WWE Raw V.S. Smackdown!

[Downhome 0]

Oh lord, I just had one of if not the greatest wrestling matches ever in a video game.

 

Like I said just now about Benoit, he's so true to life, and I am Ric Flair in my career. This was my first match, and it was a picture perfect video game wrestling match, with me finally winning after making Benoit submit to the Figure-Four.

 

I had no clue what was going on at the start of the match, which looked like some sort of mini-game (stare down thing) and then in the match I saw a few new meters that I still don't totally get, but I enjoyed what they added to the match. I also really enjoyed the concept of heel/face. I like how you can hold a button down to hold on to a move instead of breaking it, etc...

 

So far, the gameplay in this game is a good deal better than in HCTP, and as I said earlier in the thread, that's what matters to me. If I have more matches as awesome as this last one, or even better, then regardless of the other aspects of the game, I'll have to give it two huge thumbs up.

[Use Your Illusion 0]

Well, I actually anticipate your review Downhome, so you better make that sumbitch lengthy and in detail. I'm putting you on the spot, as your opinion is going to be the deal breaker for me...so don't let me down.

Really!? Downhome loves *EVERYTHING* though.

[Downhome 0]

Really!? Downhome loves *EVERYTHING* though.

You must not read everything I review or talk about. I hate plenty of things, and when I do hate something I let it be known.

 

I mean, come on, I don't even "love" WWE right now.

[Use Your Illusion 0]

You're certainly much more forgiving of certain detriments than others. Exactly how has the gameplay (and I'm already tired of that word) improved over the last SD! game? I would certainly feel my intelligence was insulted if the freaks at Yukes expected me to pay $75 (AUS) for a few repetitive, novelty mini-games at the start of some matches and a couple of new meters to clog up the game screen.

 

Every single review I have read has told me that season mode becomes repetitive and rehashes old storylines on the SECOND run through. Additionally, it is only one year long, meaning that Yukes have likely thrown in 10-20 storylines or so and said 'that'll do for this year'. Fuck that noise.

 

I can have 'great wrestling matches' on HCTP. That does not justify shelling out the money for what should be a brand new, innovative title that improves upon the negatives of the previous title, not adds to them.

 

UYI

[mister foozel 0]

im not even gonna rent this one, that's how disappointed i am already

[Downhome 0]

Your mind is obviously made up so just go play HCTP.

 

The AI seems to be the best I've seen in a wrestling game yet, at least in single one on one matches (that's the only type of match I've head so far). The mini-games such as the shoving contest, stare down, and then the turnbuckle slap challenge (or whatever) all add to the overall gameplay. Each character I've seen so far seem to be more true to their real life counterparts, and that's a great thing. The animations seem to be smoother as well. I love that managers come to the ring with you, and you can command them to help you out by distracting the ref or getting a weapon for you.

 

The face/heel is a gameplay aspect that adds a good bit to the game also, seeing how you have a new heel/face meter, and when it's full you can apparently do new heel/face moves, or something along those lines. I haven't totally got an understanding for it yet.

 

More to come soon.

[Use Your Illusion 0]

The heel/face thing is a neat idea, however doesn't carry the title alone.

 

The animations may be smoother, as you say, but are they not all exactly the same as they were in HCTP? The exact same figure-four reversal animation for reversing leg moves etc.?

 

Don't get me wrong, the adding of little mini-games is a great, fun idea. Although that doesn't change the fact that these little extras are just novelties, and do little to improve the overall game. Judging from the reviews of individuals who have played the game longer than you have at present, these mini-games, as I said earlier, are great for the first run though before they become repetitive and stale.

 

I'm just trying to lay out all the facts. People should not have to waste their money on buying a game that half-assed and offers nothing over the previous year's title.

[Downhome 0]

Like I said, your mind is already made up.

 

To me, as of right now, the gameplay is a good deal better than HCTP, and other wrestling games that have been released in the past few years. The mini-games and other things that you do by pressing buttons at a certain time do not feel useless to me at all, not a bit.

 

The entire overall action in the ring feels more true to life to me. The fact that the gameplay is better overall makes me happy I sold HCTP and bought this one.

