WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw

"Decent enough, but very disappointing"

This is easily the weakest and most disappointing Smackdown game, since WWF Smackdown!: Just Bring It. Granted, it's good enough. It still uses the same winning format as the rest of the series. There's just something about this game which prevents it from being as good some the previous games were. In fact, it's not just one thing, it's a range of things. Maybe it's the sub-standard roster, which is very badly chosen in the eyes of any WWE fan. Maybe it's the poor quality season mode, worse than the last two installments. Maybe it's the lack of exciting new features or maybe it's the fact that there are still so many gaping flaws in the series, which remain untouched.

Graphics

At first glance, the graphics are excellent. However, when you look a bit longer, you may notice that they're not exactly a huge improvement over those in Here Comes The Pain. So, is the revamped graphics engine a good or bad thing? Well, it does improve things, no doubt about that, but does it improve them enough to warrant this much work? Well, frankly, no it doesn't.

Gameplay

Sadly, the gameplay of this great series is starting to feel somewhat dated. When you look at the smooth and stylish fight engine found in Def Jam: FFNY, there is no comparison. Smackdown! vs RAW is very much an arcade-style game, with fast paced actions and exaggerated animations. This is good for a while, but it does fall down when you look at some of the more sophisticated beat-em-ups of today. On top of this, the matches you play don't feel particularly comparable to those in WWE, because there are still a lot of problems making the game feel unrealistic. A lot of moves are animated in a very over-the-top way. A lot of moves don't even connect. All characters get up using mild forms of commando rolls. After a high-impact move, wrestler will bounce off the floor. These just don't cut it in the modern day fight sim and need to be lost as soon as possible.

Sound

For the first time in the series, we are gifted with licensed music. Is it the best? No, but it fits the game well enough and makes an interesting change from the same tune blasting out during matches. Yet this isn't the only addition to the sound. Commentary returns and although it is slightly better than it was in Shut Your Mouth, it really isn't good enough to deserve a return. Each of the commentators will still repeat themselves and blurt out lines at the most inappropriate of times. This can become annoying when you are trying to concentrate on a match. Plus, there are now wrestler voiceovers in season mode, something the fans have been calling about for years. They're well done enough. The main character doesn't speak, which is understandable. Yet you've got to wonder if there are more important things being sacrificed for the likes of voiceovers…

Roster

To WWE fans, this is one of the most important parts of a wrestling game. So bearing this in mind, you'd think Yukes would provide an up-to-date, full and satisfying roster. Sadly, they don't. The roster is considerably weaker than that in the last two installments. Not only is it almost half the size, but also there are a lot of favorites and, at the time of release, current champions, missing from the line-up. Where are La Resistance, Paul London, Billy Kidman, Spike Dudley, William Regal, Eugene and Lita. They're nowhere to be seen. Instead we are given the likes of Garrison Cade, Chuck Palumbo, Hardcore Holly, A-Train and Mark Jindrak, three of whom have since been released from WWE. Even before the deadline, these guys were doing nothing in WWE and had no good reason to be in, except that they were potentially easy to make. On the other hand, the legends on this game are pretty good all around, with the addition of Mankind, Bret Hart and Andre The Giant. Yukes has done a very poor job here; this needs to be sorted for next year.

Season Mode

Again, very disappointing. As a result of adding voiceovers, Yukes has sacrificed the free and open feel to previous seasons, for a year long, extremely linear adventure. The sad thing is, once you've played through it once, it's practically identical the second time. Again, changes need to be made in this area, whether it is completely revamped or just to the standard of previous titles.

Creation Modes

Create-a-Wrestler is a huge letdown. We were promised a new system, which would allow created wrestlers to fit in amongst the in-game wrestlers. Unfortunately, this is far from the truth. It would appear as if the only thing that's been altered is the menu screen when choosing body parts. Other than that, created wrestlers still stand out rather too much from everyone else. In an age where most games can manage a create mode that maintains an equal between both, the smackdown series is still struggling behind.

The two new modes, Create-a-PayPerView and Create-a-Belt are okay, but a lot weaker than they should have been. The CAPPV mode does not even match the standard of the one in Know Your Role because there is nothing special about it. No audience ratings, you just pick the matches and play them. This begs the question, what is the point? Indeed, you could just as easily set these up as exhibition matches. Which is why Yukes has cleverly placed the CAB mode within the CAPPV mode, to give the latter some form of innovation. Yet even this is more of an excuse than anything. CAB itself is nowhere near to the standard of those in past wrestling games, the whole formula of it doesn't work. Firstly, you must spend your hard earned “smackdown dollars” on creating a belt. Even a cheap one will cost you around $50,000 which takes a long time to earn. Once you've created a belt, it isn't even held by a specific wrestler, but rather just by a memory card. So you can only defend your belt against human opponents. Great if you've got mates who own the game but if you don't, it's just another waste of space.

New Features

This installment doesn't provide a whole lot in the way of new features. Not at all. When you look at what changes have been made in the ring, they are worthless. Chop battles in the corner break up the gameplay and do not add a lot to the wrestling side of things. Sitting grapples are just as useless; these were better left out. In fact, there really aren't any useful additions at all. If you're expecting a great change in gameplay, then you'll be disappointed. The addition of clean or dirty meters are okay. These basically mean that you must adjust your style to either gain support from the fans or make them turn against you. The reward for doing so isn't really a lot to talk about.

In the way of other new features, we have one new match type, which isn't even that good (more on that below). The only two things that really stand out as being great are challenge mode and the revamped “royal rumble” match. Challenge mode sees the player taking on a set of specific tasks, such as beating wrestlers in a certain time and/or in a certain way. This is actually a lot of good fun in single player mode. The new royal rumble match is a great improvement over the last one. If you don't know, this is a match where 30 superstars enter one at a time and throw each other out of the ring, until only one remains. This year sees a new meter, which allows for more tactical play.

Match Types

Not only is there only one mere new match type, but the current ones are still not being improved. The new “Parking Lot Brawl” match is okay, but really not too far removed from other match types. This comes across as an excuse to not include so many backstage areas. Plus, match variations such as cage, ladder and table continue to feel very dated, without even being fun to play They need serious work done to them.

Online Mode

So, after so many disappointments can online play be the one saving grace for this game? No. Sure, it makes it a whole lot better and does boost its score. Yet the online play itself is not given enough attention. There are only two available match types online and that's about it. No league table or anything like that, just the ability to play singles matches online. Good? Yes. Great? Hell no.

So there we have it, the second worst smackdown game to date. Yukes has focused too much on glossing up the looks and adding sound quality, whilst looking less at the gaping flaws and the things which are important to the series. However, it still scores a seven because of sharing a formula with previous games. If you're new to the series and/or don't care too much for the roster, then consider this game. If you own Here Comes The Pain, are an avid WWE follower who cares a lot for who appears in the game or even just a fighting game fan, it really isn't worth the cash.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 04/18/05