Review by Adam Stephen Kelly
UK Certification 15 | UK RRP £49.99 | Region PAL | Publisher THQ
Autumn has arrived once again and so has the annual WWE video gaming tradition known as the SmackDown vs. RAW franchise. Now in its tenth year if you include the original five SmackDown! games that preceded the titular rebranding in 2004, SmackDown vs. RAW 2011 comes at you with all new attitude and, for a change, a great deal of major modifications rather than the usual odd few that seem to define the entire release. SmackDown vs. RAW 2009 and tag team wrestling, anyone?
The 2011 edition of the SmackDown series features a variety of substantial improvements and updates, from a remodelled Road to WrestleMania mode which puts you right in the middle of five authentic World Wrestling Entertainment storylines, to WWE Universe, a brand new addition that combines GM Mode, last year's Career Mode, and a hint of Road to WrestleMania to create a world that constantly evolves around the matches you play. Superstars will break out into new rivalries and relationships will be formed as you have full control over every TV and pay-per-view event in the WWE calendar, providing you with a fresh and engaging experience that is fully customisable.
Yes, gone are the days of exhibition matches that have no direction once a winner has been declared, where the story mode is the only way to get your fix of WWE TV realism as you pummel your controller and opponent(s). Switched on and off at the flick of an analogue stick, WWE Universe offers malleable gameplay that gives meaning and point to your matches. Superstars will rise through the ranks of their respective championship divisions as they win bouts, whether or not you play as them, and garner accolades as their careers progress. The winner of a Money in the Bank Ladder Match can actually cash-in their contractual privilege and get a shot at whatever title they choose. Wrestlers will interfere in matches that involve their rivals, attack them on their way to the ring, and even buy a ticket for a ringside seat to observe their foe do battle. There are plenty more such scenarios that play out before or after matches, but so far I unfortunately keep seeing the same cut scenes.
Entire cards will be generated for shows based on what happened on the previous episode, brand pending, and for the most part it's an intelligent system. Occasionally there are issues such as having the exact same match booked on two or more consecutive pay-per-views, but more often than not you are presented with a realistic card that is the product of the ever-changing world. Quite literally, how you play, or even how you choose not to play if you just wish for certain events to be automated – as I said, it's a fully customisable experience – affects the climate within the WWE Universe.
Road to WrestleMania this year gives you the opportunity to play as either Chris Jericho, Rey Mysterio, John Cena or Christian, whereas The Undertaker story puts you not in the shoes of the Phenom, but as a Superstar trying to end his legendary WrestleMania streak. You can take on the Deadman as Kofi Kingston, John Morrison, Dolph Ziggler, R-Truth or a created Superstar. Each storyline differs to keep things fresh and most of them are enjoyable, but it's the whole open-world, RPG-like addition to the mode which makes playing your Road to WrestleMania somewhat annoying, to be frank.
Each event loads up with a brief screen that shows you speeding towards the arena, presumably looking out of the window of a car, complete with graphics that resemble an arcade racer from 1998. From there on you can, starting in the parking lot, run around the backstage area before your match and, well, I won't say explore because there's nothing much to do apart from venture into rooms that are usually empty, visit your brand's General Manager, see the trainer to boost your levels with the experience points that you earn per match (which I see absolutely no point in, by the way), and interact with Superstars. Now, those activities may sound a little more than “nothing much”, but they're incredibly monotonous. Each week you'll follow the same routine that starts with a television in the parking lot. Rather than seeing a fancy cinematic opening to each show with the pyrotechnics and so on, like the top of a genuine WWE TV event and games previous, you're reduced to watching a number of camera shots that pan around the arena as Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler introduce the show and provide a little snippet of storytelling. Why on Earth there's a TV in the parking lot is beyond me, but never mind.
