Professional wrestling is a funny one: here’s a so-called sport that built its world on theatricality, on the showmanship of its acrobatic performers acting out massive fantasies of gladiatorial duels and overly dramatic contests. Aside from the occasional unfortunate mishap, no one is ever injured and it’s all tightly stage-managed.
So how do you translate that all to the video game world? For 2KSports, the answer had long been arcade-style: opponents pummelling each other through endless button mashes until one of them falls. But coupled with last year’s ambitious if somewhat maligned attempt at realism, 2K16 sees them boldly going down a simulation route that works surprisingly well.
Available for the PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One, 2K16 takes a strangely sensible approach to an often ridiculous pastime. Like Olympic-style wrestling or the increasingly popular UFC, reversals take centre stage as your struggle of choice, a slowly replenishing resource that is the ideal ace up the sleeve when the chips are down.
In addition to that key feature, are a host of well-timed options that take equal measure speed and skill to follow through: working holds that allow you to take advantage of winded opponents, chain wrestling to build up impressive combinations, and such breath catching moves as escape rolling and distractions.
And then there’s the theatricality, the TV broadcast openings, the gushing commentary, the wrestlers with their uniquely preposterous moves – it’s all recreated and refined in beautiful idiot box glory, ramped up for the virtual world for true fans. They’ll also appreciate the bolstered roster, a heaving roll call of more than 120 male and female fighters, alongside nearly every match type that was banished in last year’s strange culling. In short, it’s the complete package and just the kind of thing spotty kids and their forced friends can enjoy in equal measure.
For anyone over the age of 12 and not stilted by man-child syndrome, there’s still something ridiculous about the hammy nature of professional wrestling. Props to 2KSports for infusing its video game counterpart with a much-needed sense of challenge, and while you’ll never catch us falling for the chauvinistic joys of the “real thing”, you might find us sneaking in a quick virtual round or two.
