Wrestling Games With Best Gameplay Features, Ranked

Wrestling games like the WWE 2K series are a unique sub-genre of fighting and sports games. They do not fall into the fighting game category like Tekken or a Street Fighter game, but lack the strictness of sports combat titles like UFC, Fight Night, and Undisputed.

The perfect wrestling game needs to capture the entertainment and theatrical side of the business, while the gameplay needs to be strategic but fun and represent the technical side of the action on TV. For many fans, small details in the gameplay mechanics matter, if not more so than the presentation. This list focuses on wrestling games with the best mechanics and gameplay to replicate the in-ring action of the televised product.

Updated February 16, 2024, by Michael Llewellyn: With the upcoming WWE 2K24 getting closer, fans are excited to see what the latest entry in the WWE 2K series brings. With the promise of new mechanics and its top-notch presentation, it has the potential to be one of the best wrestling games available by building on the already established gameplay of its predecessors. This list has been updated to include more games that have wrestling-focused gameplay and features that make them stand the test of time.

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By  Michael Llewellyn

15 AEW: Fighter Forever

Yukes Returns To Develop The First AEW Wrestling Game

AEW Fight Forever is the first wrestling game from the wrestling company. They hired former WWE game developer Yukes and teamed up with WWE No Mercy director Hideyuki Iwashita to head the project. The game was touted as a spiritual successor to AKI-developed wrestling, and fan expectations were high. Unfortunately, it disappointed many, as it leans into arcade-style wrestling gameplay more than the WCW and WWE games developed by AKI. It lacks the crawl mechanic when trapped in submission holds. Reversals and counter moves feel limited by comparison, and matches are over too quickly because the button-mashing kick-out system isn't as good.

While AEW Fight Forever doesn't carry the standard set by AKI and WWE No Mercy, it does have a fun and fluid wrestling system that feels smoother than the WWE 2K games. Moreover, tag team and battle royale matches are superior. The chaos and speed feel reminiscent of the WWE Smackdown! Here Comes The Pain. AEW Fight Forever has the foundations to become a solid wrestling series if they focus on wrestling instead of violence.

14 WWE 2K14

A Packed Showcase Mode With An Excellent Roster And Fun Gameplay

• Launched: 2013
• Developer: Yukes
• Platform: PS3 and Xbox 360

WWE 2K14 was the last title on the PS3/Xbox 360 generation consoles, and is arguably the best on those platforms. While the AI is a bit of a letdown, it featured several wrestling gameplay mechanics that fans appreciated. Wrestlers can crawl to the ropes when trapped in a submission, and they can target limbs with the R1/RB. It has chain grappling, and it introduced catapult catch finishers off the ropes.

Moreover, WWE 2K14 features 30 Years Of WrestleMania Showcase mode, which has far more WrestleMania matches than WWE 2K24. WWE 2K24 has 21 WrestleMania Showcase matches, but WWE 2K14 has 47, covering the Hulkamania era, The New Generation, The Attitude Era, Ruthless Aggression, and The Universe Era. It has one of the most packed rosters of legends ever seen, with Hulk Hogan, Goldberg, Scott Steiner, Bruno Sammartino, Sgt Slaughter, Ultimate Warrior, Macho Man, King Kong Bundy, and more.

13 WWE Day Of Reckoning

A Solid Wrestling Title With a Lackluster Roster

• Launched: 2004
• Developer: Yukes
• Platform: GameCube

A follow-up to Nintendo's exclusive, WWE WrestleMania 19, Day of Reckoning played differently from the Smackdown games on the PlayStation 2. It features an engine similar to the N64 AKI-developed games and improved visuals. The only thing that lets the gameplay down is the hit detection and clipping issues, but mechanically, it was a better game in the ring than its PS2 counterparts.

Players can target specific body parts, and Day of Reckoning features a debut mechanic called the Momentum Shift. This feature allowed severely weakened wrestlers to escape finishing moves and more. It recognized the need for momentum in matches instead of endlessly hitting big maneuvers without consequences or fear of losing stamina. Unfortunately, it has one of the worst rosters for fans of WWE, and the story mode is terrible. It's hard to look past those issues, even if the gameplay is solid.

12 WWE 2K16

A Return To Form After WWE 2K15

Before WWE 2K20 almost derailed the series, WWE 2K16 was another comeback story for the series after the dreadful WWE 2K15. It introduced chain wrestling, improved AI, and matches felt more back and forth than previous games.

It was let down by still feeling clunky and slow and wasn't a step up in animations from the PS3 games. Wrestlers got themselves into awkward positions, and the reversals felt off somehow. Yet it was still a great wrestling game that included Sting, Mr. Perfect, and one of the best Showcase modes in the series' history, focusing on Stone Cold Steve Austin, covering a significant proportion of the Attitude Era.

11 WCW Vs. World

The PS1 Predecessor To The N64 AKI Wrestling Games

• Launched: 1997
• Developer: AKI Corporation
• Platform: PS1

WCW vs. The World was the debut wrestling title from AKI - formally Man Breeze - on the PlayStation in the US in 1997. It was launched in Japan a year prior as Virtual Pro Wrestling and featured a roster of New Japan Pro Wrestling and some WCW stars. However, when the game was released in the West, the Japanese names were changed due to copyright laws despite retaining their likenesses.

