Since the year 2000 WWE Smackdown! has been the leader of all wrestling games. If you're a huge fan of professional wrestling like I am then you could just remember playing Wrestlemania 2000 for the N64, which is by far my favorite wrestling games ever. The release of "WWF Smackdown!" for the Playstation changed the way we saw wrestling games with insane 3D graphics. Adapting the RAW franchise to the video game in 2004, after Nintendo lost rights to RAW, WWE Smackdown vs RAW would set the bar higher and higher every year with new innovations to the game, updated roster, DLC updates, new matches, and storylines. This year is no different with the release of WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2010, which is believed to be the best wrestling game in the almost 10 years of the Smackdown franchise. I had the chance to get a copy and try the game out for myself. Instead of boring you with long paragraphs, i will list everything i liked and didn't like about the game.
LIKES
- Presentation of the game is much more organized than past Smackdown games as everything you will need is right in front of you with sliding panels revealing the next set of menus, whether its for quickplay matches, Road To Wrestlemania story mode, etc. Also this game will make you feel as if you were watching the show live on TV with gorgeous HD colors.
- Royal Rumble has always been my favorite and now with a new button mashing mini game feature (similar to WWE Legends of Wrestlemania) its even more fun to eliminate opponents.
- Road to Wrestlemania is back and with all new superstars and stories including a divas story with Mickie James, a created superstar story line and a Brand Warfare dealing with both Triple H and John Cena. Other superstars included are Edge and Shawn Michaels.
- When playing the game you will notice some new features with the big word NEW on the side of it, for example they have now added Championship Scramble ranging from 5-20 minutes which basically is the match where the championship can change hand throughout the whole match and the last person to have the title once the time limit is reach is the winner. This is very fun when doing co-op play with friends as you all beat the living hell out of each other to win the title and then retain it.
- Gameplay is as smooth as ever really giving you the feel of moves actually doing damage to the other person, but in this version of the game all previous visible HUD is now gone and placed underneath the character as a momentum bar. When hitting your finisher there is a gorgeous slow motion scene right before the final blow is done to your opponent. From submissions to diving moves everything feels great and crisp.
- Customization is always a big thing in WWE games and Yukes did a great job with this years features. Create a story line is a new feature which gives you the ability to create your own story line for either brand show. From setting up matches, to backstage interviews, rivalries, etc. Its almost similar to GM Mode from past games but this goes more in depth of creativity. Once your done creating your 5 Star Raw episode, you can upload it online for other community members can download and play through your created story line. They have also added Create a diving finisher which takes you through a step by step process on creating the dive move, from how you stand on the turnbuckle to what you did mid air and how you land. You can also change the attire of created superstars from what he/she wears outside the ring, backstage, and while in the ring; but the best would have to be altering WWE superstars outfits by giving you the chance to change the colors of their outfits to fit your style.
- This years roster is probably the best I've seen so far with even more divas and newer up and coming wrestlers like Jack Swagger, Evan Bourne, Cody Rhodes and Ted Dibiase.
Dislikes
- As soon as you start up the game you will be taken to training facility where you will see John Cena and Randy Orton ready to fight. Here is where you can learn all the basics and advanced moves of the game. Not a bad feature but whats most annoying is that it takes you there EVERY TIME you get out of something, so you will constantly have to press start to enter the Main Menu. There is a checklist in where you can see what moves you haven't done already, the bad thing is if you do them you wont get credit for them unless you see the tutorial pop up on your screen when the position is right (which rarely ever happens).
- The AI difficulty in this game has not improved, so being a veteran player, you can breeze through all the matches on the hardest difficulty and not break a sweat. A bad thing about the AI is that it wont stay down for anything. I spent 35 minutes trying to escape a cage match against JBL in Road to Wrestlemania, as i hit 7 finishers and he would get up in 2 seconds right after the move. This isn't realistic at all, which i hope can be fixed because it just makes your day longer when it really doesn't have to be.
- Some of the superstars in the rosters are not in the WWE anymore so i just wished they could have updated it to make it more now. Some of the commentary has Tazz in it, which we all know he is doing commentary for TNA Wrestling.
- Repeating matches in story mode has become a pain for me. During the Mickie James Road To Wrestlemania, i found myself facing Maryse, Michelle McCool and Beth Phoenix over and over whether it was singles matches or tag team. But again that isnt a bad thing (ahhhh Maryse :D)
Overall the game is incredible and very fun to play. Sure it has a few kinks but nothing too serious, but what game is perfect nowadays. I had my fair share of time with this game and as a wrestling fan I am pleased with what THQ and Yukes have done. If you would like to know more about the game feel free to comment.
- Title: WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2010
- Platform Reviewed: Xbox 360
- Developer: Yukes
- Publisher: THQ
- MSRP: $59.99
- Release Date: October 20 (Xbox 360, PS3, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS, PSP, PS2)
- Review Copy Info: This copy was purchased by DualShockers Inc. for reviewing purposes.