WWE 2K25’s MyRise: The Game-Changer Every Fighting Fan Needs to Experience!

by

Worldwide release of WWE 2K25 occurred on March 14, 2025, capitalizing on WWE’s renewed prominence in mainstream culture.

The newest installment in 2K’s wrestling game franchise has generally earned favorable criticism. Critics praise it as one of the top WWE 2K games due to its improved wrestling fight system, the exciting return of mixed-gender matches, an abundance of gameplay modes, extensive customization options for user-created characters, and other features.

Growing up, I would often engage in WWE wrestling matches with my friends, using the Smackdown games on PlayStation 1 and 2 during the first part of the 2000s.

Read moreApple Maps now works on your Windows PC... sort of

Since the return of my interest in wrestling following WWE’s RAW launch on Netflix, I’ve been eager to rejoin the world of WWE gaming, particularly with WWE 2K25. The overwhelmingly positive feedback only heightened this anticipation, and I was certainly not let down.

Over the last several days, I’ve been deeply engrossed in WWE 2K25. The game’s rich content has barely been touched by me as I’ve become absorbed in its captivating single-player narrative known as MyRise.

I found this gameplay so enjoyable that I jumped right into a second play-through, an unusual move for me in a fighting game, quite astonishing!

Read moreRemnant 2 announces third and final DLC 'The Dark Horizon' on its birthday, and its release date isn't far off

What’s the backstory behind this? Allow me to share my thoughts on why I believe that WWE 2K25’s MyRise stands out as one of the most engaging single-player storylines I’ve experienced in a fighting game so far.

Save the WWE from NXT Mutiny

Essentially, MyRise is a single-player narrative experience where you construct your very own WWE Superstar. The journey typically mirrors the classic ‘Hero’s Journey,’ transforming an unknown figure into a beloved icon who graces the stage at Wrestlemania, WWE’s annual marquee pay-per-view event of the year.

In contrast to typical scenarios, the storyline of WWE 2K25’s MyRise takes an unusual turn. Instead of the usual setup, a faction composed of former and current wrestlers from WWE’s NXT program has banded together as the villainous NXT Mutiny, declaring open war on the entire WWE.

Read moreBing blocked by Reddit, breaking search results for everyone but Google

This team, headed by Bayley and Kevin Owens, expresses their frustration over how NXT Superstars seem to lose their luster and are often disrespected when they transition to RAW or SmackDown, according to the WWE.

It appears that the NXT Mutiny intends to seize control of the company and eliminate both RAW and Smackdown, ultimately leaving NXT as the sole surviving brand.

In this scenario, you take on the role of the most recent top draft choice for WWE, finding yourself entangled in a complex predicament. Your mission now is to quell this rebellion and rescue WWE from its current crisis.

In addition, you won’t have to fight this battle on your own; instead, you can introduce a co-protagonist to aid you in your quest. Notably, legendary WWE figures such as CM Punk are among those who will lend their support.

WWE 2K25’s MyRise is jam-packed with story altering decisions that keeps me coming back

The narrative seems to echo the WCW/ECW Invasion saga that the real WWE tried during the early 2000s, only this time it’s done more effectively.

Admittedly, the narrative may not offer profound insights or significantly alter your perspective on life, and certain plot twists might be predictable to an extent.

In spite of that, it’s an exhilarating, unpredictable journey, just like a WWE story, brimming with thrilling actions, comical instances, great timing, and delightful references to previous WWE games.

One aspect I truly enjoy about WWE 2K25’s MyRise is the abundance of dialogue options that significantly alter the narrative’s direction as you progress, which is quite rare in most fighting game storylines. Typically, they either consist of an arcade-style challenge with a few cutscenes or lengthy films with scattered fights.

This variety encompasses everything from picking which WWE Superstars you’ll align with to designing the traits of your custom characters, resulting in some truly memorable scenes.

During a single game session, my characters exhibited fearless and arrogant personas, thwarting NXT’s strategies using sheer strength and their assertive demeanor.

On a subsequent gameplay, I featured a humorous female character alongside a character with a chilling demeanor. Each approached dealing with NXT Mutiny uniquely according to their distinct strategies.

Or,

In another round of the game, I designed a comical female persona and a character who was all business, both employing unique tactics when confronting NXT Mutiny.

