PLATFORM: PLAYSTATION 2, PLAYSTATION 3, WII, PSP, NINTENDO DS, XBOX 360 (REVIEWED):
In my household, wrestling games have always been a great source of entertainment. What’s better than getting a bunch of friends around a television screen and using virtual characters to beat out any frustrations you might have. Set each other on fire, throw each other into tables, and make each other bleed: surely, with wrestling games, you’re able to satisfy every masochistic, punishing desire.
Onto the latest instalment of the SmackDown vs. Raw franchise. The 2010 addition is cleaner, smarter, and easily the best yet. All the best-loved features from the previous additions are here: everything from inferno matches to legendary secret characters. However, the whole game has been given a well-needed and well-deserved tweak and polish. The character models are more realistic, the awkward stamina systems have been removed, and even the cringe-worthy commentary has been improved.
The “create” options with the 2010 edition are the best yet. Not only have loading times been improved between the Create-A-Superstar screens, which has been a big put off in times gone by, but thinks have been simplified to ease with the creation of your character. A new paint tool allows you to design logos and costumes, meaning that the possibilities for unique attire are endless.
Meanwhile, the Create-A-Finisher is back, meaning you can combine a chain of grapples and strikes to create the most deadly final blow this side of the squared circle.
Most interestingly, however, is the introduction of the unique, interactive Story Designer, which gives you the complete control to tailor your own storylines around a selected character, by choosing from over 100 preset animations: such as brawling backstage, talking in the ring, and even getting run over by a car. Tweak the camera angles, the music, and even decide on what you want your chosen Superstar or Diva to say.
Asides from that, the Road to Wrestlemania is back, featuring individually tailored storylines for specific WWE Superstars, complete with authentic voiceovers from their real-life counterparts. This time round, the stories include various mandatory goals, and the opportunity to make decisions which ultimately affects the game play and helps spice things up a little. Choosing whether or not to side with Legacy or successfully throwing the Undertaker off the Hell in a Cell at the Royal Rumble PPV could change the destiny of your character on the way to the grandest stage of them all.
SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 combines everything that made the previous games good, to make a final product which goes as far to hint at greatness. If you’re looking for a well-structured out-and-out slobberknocker of a brawl, then this is the game for you.
MARKS: 8/10
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