WWE WrestleMania 21

"Wrestlemania is a great Wrestling event, but this one isn't"

Well first off im going to start with that i dont have a playstation2 and i havent played the 3 latest smackdown titles. I have played many fire pros, and no mercy, wrestlemania 2000, wcw vs. nwo revenge etc. So AKI is kind of my style.

Gameplay 6/10

-Well yea. The gameplay is somewhat lacking at times thats why i've downgraded the score so much. It's smooth, and yes it is a nice way to start a wrestling game. BUT, Theres times in the match where you'll have to smash buttons until your hands bleed because computer/ or a player, wont even give you the chance to get up with submissions and ground attacks. On even more difficult settings it is about near impossible to win a battle royal( need to button smash to throw someone over) or a wrestling match when your Life gauge has faded to about nothing. The bugs is what really mess this up also seeing as you can grapple half way across the ring at times, and the hit detection is a joke. It's like playing drunk. It will frustrate you to turn off the game.

-Career mode is worthless because you have to use a created superstar, it's the same storyline and sequence.

-Create a Superstar is pathetic. Your pyros suck, they look like confetti and the smoke is blocky. Your entrance moves suck and are boring, with generic walks and only about 15 walkable moves. and 15 pyros.

-Unlockables also give this points because the replayability is better. Cost of things is amazingly expensive, and will keep you playing (not me though) to get it all or to see whats out there. PROBLEM is that whenever you want to unlock anything you must load your profile, and go through menus and unlock it. You can't see what you can unlock first, even while creating a superstar.

Controls 5/10

-Wow. If your planning on picking this game up and just getting into the game and know the controls, you've got another thing coming. Pinning is down and A while an opponent is on the ground while <, >, and up are submissions,.....pretty dumb. You can irish whip without even starting a grapple with black button and interrupt moves at times. I mean, the controls are horrible.

Sound 8/10

- The only shine i really see in this game are the sounds. You can use customizable music in intros for a created superstar. The sounds of chairs and thuds are amazing. Including voiceovers. Perfect.

Graphics 8/10

-Not even as great as people make it out to be. Faces look familiar but they aren't EXACT or near perfect matches. Weapons are on point, announcers, tables. Graphics is not the problem with this game

Rental or Buy

- STRONG suggestion for a rental. The bugs and freezes along with some cheap problems in gameplay will frustrate you most. If you can get past that with your patience then the game is a buy or at least a 8/10. Otherwise you will be returning it and calling it trash.Simple as that.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 05/02/05