WWE 2K16

When it comes to WWE 2K16, every fix comes with new problems. Niggling issues plague the title, with fresh positive changes being soured by their implementation. Career mode in particular has yet to achieve its potential. However, on the whole WWE 2K16 is an undeniable improvement over its predecessor. I remain hopeful future instalments will continue to improve and release on the PC platform.

WWE 2K16 is close, closer than last year's game, and playing it is still a great WWE simulation, but it trips at the finish line in some big ways. The match variety and creation suites are awesome and the 2K Showcase mode is a great trip down memory lane, but the overall "WWE Universe" experience that the game touts doesn't quite translate yet. WWE 2K16 is a solid competitor, but it's not a main event talent.

Worse than the technical shortcomings, off-the-mark combat, and terrible omissions from the roster, Yuke's failure to capture the heart of WWE makes WWE 2K16 such a disappointment. The modern WWE is overflowing with talent. The series’ inability to deliver on the magic of WWE's characters and athletes, beyond number crunching and subpar combat, indicates that this series is still far from being able to relive the magic of the squared circle inside your living room.

2K16 at least offers a measure of hope that this series can one day again stand on its own, that it can reassemble all the ill-fitting pieces it has collected over the years into something better balanced between hyperrealism and fun. Until then, here's Steve Austin once again to remind you of better times long since past, in the hopes of distracting you from everything wrong with the present.

WWE 2K16 is a better game than last 2K15, largely thanks to the expansive range of options and features that have been reinstated. The 2K Showcase is fantastic, but the core gameplay hasn't changed enough to warrant a hearty recommendation.

The Bottom Line is that WWE 2K16 gives the fans what they wanted – the full suite of Creation modes, a more robust My Career mode, and the biggest roster ever. This is now a huge, deep game that will satisfy the most-demanding WWE fans, and it makes WWE 2K15 look like a Demo. Plus, Yuke’s and Visual Concepts have wisely kept the Simulation elements that make this the most realistic wrestling experience ever in gaming.