During NXT Mutiny, this peculiar character performed quirky magical stunts, whereas the shrewd one devised intricate plots to bring about NXT Mutiny’s downfall secretly.

The characters in this game are individually well-voiced, making them an absolute pleasure to hear. The dialogues are quick-witted and the voice acting is delightfully exaggerated, with characters dishing out verbal punches during their confrontations.

Additionally, choosing among the various paths opens up perks such as cosmetic items, character entrances, playable characters, and a variety of conclusions, each one offering incentives for repeated playthroughs.

Speaking candidly, WWE 2K25’s MyRise isn’t flawless. The quality isn’t quite up to the standard of Mortal Kombat’s story mode during NetherRealm’s era, and there are some matches that I’d rather forget, like the 8-Man Tornado Tag matches which are particularly grueling.

Additionally, the extra WWE Live fights feel exhausting, similar to Battlepass content that I longed for it to be narrative-driven side-quests akin to earlier games, despite their enticing rewards such as Finn Bálor’s “Demon” persona.

Imperfect, but manages to ‘rise’ above flaws in ways that even Mortal Kombat struggles with

I’d choose WWE 2K25’s MyRise mode over most fighting game narrative modes, such as Street Fighter 6’s World Tour, on any given day. Here’s why: it boasts a more compelling story and writing, features customizable main characters that can talk and are enjoyable to play, and its narrative actually concludes (with multiple endings, no less).

In terms of gameplay, WWE 2K25’s MyRise mode offers a challenge that rivals the story modes found in Mortal Kombat games.

These story modes in games such as Mortal Kombat 1, Mortal Kombat 11, and Mortal Kombat X often play out like movies, with lengthy cutscenes between battles that span about an hour. After completing the story, there isn’t much incentive to play it again since watching the cutscenes on platforms like YouTube would provide a similar experience.

Alternatively, WWE 2K25’s MyRise mode offers a more balanced blend of gameplay and storyline. You’ll find a good dose of narrative within a compact timeframe before moving on to the next match. Moreover, as previously mentioned, it boasts significant replay value due to its various story paths and unlockable content.

In WWE 2K25, there’s secret content that becomes visible upon a second playthrough – without giving it away, let me tell you, replaying the grueling 8-man tornado tag match to catch this hidden gem was laugh-out-loud funny and totally worth it!

I can’t wait to play more of WWE 2K25 and the rest of the WWE 2K series

WWE 2K25 has been an enjoyable return to virtual wrestling goodness for this Attitude-Era fan.

Beyond its captivating MyRise narrative, it offers a thrilling combat system teeming with features, boasting over 300 playable characters, multiple game modes catering to both solo and multiplayer enthusiasts, limited cross-play and cross-progression capabilities, and an immersive presentation that transports you into the heart of a real WWE bout.

Although the game’s MyFaction mode, which is steeped in debate due to its heavy emphasis on microtransactions, and its next-gen exclusive mode “The Island” might be points of contention, these aspects can essentially be bypassed because there’s an abundance of content in this game that can keep you engaged for numerous weeks without relying on them.

Among these options are:

1. The Showcase experience, which allows you to replay matches featuring The Bloodline faction and the wider Anoa’i wrestling family.
2. The GM mode, where you assume the role of a General Manager, going head-to-head with other brands (now offering online multiplayer).
3. Multiple offline and online versus modes, as well as additional features.

For approximately three weeks straight, I’m going to immerse myself in fine-tuning the character builder, crafting an ensemble of unique wrestlers to challenge my friends and relatives online as we approach Wrestlemania 41.

If other fighting game series featured immersive single-player stories with multiple choices and rewarding unlockables similar to WWE 2K25’s MyRise mode, I’d definitely find myself spending more time exploring those games rather than just playing multiplayer matches with my friends.

I could potentially revisit and enjoy the other WWE 2K games, like WWE 2K24, to check if its MyRise mode is as engaging as this one. Notably, you can obtain WWE 2K24 for free by buying either the Deadman or Bloodline Editions of WWE 2K25.

The highly-acclaimed WWE 2K25, a standout title in the WWE 2K series that excels on both Xbox and PC platforms, is now up for grabs on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC through Steam.

Or, more casually:

WWE 2K25, one of the top games in the WWE 2K series, has landed and is ready for purchase across various platforms including Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC via Steam.

Read More

2025-03-20 14:12