[Use Your Illusion 0]

No, DH, don't sit there and use 'your mind is made up, so I can't talk to you' as an excuse. I'm not sitting here saying you are wrong and I am right. I've straight out given you, the enthused SVR player, to give me evidence that SVR is a worthwhile improvement over HCTP and warrants the money Yukes is asking for it.

 

I really wanted to like this game, I've been a very big fan of the SD! series for quite a few years now. However, this game offers little or nothing over last year's title, and no one has yet to prove otherwise.

 

If you're content paying your hard earned (or sold) cash for HCTP V.1.2, then good for you. I, however, am not and demand a little more for my money.

[Downhome 0]

Your first post was already speaking out against this game and how you don't like it and that it's not enough. Sure reads to me like you made your mind up before you started going back and forth with me.

 

Before you say what is here isn't enough for you, rent it and try it first. All I can say is that the GAMEPLAY has improved, it's better, so take it for what it's worth. Even the IGN review (the only one I've read) said over and over again that the gameplay is much improved.

 

You'll never know if you are content with this game or not unless you try it first.

[Use Your Illusion 0]

I indeed intend to do that.

[Downhome 0]

Very good then.

[AndrewTS 0]

I'm waiting for my Hollywood Video to get it in to rent. They said Friday.

 

A friend online has it, though:

 

"Well, I got through the first month (You try to get Torrie from Dupree... the usual, I win the match and she comes home and f***s me tonight. The storyline from wrestling I hate the most! I mean.. the bad guy wins and the girl is dragged off to get f***ed... so WWE is endorsing women as objects and rape?"

 

Me: "You have watched WWE before, right?"

[Exslade ZX 0]

I have to go with DH (but I actually love the SD series..) and say this game is amazing.

 

And you can FINALLY choose who you want your tag opponent to fight! No coming in and breaking up my pins..or not doing something or something stupid like that.

[Guest Coffey]

I value Downhome's opinion because he's never negative for no reason. He always tells you what he likes and what he dislikes. In the past, we've had a lot in common...and I can always see where he is coming from. He looks for the brightside in things instead of everyone else who logs onto the internet with the sole intention of bitching. Usually, it's bitching for the sake of bitching. Sometimes it's bitching just to play devil's advocate and start an arguement. Downhome doesn't do that, he just states his opinion and dips. It's usually the other dicks that run off their mouth that make him have to come back and explain himself more in depth (like in this thread)...and the cycle continues.

 

Like I said earlier, I value the gameplay and replay value of the game over all else. I don't care about extra modes or how many times I can play through the season mode. I play, usually, one on one matches against friends. I wasn't expecting Jesus Christ in wrestling video game form. Apparently, some people were.

 

As much praising as I'm hearing from Downhome in the last page or so, I've already made up my mind to buy the game. Not rent, I'm buying it outright based on his opinion. Why? Well, mainly because I don't care what a bunch of little fucking kids think, nor do I care what corporate run sites (whom do get money from people, ask GamePRO) think. They wouldn't know a good wrestling game if it sucked their dick.

[slimm44 0]

This game is awesome I enjoy the clean/dirty bar in exhibition matches but in season mode, it doesn't feel right. I started with JBL and was champ, I go into the first week and have a tag match with Mysterio. I agreed to be his partner and then me and rey were fighting clean. I decided to play as Batista. That is my only complaint of the game, the rest is absolutely great

[El Psycho Diablo 0]

I don't look for negativity, but when there are glaring flaws in things, it makes it hard to have fun.

 

For example: There were pages and pages of textures for pants / tights / shorts in the last game. This one? 41. That's it.

 

It's also hard to justify a game being good when it takes features AWAY in the sequel. I'd rather have a better CAW (As I remember, HCTP had less parts than the previous game did..this has less.) than the useless minigames. Minigames don't make gameplay better..

[NYU 0]

But honestly, when creating your wrestler, how many of those textures did you actually consider using?

 

The Create-A-Wrestler feature has always had some good choices but a LOT of garbage when it comes to ring attire. If they got rid of all that garbage, but kept the usable and realistic stuff, then I have no problem with it.

[Downhome 0]

It's also hard to justify a game being good when it takes features AWAY in the sequel.

It isn't hard to justify anything here, it's a good game, period. If gameplay matters to anyone here, get this game...it's better, it's improved.

 

Minigames don't make gameplay better..

