For as long as most of us can remember, WWE has been a force in the video game world. Even when they release less than stellar entries (we’re looking at you WWE 2K20), they’re among the most popular releases each year. Along with quality gameplay and sweet graphics, the fans often want something with a compelling story.
Luckily, plenty of WWE games have featured story modes that delivered in that aspect. Whether it was “Road to WrestleMania,” the new “MyCareer” mode, or one of the most obscure modes from the past, you can be sure there were some great stories. A few were even better than what we’d get on WWE programming. Without further ado, here are the 10 best story modes in WWE games.
Updated on January 11th, 2021 by Patrick Mocella: While WWE 2K20 and WWE 2K Battlegrounds were both disasters to WWE fans and gamers alike, WWE has a long history of having some amazing story modes in their video games. Sometimes the focus is on reliving the past like with WWE ’13’s Attitude Era mode or other times they create instant classic stories like
16 WCW Invasion – WWE ’12
One of the most maligned storylines in WWE history is without a doubt the WCW/ECW invasion storyline in 2001. It is seen as the biggest missed opportunity in WWE history and while the real-life version sucked, a redux of this storyline in WWE ’12 is far superior.
The storyline starts out innocently enough with Kevin Nash returning as Raw general manager and planning a one-night WCW reunion show but it quickly becomes clear that Nash has returned to invade WWE from within with his former WCW comrades. Even more daring is that WCW actually succeeds and briefly turns WWE Raw into WCW Nitro before the player’s custom wrestler teams up with WWE stars like John Cena and The Undertaker to stop WCW once for all in a Hell In A Cell at Starrcade. It’s absolutely bonkers in all the right ways.
15 Attitude Era Mode – WWE ’13
To this day, some wrestling fans will cry out for a return to the late 1990s style of WWE programming called “The Attitude Era”. While that is likely to never happen, WWE fans did get a huge load of nostalgia in WWE ’13’s “Attitude Era Mode”.
While the main focus of the mode only goes to WrestleMania 15, players take control of key performers of the era including Undertaker, The Rock, Mankind and of course Stone Cold. The presentation of this mode is impeccable and even after WrestleMania 15 is over there is a slew of bonus matches from 2000/2001 that showcase later stage performers like Eddie Guerrero and Chris Jericho. For those who beg for more Attitude Era, it’s here.
14 30 Years Of WrestleMania – WWE 2K14
After WWE ’13‘s beloved Attitude Era hit the scene, Yukes’ was hard-pressed to come up with something to top it. While it wasn’t as good, 2k14‘s 30 Years Of WrestleMania was a ton of fun too.
Showcasing at least one match each from WrestleMania 1-29, every legend a gamer could want is playable in this mode. The matches for the most part are showcased with the appropriate grace they deserve. With in-match objectives to complete and brand new video packages hyping up each bout, this is the nostalgia any WWE fan can appreciate.
13 WWE Day Of Reckoning
An oft-forgotten series of WWE wrestling games, the pair of Day Of Reckoning games on the Gamecube play like a mix of the N64 AKI games and the THQ Smackdown games. Not only were they solid grapplers, but the story mode in these games are great, but the edge goes to the first one.
Players take control of their custom character as they ascend up the ranks of either Smackdown or Raw. If they choose Raw, you will join Triple H’s Evolution stable and if they choose Smackdown, they will be a part of Undertaker’s New Ministry stable. Twists and turns happen as the story rolls on and finally it ends with you facing your stable’s leader at WrestleMania for the world title. It’s not as crazy or complex as others on the list, but it’s still a great deal of fun.
12 Rey Mysterio & Batista – Smackdown vs. Raw 2009
For the most part, story modes in wrestling games are single-player based which is usually the right way to go, but some multi-player stories have existed in WWE games and it was pulled off well in WWE Smackdown Vs Raw 2009.
While you can play this single-player, the real joy is having yourself and a friend play as Rey Mysterio and Batista who go on a journey to become WWE Tag Team Champions. However, their success as singles stars eventually puts them on a collision course at WrestleMania with the World Heavyweight Champion on the line either in a 1v1 match or a triple threat with Edge depending on what happens at the February PPV. From the branching paths to how much more fun playing against another human is, this is a vastly underrated story mode.
11 Chris Jericho’s Mystery Attacker – Smackdown vs. Raw 2009
Our first entry will start a trend. The “Road to WrestleMania” mode from the Smackdown vs. Raw franchise is often considered the best story mode in a wrestling game. Each playable character had their own unique journey to go on as they headed towards the biggest show of the year.
In Smackdown vs. Raw 2009, Chris Jericho was the focal point of an intriguing mystery. As soon as Jericho finishes his first match, he is targeted by someone using his own cryptic messages against him. Each match and segment brings you closer to the reveal of who is the masked man behind it all. And it culminates with a WrestleMania match for the WWE Championship.
10 Champion Of Champions – WWE ’12
A lot of wrestling fans complain about the lack of prestige that many of WWE’s championships have. It’s an understandable complaint in this day and age. But WWE ’12 had an interesting take on how to make the titles mean everything. Have one guy capture them all.
In real life, this probably wouldn’t work for interesting television. But in a video game scenario, it’s perfect. It gives the player the ultimate goal to achieve. They could capture one title and keep pushing forward until everything was in their grasp. And then there was the Champion of Champions Title that you got at the end of it all.
