by restricting moves based on a wrestler’s stamina.
However,WWE ‘12featured improvements to the Universe mode making it more expansive giving players more control over rivalries and storylines. It also includes the Road to Wrestlemania career mode featuring fictional and real wrestlers from the WWE.
8WWE 2K17 (Metascore 69)
WWE 2K17was released on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC formats at the end of 2016. It brought back WCW legend Goldberg and started the hype train building up to his comeback to dethrone Brock Lesnar at theSurvivor Series.
Despite getting a low score with critics mainly due to the removal of its Showcase mode fans of the series consider being one of the better games. It built on and improved the solid wrestling mechanics fromWWE 2K16and added hundreds of more moves for create-a-wrestler and added the Showcase mode at a later date.
7WWE 2K18 (Metascore 66)
Developed again by Yukes under the 2K banner,WWE 2K18was released on the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC and the Nintendo Switch. However, it is the PS4, Xbox and PC versions that scored 66 for the Metacritic.
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Even though it improved on the wrestling mechanics fromWWE 2K17it scored slightly lower than its predecessor. Critics felt that the game was more of the same and was let down by the sheer amount of bugs at launch frustrating fans of the series.
6WWE 2K15 (Metascore 55)
WWE 2K15was released at the end of 2014 for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One and the Xbox 360 with a PC release to follow in 2015. It was the first game in the series to be released on newer generation consoles which some fans assumed would mean more content.
Unfortunately,WWE 2K15released with several game modes removed, a smaller roster, the removal of custom soundtracks, custom matches and more. Furthermore, the wrestling system was the worst it had ever been with the pinfall system being near-impossible to kick out of. With everything that was good about its last-gen predecessor being stripped back, fans still feel thatWWE 2K15is one of the worst entries in the series.
5TNA Wrestling iMPACT: Cross The Line (Metascore 53)
Released in 2010 for the PSP and Nintendo DS, TNA Wrestling iMPACT: Cross The Linewas a handheld port of the home console version released on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 two years prior. The game was hyped for promising to take inspiration from the AKI developed games likeWWF No MercyandWCW/nWo Revenge.
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Unfortunately, the end result was nothing like the AKI games and iMPACT’s gameplay was a buggy, clunky and disastrous mess on all fronts. The handheld version was even worse because it stripped away features like the create-a-wrestler mode and several wrestlers were missing from the roster.
4Fire Pro Wrestling XBLA (Metascore 48)
Not to be confused with the mainline wrestling simulationsFire Pro WrestlingReturns for the Ps2andFire Pro Wrestling Worldfor the Ps4 and PC.Fire Pro Wrestlingfor the Xbox Live Arcade was a spin-off released in 2012 that featured wrestling matches between gamer’s Xbox 360 avatars.
Unfortunately, this entry features none of the smooth and near-perfect wrestling mechanics that are associated with the series and has more in common with the terribleSimpsons Wrestlinggame than it doesReturnsorWorld.Thankfully, developers Spike Chunsoftwent back to their roots with 2018’sFire Wrestling World–Metacritic’s highest-scoring wrestling game of the decade.
3WWE 2K20 (Metascore 43)
Released in 2019 on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and the PC,WWE 2K20is the most recentWWE 2Kgame in the series. Unfortunately, with unnecessary control remapping stripped back features and some of the worst bugs ever seen in a videogame it is also one of the worst in the series.
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Series veterans Yukes left after the development ofWWE 2K19handing over the reigns to 2K’s in-house team Visual Concepts. Unfortunately, with the removal of most of the game’s Legends and the inclusion of some of the worst content (WWE Originals) seen in a wrestling title sinceWWF Wrestlemania The Arcade Game,it’s clear that the new team have no idea what makes a wrestling game work.
2WWE 2K18 Switch (Metascore 35)
The Nintendo Switch version ofWWE 2K18was released in 2017 and was the last time the series would appear on a Nintendo console. It was a rushed and pointlessly lazy port that seemingly received no optimization for the Switch and game suffered terribly as a result.
Furthermore, it seems very likely that the game wasn’t finished and suffered from even more bugs and issues thanWWE 2K15and the more recentWWE 2K20.Matches would slow down to a crawl in multi-person events and there was a ton of audio problems with crackling and cut-outs from the audience cheering and commentary.
1Hulk Hogan’s Main Event (Metascore 26)
Hulk Hogan’s Main Eventis an Xbox 360 wrestling released exclusively for the Kinect peripheral. It was an interactive game that allowed players to develop their own wrestling personality under the tutelage of wrestling Legend Hulk Hogan.
Unfortunately, like most games on the Kinect, it was a badly executed idea with sluggish and unresponsive controls. Furthermore, the game’s art style is hideous, terrible animation, and awful voice work. Furthermore, the career mode is a dull lifeless drag and a chore to play through.Hulk Hogan’s Main Eventis undoubtedly deserving of Metacritic’s worst wrestling title of the decade.