 

In this case, again in my opinion, they do. They aren't really mini-games, it's just more to the overall match layout and feel to it. They help make the game feel more realistic to me.

 

 

By the way, Coffey, thanks for the words. I'm glad someone understands all of that.

[El Psycho Diablo 0]

It's also hard to justify a game being good when it takes features AWAY in the sequel.

It isn't hard to justify anything here, it's a good game, period. If gameplay matters to anyone here, get this game...it's better, it's improved.

 

Minigames don't make gameplay better..

 

In this case, again in my opinion, they do. They aren't really mini-games, it's just more to the overall match layout and feel to it. They help make the game feel more realistic to me.

 

 

By the way, Coffey, thanks for the words. I'm glad someone understands all of that.

I can't say it's good. It's improved, yes..but not "good". If you like the SD style of gameplay, you're bound to like this one. But don't expect a lot of the flaws to be fixed, and don't expect any real sense of balance. Strength is still the most dominant stat, and smaller wrestlers still have penalties compared to larger ones.

 

As for the texture question: HCTP had it set up where you could texture the bland pair of pants into say, Eddy's old ones. It had plenty of actual wrestler's pants mixed in with the other textures.

 

Raw vs SD has 41 total. Blue, American Flag, British Flag, flowers, tie-dye, yellow-green splotch, swirls/starbursts, six colors of cammo, leopard print, tiger print, vertical stripe, horizontal stripe, wavy vertical lines, blue/white alternating vertical stripes, blue checkerboard, two types of plaid, hearts, rainbow, dragon, six types of flowers, an abstract design, four types of plaid, zebra stripes, two reptile-scale designs, and two more flowers.

 

Even if some of the HCTP patterns were horrid, at least there was some variety..and real wrestler-pant designs among them. The patterns above are..as far as I can tell..all SD vs Raw has. For everything - shirts, pants, boots, pads. No variation except for those patterns.

[Downhome 0]

I can't say it's good. It's improved, yes..but not "good".

So you admit that a good game has improved?

 

But you wouldn't call this improved game "good"?

 

Got it.

 

Did you not think HCTP was good actually or something?

[El Psycho Diablo 0]

I can't say it's good. It's improved, yes..but not "good".

So you admit that a good game (HCTP) is improved?

 

But you wouldn't call this improved game "good"?

 

Got it.

 

Did you not think HCTP was good actually or something?

Except the areas HCTP was good in aren't necessarily the areas SvR are good in.

 

 

SvR looks great. I'll give them that. The wrestler models themselves look great, except the long hair still looks funny. The crowd is unchanged, and still looks pathetic. If I'm not mistaken, the arenas haven't changed, either.

 

The gameplay still has the same flaws. Reversals are the same, and especially unrealistic in a lot of cases.

 

(CAW goes for a German, A-Train/Big Show backflips out of it. CAW goes for a leg move on the ground..and when the CPU reverses, it's the reveral for a Figure Four, despite the move being completely different.)

 

The collision detection problems are still there. Punches and kicks can take a guy out of midair. Taller wrestlers still visibly miss touching smaller ones on a lot of moves.

 

As far as CAW goes, it's a horrible dissapointment compared to last year's. Sure, the CAW models look better..but still not as good as the "real" wrestlers. A whole horde of options have been sacrificed for a better look, and gimmicky gameplay.

 

SvR is probably the best game in the series..if you're content with using the default roster..and gimmicky little minigames.

 

If you aren't willing to stick with that initial number of guys, I'd stay with HCTP.

[Guest bigm350]

I read reviews that said that the AI is lousy in this game, but to me its alot better than HCTP. I bought the game earlier today and started season mode with HHH. I had two great matches with both HBK and Edge, of course it was on legend difficulty. The difference is in HCTP I would kill my opponent no matter who I was in the game on SD difficulty. This game is pretty damn good IMO.

[JN News 0]

I think it's retarded that you can't switch the rosters.

 

 

 

 

Again, more of Vince's favoritism towards RAW.

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

This is one of the most unecessary sequels ever.

 

That being said, it's a helluva lot of fun, the graphics are subperb, and the computer and I are having some pretty good matches (My HBK vs Tajiri series have ben some of the best video game wrestling matches I've had).