9 Royal Rumble Numbers – Smackdown vs. Raw 2007
Storylines surrounding entrant numbers in the Royal Rumble are nothing new to the WWE. We’ve seen wrestlers compete for the coveted #30 spot while others have been forced to start the match at #1. But it has never been done on TV the way that Smackdown vs. Raw 2007 did.
This game took the Royal Rumble numbers as kind of a gauntlet. Whoever you chose to play as wrestled the person with the number after him. The winner would get the better entry number. And it went on and on until all spots were handled. It made someone earn #30 and was fun to boot. Stories like this helped make Smackdown vs. Raw 2007 one of the best wrestling games in PS2 history.
8 Friendship Rules All – Smackdown vs. Raw 2009
We’re back with Smackdown vs. Raw 2009 for another “Road to WrestleMania” story. When you made your selection for this mode, each option was for a singles star except for the one centering around Batista and Rey Mysterio. It made for a unique scenario that was intriguing from the start.
The two begin as a tag team who find rousing success against duos like Kane and The Undertaker. They win the Tag Team Titles and end up as the final two in the Royal Rumble. Their friendship is tested at every turn, especially when they face off at WrestleMania for the top title. But no betrayal ever comes and things are instead based on respect and competition. It’s the kind of tale not often told in wrestling.
7 Eddie Guerrero Controls The Undertaker – Smackdown vs. Raw 2006
We’ll address the elephant in the room first. This story is often viewed in a negative light because of the timing. It ends when Undertaker puts Eddie Guerrero in a casket and buries him. Sadly, this game came out just days before Eddie’s untimely passing in real life.
We understand that this is touchy for a lot of fans. However, if you can look past the timing you’ll see how much fun this mode was. Eddie was zany and wacky in a way that only worked in a video game. A story where he unjustly controlled Undertaker by stealing his urn is a brilliant one that is perfect for this medium.
6 Revenge Mode – WrestleMania XIX
This GameCube exclusive featured one of the most unique story modes in WWE history. Instead of a traditional in-ring plot, “Revenge Mode” mostly took place outside. The story begins with your character getting thrown out of the arena by Vince McMahon. You then plot with Stephanie to get revenge.
Your goal is to ruin Vince’s flagship show, WrestleMania. To do this, you get sent to various places like construction sites, malls, and more, each with an objective that will mess up WrestleMania. Along the way, you fight security guards and wrestlers in everyday locations.
5 Shawn Michaels vs. JBL’s Money – Smackdown vs. Raw 2010
The real rivalry between Shawn Michaels and John Bradshaw Layfield at the end of 2008 was a fine idea. Shawn was down on his luck and needed money, so he was forced to do JBL’s bidding for money. But it was done even better in “Road to WrestleMania” in Smackdown vs. Raw 2010.
JBL’s money was still the focal point but it wasn’t that Michaels needed it. Instead, JBL used it to pay off everyone who Shawn considered an ally as they headed towards WrestleMania. It was the ultimate tale of someone having to overcome the man with all the money.
4 The United Kingdom – WWE ’12
Another entry from WWE ’12 focused on a faction being created by a villainous mastermind. The always cunning William Regal put together a stable known as the United Kingdom. It featured Wade Barrett, Drew McIntyre, and Sheamus (though the latter isn’t from the UK).
The idea stemmed from Regal being tired of getting overlooked. Fans have gravitated towards this storyline and it is often considered one of the best ever created for a game. WWE tried a version of this in late 2015 with the League of Nations but they never came off nearly as well as this group did.
3 MyCareer Mode – WWE 2K19
Shortly after 2K Games took over the WWE license, they brought in “MyCareer.” It was a WWE twist on the popular mode from their NBA 2K franchise. Early on, it struggled to stand out and just felt like a missed opportunity more than anything else. That changed with WWE 2K19.
This installment builds you up from a small indy promotion to the top of WWE with a fantastic story. There are so many memorable moments. A supernatural rivalry with Bray Wyatt, trying to earn the respect of John Cena, the reunion of Evolution, an invasion of NXT, and so much more.
2 Attitude Era Mode – WWE ’13
To this day, some wrestling fans will cry out for a return to the late 1990s style of WWE programming called “The Attitude Era”. While that is likely to never happen, WWE fans did get a huge load of nostalgia in WWE ’13’s “Attitude Era Mode”.
While the main focus of the mode only goes to WrestleMania 15, players take control of key performers of the era including Undertaker, The Rock, Mankind and of course Stone Cold. The presentation of this mode is impeccable and even after WrestleMania 15 is over there is a slew of bonus matches from 2000/2001 that showcase later stage performers like Eddie Guerrero and Chris Jericho. For those who beg for more Attitude Era, it’s here.
1 Rey Mysterio’s Amnesia – Smackdown vs. Raw 2011
One of the coolest things about a wrestling video game is getting to do things that would probably never happen on WWE television. For example, seeing Rey Mysterio do dastardly deeds like a villain has never happened in real WWE. But Smackdown vs. Raw 2011 allowed it to go down.
This story sees Mysterio suffer from amnesia after getting into a car accident. Jack Swagger, the real bad guy of the tale, convinced Rey that they were friends and got him to follow in his footsteps. It’s a fun story that works so well because it’s different from what we’re accustomed to.
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