• Posted November 18th, 2008 at 08:47 EDT by Steven Williamson
• 9 Comments

Review Score

WWE SmackDown Vs. Raw! 2009

PSU Review Score

8.0

Avg. user review score:

7.7

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Summary

WWE Smackdown Vs. Raw! 2009 is as good as it gets for grapple fans.

We like

• 'Road to Wrestlemania' is a great addition
• Customizable experience
• 70 match types

We dislike

• Controls still don't feel intuitive
• Poor audio

See PSU's review on Metacritic & GameRankings

(continued from previous page) ...up the difficulty, and it can be a frustrating experience. Care to spend some time getting to grips with the vast array of moves, however, and WWE SvR offers a satisfying fight and one that rewards you through its visually outstanding and brilliantly realized move set. Aside from some poor camera angles and some clipping issues that occasionally threaten to hamper the experience, if you do know what you’re doing in the ring, then fights can be very exciting and tactically compelling.

There’s also enough variety in the game modes and match types to ensure that there’s always something new to try out. It's this variety and choice that makes WWE SvR such an addictive experience. There’s an exhaustive amount of match types on offer, including the likes of Triple Threat, Fatal Four-Way, Six-Man, Ladder matches and Royal Rumble. The roster editor and create modes, where you can alter everything from attributes to brand affiliation, also lend a hand in broadening the whole experience and adding extra replay value.

Create-A-WWE Superstar mode is one of the features that offers a comprehensive list of editing tools, the highlight of which is being able to create your own ‘finishers.' Every move and animation is at your disposal, allowing you to mold an impressive finishing sequence consisting of up to 10 sections. The move list is huge, but the user-friendly mechanic, in which moves are broken down into sub-categories and then demonstrated on-screen, is ideal for those who don’t the difference between a Missile Dropkick and a Pumphandle Slam. It’s an excellent new addition that has been implemented extremely well and therefore will probably appeal to hardcore fans looking for an even deeper WWE experience.

For the show-offs out there, there’s also the new ‘Highlight Reel,’ a feature that offers the option to upload footage and share moments in the ring with other like-minded players. You can pause the action in-game and can capture the last 30 seconds of gameplay, using the comprehensive editing tool to add your own music, move camera angles or add effects, such as slow motion. It’s another feature that will probably only appeal to hardened wrestling fans, but it’s a nice inclusion that shows that the developer has took strides to move with the times and offer gamers more for their money’s worth. YouTube integration, however, would have been a really nice inclusion.

Graphically, WWE SvR looks impressive. Signs of pain emerge on the character models’ bodies in the form of scars, whilst blood and sweat drips down the wrestlers’ backs and six-packs. The crowd animations have also been improved and they effectively add to the feeling of a big fight night as they wave banners for their favorite stars, jump up and down with excitement, clap, cheer and encourage the wrestlers to perform their signature moves. Overall, Yuke has also done a fine job at capturing the whole razzmatazz and glamor of the WWE scene.

The audio on the other hand doesn’t fair as well, with cringe worthy commentary that often doesn’t even fit in with the action in the ring, whilst out-of-synch moments, demonstrated crudely when we smashed a chair over Shawn Michaels head only to hear the crashing sound arrive a few moments later, indicates that more effort was undoubtedly put into the customization features and wealth of game modes and match types rather than ensuring that the game was totally up to scratch before release.

Nevertheless, as an overall package, WWE SvR 2009 offers some worthwhile improvements from 2008, most notably its entertaining ‘Road to WrestleMania’ game mode. Whilst the deep control scheme can feel awkward at times, especially if you’re coming into the franchise for the first time, if you have the time or the inclination the rewards are there for the taking. With a impressive list of game modes, match types and editing tools, WWE SvR 2009 is as good as it gets for grapple fans, and with plenty more downloadable content planned there should be more than enough to keep you going until 2009's upgrade.