 

While anyone who can't justify spending money on a prettier version of HCTP with fun (IMO) "mini games" in it is certainly valid, I'm glad I picked this up. It would be really hard to top HCTP and they have nowhere to go on this generation of consoles (which is why I consider this sequel uncessary after putting a lot of thought into it today), but it still is a fun game. It's really just a roster update with nicer graphics, but for me, that's good enough since that's what I wanted. I had the money to spend on it.

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

I also have to say I don't particualary give a damn about roster trading, which seems to be a major complaint so far.

[Aero 0]

If I'm not mistaken, the arenas haven't changed, either.

Unless you're talking about Raw, Smackdown, Heat, & Velocity, every PPV arena is updated, with Summerslam 2003 being the oldest.

 

I bought it earlier and only played for an hour or so. I'm satisfied for the most part so far, although I really am questioning some of the overall ratings. I think Cena and Orton are both WAY too high at 88 I believe. Eddie Guerrero is only an 87, which is about right, but both Cena and Orton should be no higher than 85 I think.

 

I think the Royal Rumbles have definitely improved with the ringout meters, although they do take up alot of space for the six guys on screen along with the normal meters. One problem, so far: Anytime I'm on the apron, and the computer is trying to eliminate me, my ringout meter speeds down, as I tap X and any other button as fast as possible. I've got to be pressing the wrong button, because when I'm trying to do the same to the others, their meter goes much slower. Other than that, it's a much longer match. I watched guys like Kane and Batista eliminate Rey Mysterio and Christian by gorilla pressing them over and out, which was awesome.

 

I started season with Shelton Benjamin and was immediately put into the feud over Torrie's manager contract, in a story that seemingly makes no sense. Tajiri is her evil boyfriend, BTW. So, one week she's all pissed at Tajiri and flirting with me, and the next she makes up with Tajiri and I'm the heel that forcing her to be my manager? Maybe I missed something. The voice-overs aren't anything special so far. Bischoff sounded quite unenthusiastic when he was talking to Tajiri about the possibility of losing Torrie in the match at Backlash.

 

As said by others, I really wish you could actually edit the rosters for season. After the first few times, the same roster can get old. I hope maybe half-way through season there's a draft lottery like the one post-WM XX. That would be fine.

 

Glancing through the match types, I noticed that you can now do an Elimination Chamber Six-Man Tag. I suppose that your teammates are locked in and enter in the order of teammate, computer, teammate, etc. I didn't play it yet, but it could be fun.

[Downhome 0]

Ha, this storyline in the game is a better one than anything we've seen on TV lately.

 

As I said, I'm Ric Flair in my career. I work my way up and I finally beat Randy Orton for the title. The next night Christian attacks me for no reason, and then I go to McMahon's office with Bishoff and am told that someone has offered $100,000 if they can take me out, and Vince tells Bishoff to keep me off of the shows for a while so Vince can look into who is trying to take me out.

 

So on it goes and I go to Smackdown and Kurt Angle says he can offer me what Bishoff couldn't, and that is to say that if anyone on SD attempts to take me out they'll be suspended and fined $150,000 on the spot. Eventually it shows me in Angle's office and I sign a SD contract with him.

 

I wrestle on SD for two weeks and defeat Mysterio and John Cena. After I beat Cena, Vince comes out and says that he found out who took out the hit on me, and it was Kurt Angle himself. He did so in order to take RAW's champion and have him wrestle on Smackdown. Vince says that I am to go back to RAW to defend my title at the next PPV, Survivor Series.

 

Angle says that it's impossible since I just signed on to Smackdown, and Vince decides that at the PPV we'll have a six-man Hell in a Cell Match for the title. A cross-brand math...woohoo.

 

That is what I'm up to so far.

 

It's amazing really, because once I jumped to Smackdown it really felt like a big deal.

[Guest BrokenWings]

I'm loving this game so far as well. Far and away the best wrestling matches I've ever had.

[cbacon 0]

The career mode is garbage. It's way too linear. So far, all i've been doing is fucking the divas and fighting off jealous rivals. Seriously. Fucking Torrie in the shower, and making out with Sable. Was this game designed for 14 year olds? And i'm playing as Chris Benoit.

 

Otherwise, the gameplay is fun.