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[Wario64]

8.1

http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/action/wwesmackdownvsraw/review.html

"Disappointing is perhaps the best adjective to use to sum up WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw, though perhaps the best overall terms to use would be disappointingly great. Make no mistake, SmackDown! vs. Raw is still a fun, full-featured wrestling game that brings some neat gameplay additions to the table and still plays wonderfully (despite the deficient AI). But even so, you won't be able to shake the feeling that this game just isn't living up to its full potential, thanks to the lackluster online play and dishearteningly fluctuant use of the WWE voice talent. Will you enjoy SmackDown! vs. Raw if you liked the previous entries in the franchise? Absolutely. However, if you were hoping for a game as impressive as Here Comes the Pain was upon its release, SmackDown! vs. Raw may prove to be a bit of a letdown."

 

[GSG Flash]

DOR got 8.2

 

[ZombieSupaStar]

yeah but brets got his theme music so +1 sd v raw

 

[Naked Snake]

IGN gave it 8.4 and called it "the best looking wrestling game ever".

 

[GDJustin]

Disappointing but still good is an 8.1 now? Jesus.

Some magazine/site needs to have the balls to TRULY use a system where a 7.0 game isn't something that's fundamentally flawed but still enjoyable. These days stuff that's lower than an 8 becomes rental fodder... fuck I'm getting mad just thinking about it now.

Edit: I guess I'm mostly disappointed that it was GameSpot that had that review text and then the score to go along with it. I used to be able to count on them to be a bit more critical.

There's just something fundamentally wrong with game reviews. When there's a hugely hyped and very good film it'll get a lot of 4 star reviews, but it'll also pick up some 3s here and there, but games don't work that way. Great games get all 10s ans 9s across the board and MAYBE a couple 8s, and god help the reviewer that gives it a 7. The problem with this thinking is that 7 is still a good score.... bah. I'm just gonna go.

 

[DarienA]

I don't give a shit about online. All I want to know is:

1. Does the CAW still give alot of freedom.
2. Are there still alot of moves and did they add any for use with the CAW.
3. Is the story of career mode at least interesting, and have enough diversity and multiple paths.

 

[WarPig]

1. Does the CAW still give alot of freedom.
2. Are there still alot of moves and did they add any for use with the CAW.
3. Is the story of career mode at least interesting, and have enough diversity and multiple paths.

Yep, pretty much. The voice acting is a net minus in story mode, I'd say, but it's still quite a well-done bit of scenario design, and the CAW is what you'd expect after last year's game. Honestly it almost offers me too many options, I get lost trying to figure out what to do first...

Tacking a score on a wrestling game is always aggravating, because the fanbase is made up of such divergent tastes. A game that's an 8 to a WWE fan is a 5 or less to the more internationally-minded workrate freak.

I think a lot of major publications developed themselves a bit of a score inflation problem with the earlier WWE games this generation, too. In retrospect, Smackdown 3 was horrifically overrated, and that kind of thing causes trouble when you're trying to score similar games down the line.

DFS.

 

[DarienA]

Yep, pretty much. The voice acting is a net minus in story mode, I'd say, but it's still quite a well-done bit of scenario design, and the CAW is what you'd expect after last year's game. Honestly it almost offers me too many options, I get lost trying to figure out what to do first...

DFS.

Thank you WP:

+1 Sale

 

[Minotauro]

But, DFS, do all your CAWs end up looking like shit as in past Smackdown titles. What I always liked about the Aki series in the past and the KOC series in the present is that your created guys look like they fit in with the existing ones. With Smackdown, you always end up with a hacky-looking guy with bad textures and sub-standard hair. Just wondering if it's any different...

 

[Hollywood]

I'm sorry but the Smackdown series kicks the GC wrestling series' ass. Last years HCTP was really kickass, and I'm getting this as soon as it comes out. This from a former Smackdown hater.

