Although the franchise has put out some incredible games in the past,?WWE?hasn't exactly had the best luck over the last few years.?WWE 2K20?was an absolute mess, going viral due to its severe bugs, technical issues, and overall lack of polish, while WWE 2K18's?Switch port was a target of a lot of scrutiny, with the game barely even running on Nintendo's hardware.
It seems 2K and Saber Interactive will be looking to make good with their fans through this year's?WWE 2K Battlegrounds,?a fun-focused, cartoony arcade fighter that takes huge liberties with the seminal wrestling license. Although the?title was announced a few months ago, actual gameplay has been relatively scarce, however, Nintendo's recent Mini Direct gave fans their first look at how?Battlegrounds?will play on the Switch.
Shown through a gameplay trailer, the footage?takes place within a swamp and begins by?highlighting the entrances of a number of the company's biggest icons, including John Cena, Jeff Hardy, and Stone Cold Steve Austin. The aforementioned trio is joined by wrestling legend Andre the Giant, going head to head in what appears to be a fatal four-way match up. From here, it's evident that fun is the core focus of?Battlegrounds,?with the larger than life visuals being joined by crazy super moves, insane weapons, and much more. It seems the majority of the game is purely about unleashing as many zany moves as possible, with characters mostly using superpowered variations of their real-life signature blows.
A good example is John Cena's AA which, in the trailer, he unleashes by jumping high in the air with Jeff Hardy on his shoulders before slamming him down while engulfed in flames. Jeff Hardy also?unleashes his signature Swanton Bomb, however, much like John Cena, he's also covered in blue fire when he lands?the aerial attack. It seems players will be pushed to use the environment to their advantage as well, with Cena throwing Hardy into the jaws of some ferocious alligators?midway through the footage?and Stone Cold picking up a motorcycle and using it as a weapon.
Overall, the game looks like a lot of fun and, if the advert is showing standard gameplay, it appears to run very well on the Switch. With?WWE 2K21?being?canceled so the developers could work on making next year's version of the title the best it can be, it seems?Battlegrounds?will be an entertaining replacement for wrestling fans to enjoy.
WWE 2K Battlegrounds?will release on September 18th for PC, PlayStation 4, Stadia, Switch, and Xbox One.
