The second DLC showcase for WWE 2K15 is now available, and it’s centred on Mark Henry, the WWE’s long-tenured “World’s Strongest Man.” Henry is kind of a funny story, as the WWE signed him way back when during the death throes of the big-man era of wrestling. The problem was that they paid a lot of money to Henry, and he struggled to really materialize into anything remotely marketable. His 10-year contract was rumored to be in the neighbourhood of $1 million a year, which was a lot to shell out for an unproven commodity. Only in recent years has Henry managed to create some type of return on investment for the company, but even that is dubious.

Either way, it’s kind of interesting to see a guy who was such a mid-card talent for so long (inside of a main event body frame) get a mode like this dedicated to him. His matches from a few years ago are probably the most memorable of his career, mainly because he was given a proper push and was paired up with some wrestlers who could actually sell his offense. Then again, the issue of the first DLC for this game is also an issue here: the storyline on offer just isn’t that memorable or meaningful in the annals of WWE history. It’s a standard angle that’s being lionized for this particular game mode, but it’s really a dime a dozen when it comes to wrestling angles over the years.

Over the nine matches of this showcase, Mark Henry is inducting various opponents into his “Hall of Pain.” The basic thrust of the angle is: out-of-control big man squashing opponents. It’s a storyline that’s been done to death since time immemorial, but the developers manage to pepper in a couple of interesting moments from this story. You’ll get to do an “OMG!” moment where you suplex the Big Show off the top rope and watch the ring collapse. There are also some fun moments in a cage match against Daniel Bryan, where you’ll be throwing him all over the cage, using it as a weapon.

While there are a few instances of wanton carnage from Henry that are controlled by the user (smashing the Uso Bros. after he’s already won the handicap match), this aspect doesn’t go far enough. Part of the problem is that the few moments that highlight Henry’s destructive path are mostly in cutscene. If I’m role-playing as a dominating heel, let me go over the top with some of these sequences. Embellish them, if you have to, as long as the spirit of the moment is preserved. Again, there are a few of these moments, but not enough.

The other problem, like the first showcase, is that the few historical objectives just aren’t that interesting (save a couple), and that means you’ll mainly be wearing down your opponents with the same quick attacks and safe moves in order to keep the momentum. It’s still relatively easy to reverse an opponent, but fulfilling some of these objectives can be annoying when a CPU like Big Show becomes some sort of reversing, chain-wrestling machine. The easiest template for a match is just to bum-rush your opponent with running strikes or quick grapples, as you don’t want to give them much of a window to turn the tables.

There are a few sequences where you actually have to let yourself take a finisher or kick-out of a pin, and that shows a glimmer of what modes like this could be. There is still too much of an emphasis on meters and strike timing, when it should really be about recreating an awesome match, win or lose. I’m glad the devs are at least experimenting with these concepts, though.

As usual, you’ll unlock various ring attires and characters for use in the full game, and these are tied into completing historical objectives. Still, at nine matches and taking no more than about 90 minutes, it’s hard to feel great about this value proposition. I look at these first two DLCs as just the path of least resistance for 2K, where they seem to be thinking: “What storylines can we do that will cost no additional money in licensing or gameplay development?” The third and final DLC, focused around the Ultimate Warrior, looks to have some actual legends in it, and you get the get the feeling that they’re putting all their effort behind that release.

FINAL THOUGHTS

What’s here is serviceable if you bought the season pass ($25), but it’s hard to feel great about the value, either as part of that offering or as a standalone purchase ($10). I sort of wonder if this DLC would have even been made at all had the roster been more extensive for WWE 2K15, but I guess a guy with a 15-20 year career deserves some kind of recognition. Still, you’ll find very little here that’s new, and the gameplay conceit doesn’t really embrace the concept of a monster unleashed. Let’s hope the final DLC hits the target more than these first two.

Pros: Decent video packages; a few entertaining in-match and historical spots

Cons: Limited number of matches; no interesting guest characters; lack of creativity overall

Verdict: While this entry is a bit more focused than the first DLC showcase, it’s still not worth your time or money. Let’s hope that “Path of the Warrior” showcase ends up redeeming things for season pass owners.