WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role

"The Smackdown series goes downhill!"

The second installment of the Smackdown series. Seeing that I thought WWF Smackdown! 1 was great and that Smackdown! 2 got such great reviews I decided to check this one out. I expected a lot and what I got was not even half of what I expected.

FUN- 5

WWF Smackdown 2 isnt fun. The gameplay is exactly like Smackdown 1, and the season mode is very tedious. I have more fun doing schoolwork or cleaning the toilet than playing this game The only positives are the updated rosters and cool matches. To me the updated rosters are not that important anyways and the matches do get boring after a while if thats all that you explore with. You wont want to explore anything else in this game because the cool matches which you first have to unlock is the only thing worth looking into. Even the Create Player option in this game is boring. Smackdown 1 had a much more interesting Create Player option.

GAMEPLAY- 6

- Innovation
This game plays exactly like WWF Smackdown. There is no innovation whatsoever in this game. If you were sick of playing WWF Smackdown do not get this game. The gameplay is exactly like Smackdown 1.

- Challenge
This game is easy and very simple. Sure they have different difficulty settings but before ya know it you will master this game in no time. Too Simple.

- Engine
The gameplay engine sucks. Instead of simulation the game has more of an arcade style. Now this isnt good because instead of taking like 5-10 minutes to win a match its more like 1-3 minutes. The game is very fast and too arcade like. I would prefer a wrestling simulation like WWF Attitude over this game.

- Season
The season mode in this game is tedious and very boring. The worst part of it is that in order to unlock secrets you must go into season mode. It was not fun spending 40+ boring hours completing 5 years in the season just to get all those secrets unlocked. What makes the season boring is the terrible game simulation. Instead of just simulating Computer games as you would normally in sports game you have to actually sit through and watch the simulation in a process of health bar battles. It is boring and tedious. And what makes things even worse is that because there are a lot of story lines in the game which are boring by the way, it results in a lot of loadtimes. So in the season youll spend 85% of your time sitting through health bar battles, looking at storylines and looking at the loading screens. This isnt my idea of Fun!

- Ranking system
This game has one lousy ranking system. It is really hard to move up the ranks during the season in this game even when you win every single game. When you finally get a no.1 contender slot for a title chances are you wont get the title shot until 3 months atleast. In the WWF, titleshots are given almost every week. This is a big problem that the game has. In Smackdown 1 moving up the ranks and receiving title shots was much easier and less tedious.

+ Matches
Smackdown 2 has a lot more matches than its previous title. The game has TLC matches, Hell in a Cell, Ladder matches, Casket matches, Table Matches, it has it all! The number of matches Smackdown 2 has to offer saves the gameplay.

+ Multiplayer
This game is so much fun when playing with friends. Too bad I can not say the same about single player. The Tornado Matches are perfect when you want to team up with a buddy. If you are looking for a slobberknocker as good old JR would say, you can set up a multitap with 4 controllers and have a Battle Royal Match with 4 people.

+ Control
The Smackdown series is known for its simplistic controls. Instead of punching in fighter game like combonations with WWF Attitude or WWF Warzone, all you do is punch in 2 buttons for a grapple move, and 1 button for a finisher. Its as simple as that! Smackdown 2 has the best controls for a wrestling game to date.

GRAPHICS- 8

This game has great graphics. The players actually look almost like their real life counterparts. You might notice that certain things might appear blocky though.

SOUND- 5

THQ got real lazy with the sound production. They did not include commentary, and it hurts the game because of it. Without commentary the game does not seem so exciting. The sound effects in the game are not all that great either. They are too basic and there are no grunts. The music is good though. The music sets the mood in storylines and it is great to listen to.

VALUE- 4

- Creative
There is nothing creative about this game. It is exactly like Smackdown 1. Sure there are more matches, updated rosters but to me they only offer interest for a little while.

- Replay Value
What Replay Value? When playing through season mode I was relieved when I finally finished 5 tedious years just to unlock all secrets. This game has no replay value. When you see all this game has to offer you will be dying to put the control down and take the disc out of your psx. With gameplay this boring the secrets and the cool matches will not matter to you at all.

- Competition
This is definately not the best wrestling game out there. WWF Smackdown is much better than this sequel and even oldies like WWF Attitude have more value than this. WWF Smackdown 2 does have a lot of interesting features but the game is just plain tedious. If you are looking for a good wrestling simulation dont spend the extra bucks to get this game. Instead pick up the previous title, WWF Smackdown. It is much more fun and it costs less.

OVERALL- 5.6(Rounded to 6)
What can I say? I know that I am one of the very few people who detest this title, but I just can not see why people like this game. I am a WWF fan and I honestly think that this game is nothing better than poor. I am not a kiss up. When I review a game, I do it fairly. So althought THQ has a great reputation I am not giving this game any praise, but smackdown 2 does not deserve any. If you are looking for a good wrestling game, dont get this. Get Smackdown 1 instead. If you are just interested in updated rosters then I recommend Smackdown 2 for you.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 01/07/01, Updated 01/07/01