WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role

"In a few ways, it's better than the original, but in many ways, it's a lot worse."

This game was hyped big time, mostly because not only the original SmackDown! was such a success, but this game also promised not only the same greatness of it's predecessor, but it promised MORE. More matches, better graphics, better CAW. Despite all the hype, all the fansites, and all the ''more, more, more, better, better, better'', was there more bad to the game than meets the eye? I, for one, think yes. Behind all that was good about the game, stood a lot of reasons to make you avoid it, and you wouldn't notice it till months after you bought it. Let's give a look and see why.

Story (4): You either play as one of the 50+ members of the wrestling roster, or you can play as one of your finely crafted created wrestlers in the season mode. This time, instead of being a part of one big ranking, the ranks are split up between championships, and which ranking you decide to be a part in determines which wrestlers you'll most often face. Sadly, even though this has many more cutscenes than the original SmackDown! (in fact, I do believe there is an in-depth FAQ describing all the possible cutscenes you'll encounter), you may never be able to see them all, because a lot of them rarely ever happen. The cutscenes you do see, however, are numerous in the amount of times you'll see them, and you might just end up wishing to no longer see them after the first year of play in season mode.

Music and Sound (6): The game continues with it's techno/trance/rock soundtrack, one that's not very good at all. Just like the original, I, for one, eventually got sick of listening to the terrible music and just turned it off. Also just like the original, playing the game with the music off allows for you to experience a match as if you were in the arena itself. With bumps to canvas, hits and wallops between wrestlers, and the roar of the crowd. There's still no commentary, but that's still not a problem, as my idea of a commentary wouldn't consist of J.R. shouting ''STONE COLD STUNNER! STONE COLD STUNNER!'', and we all know very good and well it would have happened if commentary were included.

Graphics (8): These graphics were updated to a minor extent from the original, but still aren't entirely convincing. Superstars still have a problem when it comes to some moves, as it can sometimes looks like they're melding into each other. It is sometimes the same problem with their own accessories too, look at the Undertaker's, or Triple H's hair, it disappears into their shoulders at times. The arenas are also well updated, with a new, better looking crowd, along with the stage setups and ring look, it's a somewhat new graphical ballgame, with everything looking much nicer than the original.

Gameplay (5): The gameplay is still the same as the original, as it also abandoned the button combination moves from Warzone and Attitude for a simpler two-button combination to let loose a move as devastating as a DDT. The control scheme remains the same, keeping you familiarized with how the game is played. Just like the original, the difficulty settings also mean a great deal, as ''Easy'' will have you stomping your opponents into the ground, but ''Hard'' will have you keeping an eye out for constant reversals and a much faster acting AI. This is only the meat of the gameplay, however, and the rest of the game takes a rollercoaster between ''great'' and ''horrible''.

The Create-A-Wrestler feature in the game is updated so fantastically from the original. Instead of only getting to choose between 60+ templates, now you can build your wrestler from the ground up. Everything from the top of your wrestler's head to the bottom of his feet can be changed and edited in so many ways with so many options, that it could take a while to complete the look of the image that you're looking for, which isn't a bad thing. That is, if you don't get too easily annoyed by the music and sound effects of the menu scrolling.

Just as the original SmackDown! had it's breakout match type of Special Referee, this sequel too has it's own breakout type: Hell In A Cell. Now granted, the cell only encases the ring itself, not the area around it, giving it that ''cage match with a top'' look, but it was still decent enough for a start. There are also many other types of matches to look forward to, many of them in the ''special'' section of the exhibition match. Among them are table matches, ladder matches, TLC matches, casket matches, and a few others, not given as much hype as the Hell In A Cell match, but still just as popular.

Sadly, the game continues the factor of ''watch me get up immediately after a chairshot'' that the original had, which makes the game not as fun as it could be, since nailing your opponent over the head with a blunt object isn't enough to keep them down for more than two seconds. The game's pace is also just as fast, if not faster, than the original, making it just as enjoyable in that sense.

The worst thing you're going to come across in this game is the layout of the season mode. The season mode in the original was a great formula, absolutely nothing was wrong with it, in my opinion. However, someone must have thought that a random choice for the winner of a match that was skipped just wasn't realistic enough, because this games makes you sit through a simulated rundown of the match, as two stamina bars are depleted until one is completely empty first, and the wrestling with stamina left is declared the winner. This, along with 8 matches in one card, unlike the six in the original, makes the game's season mode go 3 times slower per card, which is NOT fun to sit through, considering the game wants you to go through five years of this until everything is unlocked. Until the five years are over, you can only unlock so much at one time. The season mode is undoubtedly a huge drag compared to the original.

Stamina bars, cutscenes aplenty, modes upon modes of play to choose from, you'd think this was decent for a game, right? Tack on about 30 seconds per load screen and it all takes forever. Ready to start your match? Wait half a minute with a load screen just to see wrestler entrances, then wait another 30 seconds while it loads the match itself. Like I previously said with the cutscenes, chances are you may never be able to view them all, but of the ones you do see, you see quite a bit. Add an extra minute of loading time for every cutscene you've seen a dozen times already. Very, very uncool.

Replayability (3): Very bad score. With the season mode's ''realistic stamina rundown'' of each match, paired with your own match, and the loading time it takes to do that, and with every cutscene that randomly occurs during the card, you'll get absolutely sick of the game by the time you finally finish year five, which is how long you'll have to play if you want to unlock everything. I've completed this feat once, and I'll never do it again. After all is said and done and you've finished the season mode, try talking some friends into multiplayer fight sessions. That very well may be the only thing that will you keep you playing this game.

Overall (5): The original was good, this sequel was terrible, and the sequel to this, Just Bring It, is even worse from what I hear (I've never played it, and I never really plan to). Worry not, however, for the glory days of the SmackDown! series is passing, with how great Shut Your Mouth and Here Comes the Pain is, the series looks to be having a great future ahead of it. However, terrible gameplay just sets this game off to the side. Honestly, I just got done playing it and didn't even make it through 2 matches before I got sick of playing it. You're a disgrace, SmackDown! 2, and you deserve a lowly 5 for all my troubles.

Rent? Buy?: Perhaps the game should take it's own advice and know it's role: in the bargain bin, for a low price, of $10 at best. Any offer higher than that is you getting ripped off. Don't take that chance, throw this game over your shoulder and focus on the future, with Here Comes the Pain. This is something you shouldn't consider spending money on.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 03/06/04