WWE SmackDown vs. RAW 2008

"More like a roster update than a real step forward"

Smackdown vs Raw 2008 was a great PSP game, although there has been a couple of issues regarding the game being a bit slower-paced and some useful features removed.

Graphics- The graphics are not much of a great asset, since the faces of the wrestlers look exactly like in 2007 or even 2006 (noticed this with Batista) so, the graphics have not made much improvement, not that it needed to anyway. 8/10

Controls- The controls have all been remade. The buttons for doing finishers, doing punches, interacting with the ring, etc. have been assigned to different buttons. Other than that, there is not much for controls. 8/10

Gameplay- Now, as for the gameplay, I actually liked the gameplay in 07 or 06 than in this one. I enjoyed the season mode. Now all you have is 24/7 mode, and what's worse, you cannot even have a save game using a superstar and a gm at the same time, since they are both saved under the 24/7 mode and not as a separate season and gm modes. Also, PPV mode is out, which is a real bummer for me, who enjoyed making custom PPV's using the mode. Now, you have a Tournament Mode, where you can choose to play a custom tournament or the WWE's own King of the Ring Tournament. The match types are still there, including the ever popular Hell-in-a-Cell, Elimination Chamber, and Buried Alive Matches. Oh, and let's not forget the Royal Rumble and Money in the Bank matches. However, a feature that disappoints people is not being able to store finishers and the superstar fighting styles. The fighting styles are ok for me but they limit the moves your wrestler can do such as grappling with the weapons and copying finishers. 6/10

Roster- There is now an ECW brand in the roster, other than that, it is basically an updated roster. Still, there are the legends, although it is dissapointing RVD was not included. 9/10

Sound- The tunes for this installment are quite good. They get you in the mood to play the game and lay the smackdown on your opponent. 9/10

Recommendation
THQ made a promising game for the 2008 installation, although it has a lot flaws. It is recommended to try this game before buying it. Although if you are a wrestling fan and cannot wait to get your hands on this game, buy it.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/08/08

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