As you enter the backstage area, you'll get a text from Mr. McMahon telling you how many points you've earned from the last show, and then you're free to go and interact with the motley crew of Superstars who walk around seemingly aimlessly. Most of them just tell you to go forth and multiply, but if you take exception to such comments, you can push them out of the way and start a brawl. The ones who say more than just “go away” on the other hand are those who are somehow connected to your current storyline, or sore losers reeling from a defeat who wish to challenge you to a match on the next episode of Superstars. Now while these challenge matches are interesting to a degree, I found myself in Tables, Extreme Rules and Inferno matches with the likes of Kane. What such pay-per-view-worthy stipulations were doing on Superstars in a supposedly realistic WWE environment I don't know.
The RPG portion of Road to WrestleMania has an element of authenticity with a handful of its backstage interactions and some nice touches like the wall-mounted whiteboard that details what's going down on the show, but it's really lacking. The inclusion of the open-world element contains so much that could be improved upon that, although being a promising sign for SmackDown vs. RAW 2012 providing it's kept in the game, is no where near fleshed out enough and feels unfinished. It serves only as an unwelcome bridge between your matches and the furthering of your respective storyline. Oh, and the lip syncing is nothing short of terrible.
The title retains the graphical standard of SmackDown vs. RAW 2010 bar the improved definition and sweat effects on the physiques of the Superstars, and the mechanics are very nearly the name. Grappling has now changed so that you can no longer execute any move that you so desire from a standing position, and how badly damaged your opponent is reflects directly on what bone-crunching maneuvers you can pull off. For example, only when the lights are on but nobody's home can you perform a strong grapple. This has obviously been changed so that players can jump right into the action, but I say that getting to grips with the control alterations per game is well worth it, especially when they design a new grappling scheme that is a major hindrance on the way matches are played out thanks to wrestlers now having the most limited move-sets in years. Thankfully people are already releasing 'true' move-sets for download, but it's an unneeded and unwanted hassle.
A positive overhaul however is the completely new physics system for weapons. You can now throw mops, Singapore canes, sledgehammers and the like at your opponents, slam them right onto trash cans and steel chairs, and have more fun with the letters 'TLC' than any other WWE video game previous. The system makes for unpredictable hardcore warfare every time you play a match that includes weapons. Tables now break in a way that depends on exactly where an unfortunate wrestler has hit them. For instance, if John Cena was on the receiving end of an Irish Cross from Sheamus right through the centre of a table, it would most likely explode into a pile of broken wood, whereas if Evan Bourne nailed a standing dropkick on William Regal and the Englishman flew back into just one side of the apparatus, a leg may be the only part of it to give way. This excellent overhaul also applies to ladders and it's one of the best improvements to the entire game.
Other features include the richest Create A WWE Superstar mode of the series, plus plenty of new additions to the other player-create areas of the game, like WWE Story Designer and Create A Finisher. Online play runs smoother than ever though still suffers from bugs, you can at last compete in a Royal Rumble over the internet, and a shop has been implemented for downloadable content.
The 2011 edition of the series disappointingly feels like a step backwards in some areas, whilst packing a major punch in others. With plenty of content to be unlocked, a huge roster, downloads on the way and the new physics system, the game is definitely worth its price tag in comparison to previous instalments, but we can only hope that next year all the stops are pulled out so that the 2012 release lives up to the high expectations brought upon by this year's. Because it's SmackDown vs. RAW 2011 and it's awesome.
• WWE SmackDown vs. RAW 2011 is also available for the Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 2, Sony PSP and the Sony PSP Go. Both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 releases of the game come in three separate editions each with the same standard UK RRP of £49.99. The Viper Edition contains a copy of the game, WWE No Mercy 2007 on DVD, an exclusive Randy Orton art card, and a special three-pack of in-game alternate attires (T-Shirt, Suit and Referee Uniform). The Lord of Darkness Edition contains a copy of the game, WWE Unforgiven 2007 on DVD, an exclusive The Undertaker art card, and a special in-game Ministry of Darkness alternate attire. And thirdly, The Hit Man Edition contains a copy of the game, Bret "Hit Man" Hart: The Best There Is, The Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be on DVD, an exclusive Bret Hart art card, and Bret Hart will be a playable character in the game, exclusively.