WWE SmackDown vs. RAW 2008

"A good, solid game. Kudos, Yukes on the latest installment."

Ever since WWF Smackdown! 2: Know Your Role, I've been a fan of the WWF/WWE video game series. Some where pretty good (Shut Your Mouth, Here Comes the Pain) and some were ranging from just plain bad to mediocre (Smackdown! vs. RAW, Smackdown! vs. Raw 2006, Smackdown! vs. Raw 2007). And then there is Smackdown! vs. Raw 2008 (original title, yes?).

The series as a whole has improved from the original SvR, and good improvements have happened in this game as well. But, some weren't so great.

Sound/Music

A very nice improvement in the sound department this year, the sound makes the game almost feel realistic, and adds to the atmosphere of being at a live WWE show. Different crowd noises, weaponry sounds, and groans from the superstars make this much more realistic. Like always, the commentating has new annoying lines this year, that still sometimes make me chuckle like always. The music in the game kind of saddens me. It seems Yukes thinks that EVERYONE like the Rap/Hip Hop/R&B stuff nowadays. Which is ok with me for diversity, but not really my cup of tea, and I think there could be a song or two less of it. The rock music in the game is good, buts its more heavy alternative and underground grunge band style. Oh well, there is always the ‘mute' button.

Graphics

Of course, some of you pickier players probably expect the next closest thing to real virtual reality-type games by now, and dislike the old PS2 graphics (as some of you claim) on an Xbox 360. Well, no virtual reality in this game, but the graphics are pretty good I'd say for this day in age. The superstars themselves look very real, and look updated from last years' model. The arenas (ceiling, floors) look a bit more detailed, too. Also, a big thing that caught my eye was the crowd. This year, the crowd really does look 3-D, and not the “paper people/same looking character every third seat” like many of you are used to. I have noticed though, at times the graphics can get glitchy, but nothing serious.

Gameplay

Here comes some more good, and some more bad. Some of you gamers might throw a fit over this, but I'm pretty neutral on it: the controls. I know what you're thinking, “Hey! Didn't we have new ones last year? I was just warming up to those!” Yeah, me too, me too. But its ok, they're not that bad. Just play matches over and over with your favorites wrestlers to get the feel of it, and like I know you do, abuse your favorite moves for the two minute matches you all have. Anyways here's a basic run down of the differences.

The grappling system has been changed. You now only have two ultimate control grapples, which makes it more narrow and limited. The strike system is different where (no more X button!) you have to move one of the analog sticks, and push different buttons for combo maneuvers. Another change in the controls is running (thank God! no more pesky ladder matches where you get hit because of how stiff you are running). You have to “steer” and hold Y, which makes it a lot more “free-roam-y”.

Now, we have 24/7 mode, which is simply put: A combination of story/season mode and General Manager mode. An addition to this is that you can injured and actually still fight matches, which is cool, but it sucks in the fact that you're kind of screwed if you have a big fight in the near future.

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All in all, I'd say Smackdown! vs. Raw 2008 is a very solid game, and shouldn't bore you like the previous installments have done. It definitely has replay value, and if you need to take away stress in virtual physicality (for whatever reason) you can do that whereas this is a wrestling game after all. It's a good game, simply put. If you have the $60 I'd definitely consider buying it. If not, just rent it until you have the money.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/27/07

Game Release: WWE SmackDown vs. RAW 2008 (US, 11/13/07)