WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2011 (2010)
Still some surprises…
Though the series is long in the tooth, SvR 2011 is a solid addition to the grappling simulator series.
Developed by Yuke’s
Published by THQ
Released on Xbox 360 (Played), PlayStation 3, Wii, PlayStation 2
If you decided to go out to try and gauge society’s collective perception of professional wrestling, you’ll probably hear one predominant theme: “It’s phony.” People that engage in such silly things or watch it on a regular basis are weird, why would you bother watching something that tries to pass itself off as a sport? The fighting is fake, the characters are outrageous, and the situations are odd. What many of the people who carry these beliefs don’t understand is the similarity to their own tastes is very, very evident.
Yes, professional wrestling is not any form of real sport, but does that really matter? Since it had a popularity boom in the 1990s, most people have known wrestling for what it’s labeled itself as in the last twenty years: sports entertainment. I think Bret Hart (my personal all-time favorite wrestler) said it best: there’s an art to professional wrestling in how it’s conducted in the ring. “I’ve kicked people full blast in the face,” Hart has said. “Don’t you wonder why there’s not a big bruise or something afterward? There is an art to professional wrestling.”
When it comes to wrestling video games, they’ve always managed to stay a bit more popular than the television programming itself these days, taking the WWE into account. The WWE isn’t nearly as popular as it used to be when The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin were ruling the main event at WrestleMania, but the games have had a strange evolution that has led to the WWE’s latest release: SmackDown vs. Raw 2011. In order to give this review proper context, I’ve revisited several old wrestling games to try and give a decent idea about the evolution of the genre in general, from the N64 through the GameCube, the PS2 to the Xbox, and finally the 360 and PS3.
Series history
Now, the SmackDown series itself has been around since 2000’s original WWF SmackDown! for the original PlayStation. Publisher THQ had just picked up the rights to the then-World Wrestling Federation, and on the N64 side of things had managed to strike gold by rehashing their old Aki-created WCW game engine for two majorly successful games on that platform.
The SmackDown series, however, was built from the ground up with developer Yuke’s. Originally more of an arcade-style fighter than an in-ring simulator, the SD series quickly became the simulating series we know it to be today when it hit its third installment on the brand-new PlayStation 2. By 2003, the series had solidified itself as the series of wrestling games, and many other reviews for games on other platforms began to criticize THQ for not giving their other wrestling games as much attention to detail as their flagship PS2 titles.
In 2004, the PS2 series saw the first game to be called, simply, SmackDown vs. Raw. By this point, the WWE had split its roster across its two TV shows, so placing them against each other for the game title seemed apt. By this point, the games had no other real competition: WWE owner Vince McMahon had managed to put his other major competitors out of business and for a couple of years, making the jump into the current generation of games, the SmackDown vs. Raw series seemed stagnant.
Character models show a moderate improvement this year, but animations and audio elements seem to be mostly the same as last year.
When SvR 2007 hit the scene in 2006, however, it was apparent that the developers had stepped up their game and provided some serious advancements befitting a new generation of hardware. From a suitably long career mode to a “Hall of Fame” mode recreating some historic WWE match-ups, 2007 showed a step in the right direction. SvR 2008 continued the series to less successful effect and SvR 2009 saw an increased focus on tag teams, as well as the first time a WWE game would take advantage of downloadable content that was added to the game’s roster after release. While not as big of a game-changer as SvR 2007, the 2009 entry proved a relatively worthy, if lackluster, addition to the series.
Thankfully, a pretty big rework from the ground up made its way into the series with SvR 2010. Everything from the grappling system to the user interface was tweaked, as well as introducing the famed Havok physics engine to make things appear more realistic. A huge addition was the new Story Creator, allowing fans to create their own situations and match-ups, which they could then share online for other players to engage in.
The latest entry, ‘Universe’ mode
Now, we arrive at the 2011 edition of the game. With the WWE’s recent rebranding of itself as a “Universe,” the game is taking this word to try and create a living, immersive and ongoing gameplay experience that you can be an important part of if you’d like. Starting from the most basic exhibition game modes, all of the match types you’d want are going to be here. Everything from standard one–on–one, to Hell in a Cell, TLC (or basic Ladder), Tag, 6-Man tag, mixed tag, money in the bank, and on and on and on. Starting with the exhibition mode is where the new “WWE Universe” mode kicks in, and it’s a rather good idea with fair execution.
The controls feel a bit more tightened up this year, making a scenario like this feel even more precarious.
WWE Universe mode is basically an ongoing career mode played whenever you want to take part. On the Xbox 360, you can activate or deactivate Universe mode with a simple flick of the right joystick. When it’s on, a ticker goes across the bottom of your screen telling you which event you’re at and when the next pay-per-view event is. With Universe mode active, the game keeps track of your accomplishments, wins and losses, and who you’re playing against and creates title leagues and rivalries based on this gameplay information. For instance, if you’re an enemy of Batista and are trying to fight your way up the ranks to get a shot at the WWE Championship, Batista may run down into your number one contender’s match and try to hit his finishing move on you, and cost you the match.
