WWE Day of Reckoning 2

"This time, trust no one... Especially the AI!"

First off, let me say that I am a die hard WWE fan, and because of that , it kills me that I cannot give this game a solid 10, as I was so prepared to do once I bought it. However, certain problems rear their ugly heads, and while I would consider these problems to be few, they are largely unforgivable.

Graphics - 10/10

The graphics of this game are superb, even rivaling the graphics of WWE WrestleMania 21 on the more powerful Xbox. All Superstars look as life-like as it is going to get in the current generation of consoles, and , let's face it, the SmackDown! series has nothing so far that can touch them. I love that fact that extra polygons have gone into the wrestler's faces, allowing for more realistic expressions. Create-a-Superstar is awesome (with the exception of all possible female characters looking like their faces were run over six times with a Mack truck), and extremely deep, with unlockable items that you can buy with money earned in story mode. My favorite graphical upgrade from last year by far, is the blood. There are now three levels of blood, depending on how long and hard you've beaten on your opponent, and blood even stains the mat and floor, even though it is only for a few seconds. Some of the entrances are a little off on timing, and creating a female character who doesn't have a face like Paul Bearer can be a nightmare, but when all is said and done, Day of Reckoning 2 offers the best graphics of any WWE game to date.

Sound - 8/10

Where DoR 2 excels in graphics, the sound does leave something to be desired the next time around. Before you start wondering why I gave this an 8 and still begin on a negative note, let me say that the Wrestler's ring entrance music is true to life (probably recorded straight from the WWE studios). Also the hip-hop soundtrack of the last game is gone, replaced instead with instrumental metal and some instrumental techno (or at least that's what some of it sounds like, just in case it's intended to be all metal). Now, I'm probably the biggest metal-maniac you'll ever meet, but I'd be lying if I said that some of this music didn't make me turn the sound off. Also, lack of voice-overs in story mode is a bummer, but given the size of the GameCube disc and it's storage capacity, it is a nessecary sacrifice in order to keep the depth of the roster and everything else. The only use of voice-over in the game is SmackDown! ring announcer Tony Chimmel announcing the superstars during their entrances, and also announcing the winner. In one little twist that I absolutely love, you can now set a created character's home country, state, or hometown (if you pick one of the superstar's hometowns), as well as a specific weight and call name, and Chimmel will read off all of it! Speaking of twists, here's one that I find a little weird: Commentators will show up behind the desk during matches, even though there is no commentary. All-in-all, sound ends up being somewhat lackluster, but effects like the ring announcements, and the satisfying sounds of the pyro and entrance music make up for it for the most part.

Story - 9/10

This is one part of DoR 2 that I couldn't put down. The story is extremely appropriate for the WWE, with more twists, turns, backstabbings, and screwjobs than you can shake a sledgehammer at. Some may find it a bummer that you can only be on RAW, but that's only the beginning. Your Story mode journey will take you all the way through RAW, SmackDown!, Velocity, and everything in-between. The story is one of love, revenge, redemption, and guilt vs innocence. However, the love angle seems to be the driving force, which may turn off some hardcore fans such as myself. This time around, the story mode gives some choices about what you want to do, but those consist largely of who you will fight, what type of match you will fight in, or what title you will go for. The majority of Story mode will remain unchanged no matter what choices you make or how many times you go through it. So therefore, Story mode is a great play, but only really the first time through.

Okay, the next section is on gameplay, but I will be giving two different scores. No I haven't lost my mind, just read on, and you'll understand.

Gameplay - 10/10 (Multiplayer)
8/10(Single Player)

The reason for the two different scores is simple: the AI. In single player mode, the AI has a tendency to make really stupid decisions, especially in Fatal 4 Way matches. First off, the AI has a habit of just staring at you after knocking you down, rather that going for something else. Also, the AI is somewhat unbalanced, because they will usually block or counter everything you can throw at them when both of you are standing, but once they're on the ground (when countering is more crucial), it's possible to pound on them all day by just alternating between strike and grapple. Then of course tag team AI is even worse, since your partner will do more damage to you than your opponents will! The next issue is regarding Fatal 4 Way. The AI has been made to be more fierce... that is when it comes to a human controlled player. They will usually interrupt any move you do on another opponent, but once that same opponent goes for a similar move, nothing. And they have a habit of stopping the competitor who is the least of a threat, therefore allowing another CPU player to win the match ("Oh look, Austin just hit the Stunner! But wait, Eugene is going to throw a punch, I'd better stop him! Don't worry, Austin never beats anybody with that move").
On to multiplayer. This is by far the best part of the game, and the reason you'll keep on playing. The more the merrier is an appropriate moniker for this mode, because Multiplayer battles are sure to last for hours (if players are skilled) and give you some of the most entertaining moments in wrestling video game history. They are fast, hectic, and extremely fun. The game's simple controls allow for casual players and multi-time World Champs alike to beat one another's faces in, and matches like Last Man Standing, Hell in a Cell, and Bra and Panties keep the action varied. The Momentum Shift makes a return, and allows for some late match comebacks, as well as some sneaky strategies. And as far as strategy goes, I love the new stamina system. This is the first time in wrestling video games where strategy actually comes into play, because if you just try to beat your opponent senseless, your stamina will be dropped quicker than you can say slobber-knocker. Which will then force your character to stand still and take a breather, which gives your opponent valuable time to recover, and possibly secure a win.

When it's all said and done and all the smoke has cleared, you cannot go wrong with WWE Day of Reckoning 2. This is quite possibly the most life-like WWE experience to hit the GameCube (or any other system for that matter) so far. The problems are few, but worth pointing out, and I firmly believe that once THQ/Yuke's fixes these problems in the next game, they may have a definite title contender on their hands. As it stands, DoR 2 is more like the guy who just keeps getting screwed out of the title at the last minute. Just when you thing the he's got it won, someone makes an appearance and kicks him in the nuts.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 09/06/05