WWE 2K15 “Path of the Warrior” DLC – Review

It was around this time last year that The Ultimate Warrior returned to WWE (formerly WWF) programming on RAW, for what would end up being his last appearance before his death. After being a pre-order bonus character in WWE 2K14, it was only fitting that The Ultimate Warrior would feature more heavily in WWE 2K15 as a send off of sorts for a memorable superstar. Well 2K have made a DLC Showcase surrounding some of his greatest moments with the company and called it “Path of the Warrior”. Will it be a worthy trip down memory lane for the Warrior fans out there?

This last downloadable content pack of the Season Pass contains a Showcase and unlockable content to use throughout the rest of the game. As already mentioned this Showcase focuses on the career of The Ultimate Warrior; starting with his Intercontinental title shot against the Honky Tonk Man at SummerSlam 88 and finishing at WrestleMania XII with Hunter Hearst Helmsley. Just like the previous two Showcase DLCs this is shorter than those featured on disc, in fact there are only eight matches here which means Path of the Warrior is the shortest Showcase so far.

As for the quality of the matches chosen, well The Ultimate Warrior was known for his high energy and intensity from the minute the bell was rung, hence there are quite a few short ones. Two of them are basically just a QTE and a cutscene in order to finish them off but I can forgive that for the inclusion of two other matches that steal the show. The one versus Macho King Randy Savage was brilliant with a whole host of spots to recreate from their WrestleMania VII bout. Two legends in a great match was all we could ask for. The second match? Against Rick Rude in a cage match, even though it wasn’t a long one I just love the old school blue steel cage getting a run out!

You probably wouldn’t get your money’s worth if it was solely containing the Showcase, so the amount of decent unlockables to use in Exhibition and Universe modes could be the deciding factor. For me it certainly is, as by playing the entire Showcase you can unlock eleven playable characters and a couple of managers. The standouts are Col. Mustafa (possibly the best looking model of the lot), Sgt. Slaughter, Rick Rude and André the Giant (even though it isn’t a great resemblance). Don’t get your hopes up about Sid Justice as he is merely there to tease, as a referee and is not playable at all.

Now for the technical parts that let the Showcase experience down. During most scenes that are recreating moments using the in-game models there are sound issues. You can hear the impact of moves way before it even happens and when you do see the simplest of moves such as a stomp it looks like they are hitting thin air. André, Hogan and General Adnan are the strangest characters with odd faces, especially Hogan who seems to have an older looking face which means they probably used a recent scan for it.

It wouldn’t have been hard for Path of the Warrior to be better than the previous two Showcases but nonetheless, it is. Using the grainy look, Howard Finkel and a host of superstars from the past, 2K have managed to create a nostalgic feel. As long as you can put up with Lawler and Cole commentating, a short Showcase and a few not so great models then as a wrestling fan you’ll not want to miss this.

With the help of a few well edited video packages throughout the Path of the Warrior Showcase, in the man’s own words, the spirit of The Ultimate Warrior will run forever!