WWE Smackdown vs RAW is finding itself on familiar ground with the great sports franchises of EA. The series tries to make leaps and bounds every year because the game will sell millions and people need a reason to buy the latest release. Unlike sports, WWE rosters/factions are so fluid, they can change multiple times in a year. More importantly, the action is entirely scripted and for the most part predictable. The ratings of most of the Superstars does not change from year to year that drastically. THQ was able to revamp the single player modes for 2011 making this installment well worth picking up.
Wrestling games were my favorite local multi game back in the day. The hours we logged into titles like WWE No Mercy and WCW/NwO Revenge are laughable. Now, with online gaming, you can do the same without getting everyone together. Finally, online matches are a reality and this adds huge replayabilty to the game. A new single player mode has been added called WWE Universe. Imagine a Career Mode with no end. This allows you to work your way up the ladder and just do whatever you want. Make your own matches, fight in PPVs, it does not matter. The mode is open-ended for a reason. This is for those who did not like the constrictions of WWE Road to Wrestlemania which has also gone under a substantial change.
RtW is the de facto career mode in all WWE games the past few years. The premise is simple. Choose one of the pre-determined superstars and become the champ. Now, the way to rank up is to wander backstage and pick fights with other superstars. Kick their ass and you can level up. While necessary, this becomes much like grinding and killing boar in the forests of Azeroth. It feels like a chore and the brawls can take a lot of time with little reward. The grappling system has gone under minor changes but is still frustrating. The system is chained. Simple moves are then chained into slams and throws. Reversing is very easy (still one button) and too often will a match will be all punches and running attacks. Grappling is to wrestling as pitching is to baseball. If one doesn’t work, all that follows is compromised.
The WWE franchise did not take a step back in 2011. Despite the grappling issue, which has to be fixed going forward, there has never been a wrestling game with a replay value this high. Online matches are huge. The revamped career modes, though frustrating at times, still offer hours of play time. The game looks better than ever and since all the superstars lend their own voices, the sound quality is top notch. During the holidays, you may be forced to make some choices on what to play. This year, any avid wrestling fan and even those who are fans of the series need to pick this up and lay the smackdown on somebody’s candy ass.
[A copy of the game was provided by the publisher for review purposes.]
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