They should have focused more on other stuff besides stupid voiceovers and online play. How about more legends, bigger roster, and I'm still looking for a creat a match feature. How hard is it to have a 'so and so' on a poll match or have to put someone on/in this item match (stretcher/casket/ambulance/hearse). It seems like it would be pretty easy to make some match modifiers based on past matches by just designed the match, then allowing to you to change the item involved.

 

[LakeEarth]

I'm sorry but the Smackdown series kicks the GC wrestling series' ass. Last years HCTP was really kickass, and I'm getting this as soon as it comes out. This from a former Smackdown hater.

They should have focused more on other stuff besides stupid voiceovers and online play. How about more legends, bigger roster, and I'm still looking for a creat a match feature. How hard is it to have a 'so and so' on a poll match or have to put someone on/in this item match (stretcher/casket/ambulance/hearse). It seems like it would be pretty easy to make some match modifiers based on past matches by just designed the match, then allowing to you to change the item involved.

I'd pay good money to see a Casket on a pole match.

 

[pilonv1]

WWE games should be rated on this scale:

Better/Worse than No Mercy.

There's yet to be a WWE game that is, and this one doesn't sound any different to all the "great" reviews HCTP got, until you played it for a while and it was terrible. I read these quotes, and it gets an 8.1?

AI is downright brain-dead in certain situations.

While SmackDown! vs. Raw does a great job of providing you with all sorts of minigames and meters to play with, it doesn't really change the core gameplay in any major way

THQ and Yuke's have produced an online wrestler--albeit one that features an online mode so bare bones that you'd think you had traveled back in time to 2001 when online first hit the console. To call this online mode disappointing would be a hefty understatement, as there's barely enough here to qualify as an afterthought let alone a real feature

The storyline itself is usually quite good, although you won't see as many branching-off points in the plot. The story actually only starts off and ends one of two ways, and this depends on what caliber of superstar you pick and how you perform in very specific matches.

The last remaining feature in SmackDown! vs. Raw is the one that's seen the least in terms of alteration: the create-a-wrestler mode. Make no mistake, this year's wrestler creation is as deep as it has ever been, with a whole host of new creation items, but it's also basically the exact same mode you've been using for the last couple of years, save for some interface changes, which make the process a little less daunting. More clothes, more hairstyles, more form editing...basically, there's just more to do

There are just barely over 40 characters in the game, though pretty much every major superstar is included. However, some notable lower-card talent, like Billy Kidman, Orlando Jordan, and Eugene have been left out altogether

Predictably, clipping problems do plague the game, but it's far less prevalent than it has been in recent years, and it only becomes especially noticeable during specific gimmick matches, like hell in a cell and the elimination chamber.

8.1? Sounds pretty woeful to me. Still clipping issues, small roster, horrible online play, no major gameplay improvements. I'll still give it a look but I can't see it lasting more than a week. It's sad that a 5 year old game on last gen hardware is still the best WWE game available.

 

[Ramirez]

Whats so bad about the online play?That would be the only reason I'd buy it.

 

[pilonv1]

No stat tracking, very basic options.

 

[Bog]

8.1 sounds about right from what I've played.

 

[Sho Nuff]

Can I bring CAWs online?

 

[Bog]

Can I bring CAWs online?

Yes.

 

[Hollywood]

I agree No Mercy is better in some aspects and Smackdown is better in some aspects and Fire pro is better and some. If someone put the time and effort to combined these styles for one hell of a wrestling game, that would be awesome.

 

[Shinobi]

Disappointing but still good is an 8.1 now? Jesus.

Some magazine/site needs to have the balls to TRULY use a system where a 7.0 game isn't something that's fundamentally flawed but still enjoyable. These days stuff that's lower than an 8 becomes rental fodder... fuck I'm getting mad just thinking about it now.

Edit: I guess I'm mostly disappointed that it was GameSpot that had that review text and then the score to go along with it. I used to be able to count on them to be a bit more critical.

There's just something fundamentally wrong with game reviews. When there's a hugely hyped and very good film it'll get a lot of 4 star reviews, but it'll also pick up some 3s here and there, but games don't work that way. Great games get all 10s ans 9s across the board and MAYBE a couple 8s, and god help the reviewer that gives it a 7. The problem with this thinking is that 7 is still a good score.... bah. I'm just gonna go.

