“One More Match” was the plea given by WWE Superstar Christian to anyone who would listen at one point in his career and now he’s been granted the ability to relive some of his most important matches via a WWE 2K15 Showcase. The “One More Match” Showcase is the first of three planned downloadable content packs for WWE 2K15, but will we be chanting for even more matches by the end of it?
The short answer is sort of, just not for the right reasons.
This specific Showcase covers nine matches spanning the rather short time period when Christian was in the World Heavyweight title picture during 2011. It starts off with him versus Alberto Del Rio in a Ladder match at Extreme Rules and takes you all the way through to SummerSlam in a brutal No Holds Barred against Randy Orton. Considering there were only two Showcases on disc, I’m sure the WWE 2K15 veterans will be chomping at the bit for this next chapter of history.
I was a little shocked not to see Christian in the final cut of the roster so having him to play with finally was great. It’s worth noting they’ve worked their magic with the facial scanning; during his entrance there are moments where I forgot it was a game. Along with Christian comes a selection of unlockable 2011 versions of Mark Henry, Sheamus, Randy Orton and Alberto Del Rio (who looks terrible), all of whom I could take or leave. There was one other completely new playable character not in the main game, Christian’s former tag partner the “Rated R Superstar” Edge.
So, most of those listed above are involved in the matches in some way but I can’t help do anything other than wish there was more variety. I understand they can’t change history; however playing Orton vs. Christian for over half of the matches on offer it gets a little samey. Those matches that aren’t these two battling, and even some that are, generally seem to be over too quickly. There’s only really the final match that utilises all the best parts of the Showcase setup by fulfilling plenty of objectives and even chucking in a couple of QTEs to trigger cutscenes from the night it all went down, ensuring it’s a duel to remember.
One thing you can nearly always praise WWE for on TV and in the WWE games are the video packages using real footage to get the viewer even more interested in the matches that are about to take place. For some reason though for at least half of the matches here there is no pre-fight footage just a virtual representation of the game’s character models re-enacting moments in the form of still frames. Sure they had those in the disc-based Showcases too but I’ve no idea why the real footage isn’t better spread out across the timeline.
The Showcase was all over in an hour which is why I did indeed want more matches, just to add longevity really. I think £7.99 is a bit too steep for the enjoyment I gained from it, especially when I’d exhausted Orton’s and Christian’s repertoires after a couple of the bouts. I reckon the Peeps out there will be all over this because of the need to have Christian and even Edge within their grasp.
When you weigh up the classic arenas, alternate attires and new characters, it all sort of creates a balance against the showcase itself. It makes for a decent downloadable content pack that lacks a couple more matches that incorporate all the best parts of Showcase moments. Don’t rush to get it, see what the rest of the DLC is like and then consider the Season Pass to save a few pennies.
