And as in real life, everything inside – and outside – of the ring can be used to attack your opponent.
It’s surprisingly hard to recover from getting hit without throwing some quick moves to block your opponent’s next move, but it makes it all the more fun when you do.
However, experience of previous titles in the 2K Sports series is preferable here, in order to get off to a flying start. This makes the game all the more pleasurable, in terms of trying to floor your opponent as quickly as possible. Similar to other titles I have reviewed recently, there are no limits to the amount of button combinations you can throw in WWE, with a number of special combinations offered to you in real-time.
Sometimes it’s hard to know where to start, but the ‘Play’ option takes you straight into a scenario of your choice. Like other 2K titles, you could happily spend 30 minutes looking around and exploring the menus, with an infinite number of videos, tournaments and player customisation options to go through. After all, everyone loves a bit of play-acting that involves throwing a chair across the ring at your opponent, or jumping off the ropes to body slam or kick someone in the head. First watching it in the early 2000s when it seemed to enjoy a second boom in the UK, the memories of The Rock, Kane and ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin were enough to make want to have a go. I’ll admit from the beginning that I am not the biggest fan of WWE Wrestling.
Before picking it up, you just knew that it was going to be full to the brim with functionality and customisation, such is 2K’s reputation in sports gaming. The family-review of WWE 2K19 was somewhat limited this was definitely one for the adults! However, I managed to wrangle a family friend of a similar age to experience 2K Sports’ latest wrestling offering. This was my first taste of retro gaming on the PlayStation, and for the family at least, it’s a great pick-up-and-play title that is refreshing from today’s mostly overly complicated games. The constant sounds of capturing rings, attracts the attention of the kids, as does the rainbow of colours and the upbeat soundtrack. The soundtrack and fast-paced nature of the game also appeals to the much younger generation. It’s no walk in the park, even for the seasoned gamer, but it actively engages you in a way similar to the offerings of today, validating the appeal of retro games. However, we all enjoyed the fast nature, and the laughs when scrambling to move Sonic forward on some levels, where the character can switch between playing as Sonic or Knuckles, it is genuinely difficult to know where to bounce and run to next. So much so that my wife was expecting something a bit more modern – this is no re-imagination of Sonic in the same way that Crash Bandicoot has been brought onto the modern platforms. The novelty of Sonic never wears off when playing with family it’s an instant hit. This immediately takes you into an epilepsy-inducing intro, thereafter with Sonic and sidekick Tails starting to barrel-roll and spin their way through the first level classic Sonic moves! With only a few select buttons actually doing anything, with the quadrant of buttons making Sonic move in all directions, it’s certainly a button-basher, increasing the fun no-end! This probably isn’t one for the new gamers of today, who expect big storylines and slick interfaces! With no deep, hidden meanings behind the platform games of today, this fast-paced, side scrolling adventure begins with a choice between ‘Encore Mode’ and ‘Mania Mode’. This is also the case with the similarly 1990s sound effects whenever you move between menu options, and the buzzy clunks of selecting these options. However, the recent taste for nostalgia that the video games industry has been experiencing, leading to many miniature retro consoles, make this feel familiar. You’re almost shocked by the classic ‘Segaaaaaaa’ chime that appears immediately after start-up, making you momentarily think that you’re actually sitting in front of the wired, short and stubby controllers of Sega’s Master System and Mega Drive, instead of the Sony’s PS4. The arcade nature of the game, released to coincide with the franchise’s 25 th anniversary, really does remind you of simpler times. You just don’t receive the instant pick up and playability that Sega’s most recognisable hedgehog can give you, in today’s games. The appeal of reviewing Sonic Mania, as a 1990s-born and raised 28-year-old was immediate.
The best new family PS4 games #SomethingForTheWeekend