It reminds me of what people have said about the flawed scoring system for The Source. Of course I think review scores suck anyway, but if you're gonna use 'em at least have the sense and the balls to do it right.

Anyway, this game has Bret Hart, with his jacket, glasses and theme. That's all that matters.

 

[Tabs]

I save money on US wrestling games now. Every time one comes out and I'm tempted to buy it, I slap myself in the face and put in King of Colosseum II and All Star Pro Wrestling 3 for the next couple of weeks.

 

[Sho Nuff]

Did they fix the gasping fish mouths and the weird octopus arms?

 

[ZombieSupaStar]

I save money on US wrestling games now. Every time one comes out and I'm tempted to buy it, I slap myself in the face and put in King of Colosseum II and All Star Pro Wrestling 3 for the next couple of weeks.

funny you say that ive had fire pro Z and koc green with hax save for like ever I think Ive maybe put 2 hours tops into both combined

 

[evil ways]

I love KOC II and have been playing it non stop since I got it(until GTA SA came out) but I already have SD vs RAW pre-ordered and will probably like it.

I get a sweet tooth for a trashy, fast paced, weapon and cage match gimmicks based game every once in a while, regardless of how much of a wrestling sim fan I am.

 

[jecclr2003]

I'll pick it up today. I'll love as I did all the previous ones.

Smackdown + multi-tap and time limit hardcore battle royals?

PRICELESS!

Tossing in a created belt into the mix?

DOUBLE PRICELESS!

 

[evil ways]

Got it last night, and it fucking sucks as far as content goes.

Create-A-Wrestler which was always the strongest feature SD! games have has been totally raped as far as clothing designs, all you get is 41 styles(patterns) and the majority of them are flags, camouflage, and plaid. Gone are tights that have been in nearly every SD! game like HHH's, The Rock's, D-Lo's, Muto's, Misawa's etc. Basically anything that had a specific pattern belonging to a foreign, indy, or a wrestler no longer in WWE was taken out. That also includes the flames design.

Then THQ/Yukes does the incredibly stupid thing of taking out nearly all of the previous Legends movesets, taunts and special that were newly animated for HCTP, including, Million Dollar Man(no million dollar dream or fist drop), Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior, but have the great sense of humor to add Hogan and Warrior's entrances this year.

Graphics and gameplay wise it's a bit better and less jumpy (due to an added delay in some of the startup grapples for stronger moves), and I'm glad that announcing during entrances is back, but the voice overs are utter garbage and uncharismatic, like they were recorded in a small room at 3am, where you can tell when the pre-recorded track starts to play due to the volume and shitty quality they were recorded on. It's even worst than the voice overs in MK Deception's Konquest mode if you can believe that.

Create a PPV and Create a belt are great, but you are forced to make real life belts like the classic IC and WWF titles, look different due to the fact that you have to add a medal/design on the center and none are useful besides an eagle that sticks out like a sore thumb. I guess THQ was expecting us to make Flash lightining or Undertaker logo or butterfly belts and not real titles.

The roster sucks too apart from a few guys like Bret, Orton, Angle and Cena, but you can't really blame the game for that since the actual WWE rosters suck in real life at the moment, but they added a lot of Velocity/Heat jobbers, too many in fact.

So far after a few hours playing, this is a 7.5/10 game while to me Here Comes the Pain was a solid 8.5-8.7/10

 

[dorikyasu]

Guess I'll hold on to HctP for now. Thanks for the impressions, evil ways.

 

[evil ways]

Not to say I'm not enjoying it as matches tend to last a bit longer this time(unless you wrestle HHH or Undertaker) and there are a lot of new, cool looking reversals, plus the new Royal Rumble meter makes it a lot more fun, but I'm a CAW creator, I like my Muto's, my Macho Mans and Ravishing Rick Rudes, and had no problem whatsoever making 99% accurate CAWs of them in previous games, but the new clothing patterns are limiting.