For more on WWE 2K14, check out our full WWE 2K14 review. Or, for more of the best Xbox 360 games for an 8 year old, why not try our Family Game Finder
What is WWE 2K14?
WWE 2K14 is a wrestling game that brings all the pomp and circumstance of the TV show to your favourite games console. With a roster of wrestlers that stretches from the stars of yesteryear to the big names of today, whether you're a fan of Hulk Hogan or John Cena, Andre the Giant or Big Show, or even, well, Heath Slater, WWE 2K14 will have you covered.
How do you play WWE 2K14?
The two main attractions this year are "The Streak" mode, which sees you either defending, or attempting to break The Undertaker's famous undefeated Wrestlemania streak in some rather challenging matches, and "30 Years of Wrestlemania", which sees you taking part in 46 of the biggest clashes in Wrestlemania history. In a nice touch, these matches also come with a number of bonus objectives for keeping your match as close to the real thing as possible, whether it's pinning someone a certain way, or, well, bodyslamming Andre the Giant, with all manner of extras to be unlocked if you get it right. While younger kids may prefer to be able to skip straight to the modern day stuff, with the wrestlers they're more familiar with, it's an entertaining enough mode.
Outside of the two main modes, there's a whole variety of extra ways to layeth the smack down - and with support for up to four players locally, it's game you can get friends and family involved with too, whether you choose to play as bonafide stars, or your very own created wrestler.
How easy is WWE 2K14 to pick up and play?
With controls that are fairly easy to pick up and play, WWE 2K14 is a fairly accessible game. One button punches/kicks, another initiates grapples, while the trigger lets you reverse moves, with no long button combinations required. While there has been a spike in the difficulty level this year, a handy option in the menus lets you turn down the rate at which your opponents reverse moves, which will make the game a heck of a lot easier if you're struggling!
As you can edit the difficulty of the game to suit, the difficulty shouldn't be a problem, although you may want to turn on the HUD elements that are hidden by default - a progress bar, that shows how close you are to being able to perform your finisher; a targeting indicator, that says who you're going to be attacking (and comes in useful in multi-person matches); and on-screen counts, so you don't have to listen to the ref shouting to know how close you are to being counted out. A working knowledge of wrestling rules is a requirement, although there is a handy (if rather wordy) tutorial to be read that explains the basics.
For the youngest of players, a reading ability would be helpful, but there's little that really requires reading, with match objectives being the only major thing.
Based on the popular WWE wrestling, WWE 2K14 is about as violent as its subject matter - only with a few important things to mention. While obviously the majority of the game revolves around punching, kicking and suplexing your opponents, you can use weapons a lot more frequently in the game than you'd see on the TV show, with the ability to give your foe a good clonking with a steel chair, sledgehammer (although admittedly, it's more your-hand-over-the-edge-of-a-sledgehammer rather than swinging like there's no tomorrow), or dustbins. Although it's turned off by default, it is also possible to make your opponent (or yourself) bleed if a character is damaged enough. Another thing parents may want to keep in mind is that it's also possible to throw your opponents off the top of the Hell in a Cell - a giant steel cage - with them often landing back first on the floor. Of course, they get straight up again afterwards, but it's worth keeping in mind.
Bad language, meanwhile, is mostly more subtle. While you have the option to give Steve Austin's middle finger salute at the touch of a button, and one cutscene shows a sign that says "s**t", there's nothing as strong said verbally. In terms of sexual content, both men and women are equally scantily clad at times, while some taunts see your wrestler perform a pelvic thrust. Nothing too serious, but things parents may want to know about nonetheless.
Age Ratings
Format Reviewed: Xbox 360