What I don’t like about the run-in system is that the referee is completely distracted if the guy outside the ring is eyeing you. In a match I had with Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho ran down and stayed at ringside looking at me. I hit my finisher on Michaels and went for the pin, but the ref was stuck just staring at Jericho even when he wasn’t interfering. A bit frustrating, but I realize that this game mode is rather ambitious, and won’t be perfect the first time around.
The finer points of WWE canon are also implemented into the WWE Universe mode. For instance, if you manage to win the coveted Royal Rumble match, when you make it to WrestleMania you’ll see yourself in the main event of the sports entertainment spectacle competing for the world championship of your brand (WWE Championship for Raw, World Heavyweight Championship for SmackDown, etc.). If you also manage to win a Money in the Bank Ladder match, you can choose to challenge any champion you want at virtually any time, even directly following the conclusion of another title match, as current WWE Champ The Miz did to Randy Orton a few months back.
The WWE Universe mode, I think, is what makes this edition of SvR rather unique, and manages to extend the longevity of the game past just beating the campaign modes. Parts of it can be annoying, though. For instance, if you become a world champion and don’t really want to compete for the second-tier U.S. or Intercontinental titles anymore, you’re never really taken out of the running for those lower-tier championships. Even if you’re focused on the big titles, the game will still place you in a number-one contender and title matches for the lower-tier titles. While not a huge deal, it’s noticeable if you want to place your attention solely on Edge and the big belt instead of Dolph Ziggler and his smaller belt. All in all, though, Universe mode is a great addition to the series, and I’ll be interested in seeing how they refine it in future installments.
Road to WrestleMania returns
The “Road to WrestleMania” campaign mode makes a return in this game, and you have a few different options with established characters. In John Cena’s mode, you’re after the WWE Chamionship in a relatively traditional road to the grand event. In Chris Jericho’s campaign, it’s a constant quest for respect and proof that you’re the best as you make your way to wrestling’s super bowl.
Of the established characters, my favorite of the campaigns was Christian’s. It’s a reunification of the legendary tag team of Edge and Christian, and for those watching WWF TV back in 1999-2001, it brings back the coalition of awesome, with “5-second poses” and big glasses along with kazoo music all making their way back in a rush of recent nostalgia. From here, it splits into a cool decision where Christian has to decide: compete for the WWE Championship, or face your best friend Edge for his World Heavyweight title.
WWE Universe mode is the real show-stopper here, giving players the chance to shape their own, personal WWE promotion.
The campaign for your created wrestler is also particularly awesome, as you’re placed on a one-way collision with the Undertaker at WrestleMania. For those who aren’t aware, the Undertaker is currently undefeated at WrestleMania, and his supernatural character makes for a very interesting dark, and dynamic set of circumstances. To face the Undertaker at WrestleMania is a big deal, and in this game, you’re shown as just another likely victim of the Deadman’s until you get in the ring. You’re tasked with overcoming old WrestleMania opponents of his (including Jake “The Snake” Roberts and old-school Kane, back in his mask and red fiery suit), as well as overcoming the ominous messages of Taker’s classic manager, Paul Bearer.
Facing Taker at WrestleMania is a hell of a task. He’s extraordinarily resistant to signature and finishing moves, and he’s definitely one you have to wear down before you should even think of placing in a pin. If you manage to defeat him, you’ll be treated to a pretty cool “victory lap” and you should definitely give yourself a pat on the back.
Grappling online, conclusion
The online component of the game has been reworked a bit, with a large portion dedicated entirely to downloadable content. At the time of this writing, there are two downloadable content packs with several new wrestlers and arenas available and a third pack on the way. Online gameplay is beefed up quite a bit, now including an online Royal Rumble match, a first for the series. Content sharing is also revamped, in the previous game if you downloaded a shared created wrestler, you couldn’t modify them yourself in any way. Now you’re able to, so if you download a well-crafted Scott Hall or Ultimate Warrior, you can tweak it a bit. Granted there are still some limitations to this, but it’s a step in the right direction.
There’s no way to get around this franchise’s age, and in places, it shows. But overall, this newest addition shows that there can still be some surprises from this series, as most evidenced by the WWE Universe mode. Overall, SmackDown vs. Raw 2011 is one of the best installments in this series as a whole. With a few polishes made, next year’s game could prove to be a very great game. Until then, though, 2011 is well worth even the most casual wrestling fan’s time. If you haven’t watched the WWE regularly in a while as I have, then some of the new names will be confusing. But even with that, this game is a worthy addition to your game collection, and can still provide quite a lot of fun in solo and multiplayer modes.
So, my recommendation stands: get in the gorilla position, and when your music starts, hit the ring and kick some ass. With this game, you can make the WWE yours and rule it from top to bottom. I don’t think that’s a bad way to spend a weekend.
Score: 8/10
This review was originally written for Bellingham, WA retailer Reset Games. A copy of this game was provided to me for reviewing purposes by the store.