On January 15th, NetherRealm Studios and Phosphor Game Studios released a free-to-play mobile fighting game based on a re-imagined WWE universe. As a result of this collaboration, WWE Immortals is not only a fun mobile game but also one of the best WWE games out right now.
WWE Immortals could be best described as a mobile version of 2013’s Injustice: Gods Among Us video game but with WWE superstars cast as the main competitors. The opening cutscene tells a story of Bray Wyatt possessing a dark lantern with infinite and unknown powers. Eventually, that lantern is confiscated by The Authority (the bad guys of the WWE) and used to open up an alternate world of warriors. Beyond that opening intro, there are no other story elements and the game immediately shifts the player right into action.
The fighting tutorial that is introduced next is straightforward and easy to follow. The game follows a 3v3 combat format. Players can tap on the screen to attack, swipe to do heavy attacks, hold down two fingers to block enemy attacks, and tap on character portraits to tag in teammates. Each fighter also has two signature moves and one dynamic finisher that can be used after they have built up enough adrenaline on the battlefield. Overall, the combat is smooth and responsive, something that the most recent WWE games have been lacking.
Once this short tutorial is over, you’re able to jump right into the game’s main fighting mode. Every player starts out with a group of 3 pre-assigned fighters (the equivalent of one card pack) and has the ability to build up their collection of competitors overtime by winning battles. Successfully beating each group will net you both XP to boost your rank and currency to buy more fighters, and unlock new abilities and stronger character specific attacks with your current roster. As you get deeper into the game, certain matchups will have stipulations in place to raise the difficulty level. Your team also has a stamina meter that drops prior to every match and you’ll have to recharge this regularly as the competition gets tougher. There are a total of 43 battles to participate in with roughly 12-15 fighters (the equivalent of 4-5 card packs) in each showdown.
Players who have mastered the game and are seeking more compelling competition can jump into the robust challenge mode. This option gives the player several hours to complete five specialized battles with various objectives and difficulty levels throughout. Successfully completing these battles grants winners perks, and a new, more powerful version of a wrestler. The only downside here is that you have to spend challenge points to participate in every match. You can however earn one challenge point based upon how well you perform in any of the other 43 battles in the main fight mode. This mode is simply for the most skilled of players and you should be ready for anything if you decide to join in.
With so many positives to WWE Immortals, there are at least 2 main issues that I have with this game. For starters, the roster is extremely limited and most of the time the new fighters you buy are only variations of a current competitor. Fans of Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, Bray Wyatt, Antonio Cesaro, and Dolph Ziggler will definitely be disappointed not to see them as playable characters in the game. The lack of a huge roster also presents the problem of having the exact same matchups all too often. I’m not quite sure if NetherRealm intends to add updates to this game, but if they do, this is one area that definitely should be addressed first.
Another concern I have for WWE Immortals lies within the stamina meter that drains before every match. While this concept is a great way to represent fatigue, the flaw comes when inactive members on your team also lose stamina. I had several matches where I was able to beat all three of my enemies with one fighter, yet the other two characters lost stamina too. The one positive here is that your stamina automatically regenerates after about 5 minutes of not playing the game. Again though, this is another issue that the developers could fix if they have time to do so in the months ahead.
As a whole, WWE Immortals is a great mobile fighting game with a winning formula. While it may lack a story and updated roster, both the gameplay and the ability to level up characters is more than enough to keep you coming back for more. The game is currently available on iOS and Android devices.
This review was based on a purchased copy of WWE Immortals for the iPad.