So, even though it was marketed as a WCW game, it was very much a Japanese title. Being a Japanese wrestling game at its heart, WCW vs. The World was all about the gameplay and being as close to a 3D wrestling sim as the PS1 could get, unlike the faster but more arcade-style WWE Smackdown titles that launched later on the system. Like WWE 2K22 is for the series moving forward, this was the foundation for the popular engine used by the AKI wrestling titles on the N64.

An interesting fact highlighted in Hardcore Gaming 101's Wrestling with Pixels was Manbreeze - who later changed their name to AKI Corp, were originally part of the Human studio that created the Fire Pro series. The team grew disillusioned with being forced to rush their first 3D wrestling game in Japan - Fire Pro Wrestling Iron Slam '96 for the PS1. So they left to form the studio, Man Breeze. Interestingly, and with their origins aligned, many fans consider the best wrestling games ever were made by the developers behind Fire Pro and the AKI-built titles, like WWF No Mercy.

10 WWE Day Of Reckoning 2

An Improvement On The First Game With Grappling Mechanics

WWE Day Of Reckoning 2 launched in 2005 as a GameCube exclusive. It was the last standalone WWE game to feature on a Nintendo system aside from the downscaled ports of PlayStation and Xbox games. The game was developed by Yukes but included some former members of AKI.

Like its predecessors, Day of Reckoning 2 uses a grappling system similar to the AKI-developed Nintendo 64 titles combined with the Yukes wrestling engine. Only this time, the experience is more refined and improved than the previous effort, even if hit detection is still an issue. Like the N64 titles, the game uses the left shoulder button to counter strikes and the right shoulder button to reverse grapples. In addition, some submissions affect momentum and body parts. Players can even latch on a resting submission hold to regain their stamina - a feature sorely lacking in the current WWE 2K series.

9 WWE Smackdown! Here Comes The Pain

The Best Game Under The Smackdown Label

WWE Here Comes the Pain was released in 2003 on the PlayStation 2. It remains one of the most popular entries, with fans hoping for a modern-day remake or even a remaster since the visuals hold up surprisingly well.

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Here Comes the Pain is not the most technical or methodical grappler on this list, but it is one of the most fun and accessible. The game is fast and has arcade-like controls that are simple to pull off with crazy moves like weapon finishers, but there was a surprisingly deep move-set under the surface. Following the AKI-produced games, there were reversals for strikes and grapples mapped to separate shoulder buttons.

8 WWE 2K19

The Last (and One of the Best) WWE Games Developed By Yukes

Technically, this entry could include WWE 2K17, WWE 2K18, and WWE 2K19 because, except for some additional moves, the gameplay of all three games is almost identical. The most recent titles still have the same basic system minus a few moves, but Visual Concepts remapped the button layout from WWE 2K20 onward, making some things awkward for longtime fans until they get used to it. WWE 2K19 was mechanically the most polished and felt like a wrestling game.

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WWE 2K19 has a solid wrestling system that is accessible. The grappling system allows the player to target limbs with multiple high and low-impact grapples and strikes. The responsive reversal system provides good back-and-forth action when the reversal limits are turned off in the settings, and the AI adjusts itself accordingly. An excellent mechanic featured up to WWE 2K19 was chain wrestling. It allowed fans to start the matches slowly with technical wrestling and grappling.

Admittedly, the mini-game didn't resonate with everyone and was loved and hated equally. Unfortunately, this feature was removed from WWE 2K20 onward. However, for purists, it should be included as an optional extra in the settings. Finally, another feature that is sorely lacking in the latest entries is targeted grapple holds. With the grab action, players can control their opponents and target specific body parts with the shoulder buttons, which feels more meaningful when playing as a technical wrestler.

7 WCW Vs. NWo: World Tour

The First AKI Wrestling Game On The N64

• Launched: 1997
• Developer: AKI Corporation
• Platform: N64

WCW vs. NWo: World Tour was developed by AKI and released in 1997 on the Nintendo 64. It was the follow-up to WCW vs. The World on the PlayStation. Building upon the mechanics of its predecessor, WCW vs. NWo refined its grappling system and became the standard for wrestling titles for nearly two decades.

It also brought back the spirit meter, which means matches felt natural and more about momentum shifts than depleting a health bar. Adding to the back-and-forth action was the revolutionary reversal system. Reversals can be countered, and counters can be reversed. World Tour captured the essence of Japanese wrestling.

6 WWE 2K23

A Stunning Presentation Of WWE Wrestling With Tons Of Customization

WWE 2K23 is the latest entry in the long-running series that began with Smackdown on the PS1. There is no denying it's the best-looking wrestling game ever made, and the attention to detail is second to none. The gameplay is smooth and responsive, with multiple ways to counter and reverse maneuvers.

The AI is a vast improvement but can still act out of character with certain wrestlers. Moreover, it still feels like the AI decides when the human player is finished, making it near-impossible to kick out of some pinning predicaments. Still, the AI is less predictable, making it more challenging and satisfying to reverse and mount a comeback. Moreover, players can fine-tune pinning and submission settings to make the game feel and play more like a wrestling match on TV. They can make kicking out easier for themselves and the AI so the matches can have that back-and-forth event with false finishes, close calls, and more.