Nintendo consoles have seen their fair share of WWE games over the years. None more revered than No Mercy on the Nintendo 64. And while there have been some hits (Day of Reckoning and its sequel on GameCube), there are some nasty misses (WWE 2K18 on Switch).
I’m happy to say that WWE 2K25 on the Switch 2 is the former.
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Stay away from WWE 2K25’s island if you want to have fun
The PS5 version of the game was reviewed here previously, and here’s what was said about it:
“Don’t get me wrong: there’s nothing wrong with it if you happen to enjoy the pageantry of it all. WWE 2K25, I have to iterate, is a beautiful spectacle. Updated entrances, attires, and animations. Crowd-pleasing additions to celebrated modes. An “Eh” MyRise but a phenomenal Bloodline Showcase. The Is are dotted and the Ts are crossed. But in crafting the best version of itself, I wonder if its soul is still there.”
I have my issues with the way 2K has handled their games. This is well known. So, whenever I review their games, I do so with that knowledge in mind. The Island is WWE 2K25’s equivalent to The City in their basketball series. If you want to be bombarded with the company’s standard practice of digging into your pockets, that’s where you want to be. But I doubt you want to get locked in a pay-to-win hell.
However, I refuse to allow that to mar what is, in actuality, an excellent wrestling game. From the creation suite to Universe mode and beyond, WWE 2K25 is a deep and immersive experience. I spent hours creating my own wrestler, fine-tuning his look, move-set, and entrance.
I don’t think I got into an actual match until about 3 hours later. If I have one complaint about the creation suite, it’s that creating an entrance feels a bit cumbersome when it comes to setting up pyro and timing it.
It’s almost INDISTINGUISHABLE FROM THE OTHER VERSIONS
There will always be a drop-off in visuals from the PS5/Xbox Series consoles to the Switch 2. And while you can see it here, you have to look for it. It’s a pretty impressive showcase for the console. And one that bodes well for future third-party support in the realm of sports games.
I mean, if it can run Cyberpunk 2077 without issue, the expectation is that a wrestling video game would fare even better. But you can’t take these things for granted. We’ve all been burned before.
The game isn’t perfect by any means. Some of the old legacy issues occasionally resurface. Like wrestlers ending up hovering in the air after missing an elbow drop or dive, but the dev team has done a great job cleaning these up over the years. It’s not nearly as prevalent as it once was.
They’ve also done an excellent job of finding the right balance between simplicity and complexity in the controls. Reversal timing remains perfectly tuned, requiring you to pay attention to the prompt. The chain wrestling, I can take or leave, but it doesn’t detract from the experience.
I do love the exchanging blows mini-game, though, as triggering one of these in the middle of a tense match feels like a possible momentum shifter.
Sports games on the switch 2 are looking viable
I was excited to review this because I want to make the Switch 2 my main sports gaming console. If WWE 2K25 is any indication, this may be more than possible.
The graphics and gameplay are as close as you can get to the other versions, and minus one annoying omission, there is no loss of features. It’s a great wrestling game on its own, but in the pantheon of wrestling games on Nintendo consoles, it stands up there with the very best.
Verdict: Highly Recommended
WWE 2K25 is available for Switch 2. A code was provided by the publisher for review.
