WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw

"A solid WWE game, but could have been better."

Introduction

This is my second WWE Smackdown game, my first WWE Smackdown game was Smackdown! Here Comes the Pain. I really enjoyed that game, and i enjoyed this one to a lesser extent. This is the first WWE game that I have ever reviewed. The first wrestling game I ever played was WCW vs Nitro on the Nintendo 64. I hope this review will provide you will information that will determine if you wish to buy this game.

Graphics 9/10

The graphics are very good, JBL could not look anymore lifelike. The arenas are awesome, You can barely tell the arenas in the game from the ones on TV.
The pyrotechnics are not so well done, they look very "dull" .I feel the the pyrotechnics could have been done a bit better. While the pyrotechnics are not perfect they are still well executed. The entrances are better than ever this year. Some of the lighting effects are amazing. All of all the entrances are near identical to their counterparts in the WWE.The character models and arenas have very nice graphics, however some of the characters look horrible. Shawn Michaels and Randy Orton prime examples. The moves in this game flow very well, unfortunately there are some very badly animated and old move animations in this game. Moves such as the RKO and The "Show Stopper" need to be reanimated.In conclusion I can state that the graphics in this game are magnificent except for some slight flaws.

Season Mode 8/10

The season mode in this game is somewhat linear. The voice overs are very very average, not that good, not that bad. The worst thing about season mode is that there isn't a large variety of choices for your character to choose. There are only about five different endings that can come that can come out of the season mode. Compared to HCTP's season mode I find this year's season very disappointing. In conclusion Smackdown vs Raw has a mediocre season mode yet slightly enjoyable season mode.

Sound 7/10

Unlike last year, Yuke's put licensed music in this game. It has a fairly low amount of decent music tracks to listen . Most of it is either rock or rap. Eventually it will get very repetitive. In fact every time you start the game the tracks will play in the same order.

Game-Play 9/10
The game-play in this game is pretty much a the same as last year. There are a few mini-games that can actually affect you. For instance during the beginning of a match you must press a specific button, if you press that specific button more than your opponent does, you will push/punch your opponent, giving you the upper hand at the beginning of a match. While the mini-games are nice, it doesn't make up for the lack of fixing the flaws in the game-play. However, there is one upgrade many people have mixed feelings about. This year Yuke's has incorporated 4 different grapple positions, in each of these grapple positions you have a choice of doing four moves. There is a nice variety of matches to choose from, all ranging from single to hell in a cell. The AI in this game have been dumbed down from last year's game, many times they will do stupid things. Many times, the AI just stands there while you are lying on the floor, not waiting to take the opportunity to hurt you even more. They also never use the power grapple mode for some reason, and some AI characters will even do the same moves over and over again. They are somewhat more difficult on legend mode, but pretty much all they do is reverse your counters much more.

CAW and create a move set

7/10 The CAW in this game is very bland. There is a small amount of things you can add onto your CAW. Unlike last year many accessories have been removed, and the clothes still look like they are painted on to your CAW. Not only do the clothes look painted on, but there isn't even a decent collection fo close to begin with!While making the entrance all you do is choose the music , video, and entrance walk You cannot add your own lighting effects or pyrotechnics to your entrances in this game for some dumbfounded reason. This makes for a very boring entrance. While this is a mediocre create mode, you still might have a fun time wreaking havoc with all your CAWs. While the CAWS don't look as good as the wrestlers in this game they still are pleasing to the eye.

Replay value 9/10

The replay value is very good for this game, especially if you have friends come over. The online has little significance for the replay value of this game, the only reason for playing online in the first place is to look for a challenge. Playing the AI on legend mode also makes this game a little more funner, but causing mayhem with your friends will surely make this game last a long time.

Overall 9/10
If you are a fan of WWE games you should definitely pick this game up, even though it is actually a step down form WWE Here Comes the Pain, it will provide hours of fun and joy. If you are a newcomer to the WWE series, then I would recommend you buy WWE Here Comes the Pain.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/28/05