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Finally had a chance to sit down with this last night before heading out again. So I popped in the disc, fired it up and sat down for some wrestling action.
First thing that struck me, the actual presentation of the game is pretty good, although some of the in-game graphics seem a little jagged. But the moves have been well animated and look like there real-life counterparts. I think if THQ weren’t so desperate to get this out for the Christmas rush, they really could’ve gone to town on the visuals.
All the intros are here and ever present, complete with ring-announcer, Tony Chimmel announcing your wrestler’s name as he makes his way to the ring. All in-ring poses are here too, although they can get a little tiresome. Something else I wasn’t overly struck on was the promo segments when your wrestler talked trash to another – it seemed to take ages for the text to show up on screen, although they’re mouths had been moving for a short while. I dunno, maybe it’s just me though.
The control mechanism isn’t too bad, although it is frustrating from time to time when your wrestler rises from the mat only to be facing the referee, leaving you open to an attack. Signature moves are pulled off with relative ease in this, something THQ has added into this incarnation is that you have to temporarily “stun” your opponent, so that he drops his guard for a split second for you to apply your finisher. I think the initial first-person control, when your back-stage from the beginning of the game is awful, it felt sluggish to me. But, I’m hoping there isn’t too much of that first-person perspective too much.
Ah yes, sound. In a word – mediocre. All the crunching sounds are here and the crowd noises, but the commentary is diabolical. It’s up there with the likes of ISS in the commentary stakes.
I don’t own *any* of the Smackdown titles, although I had played them on many occasion before. This is a good buy, if your a wrestling fan, then your going to like it, if your not, this is unlikely to change your view.
In essence it’s a shinier Smackdown 2 for all intents and purposes, but is that necessarily a bad thing?
First thing that struck me, the actual presentation of the game is pretty good, although some of the in-game graphics seem a little jagged. But the moves have been well animated and look like there real-life counterparts. I think if THQ weren’t so desperate to get this out for the Christmas rush, they really could’ve gone to town on the visuals.
All the intros are here and ever present, complete with ring-announcer, Tony Chimmel announcing your wrestler’s name as he makes his way to the ring. All in-ring poses are here too, although they can get a little tiresome. Something else I wasn’t overly struck on was the promo segments when your wrestler talked trash to another – it seemed to take ages for the text to show up on screen, although they’re mouths had been moving for a short while. I dunno, maybe it’s just me though.
The control mechanism isn’t too bad, although it is frustrating from time to time when your wrestler rises from the mat only to be facing the referee, leaving you open to an attack. Signature moves are pulled off with relative ease in this, something THQ has added into this incarnation is that you have to temporarily “stun” your opponent, so that he drops his guard for a split second for you to apply your finisher. I think the initial first-person control, when your back-stage from the beginning of the game is awful, it felt sluggish to me. But, I’m hoping there isn’t too much of that first-person perspective too much.
Ah yes, sound. In a word – mediocre. All the crunching sounds are here and the crowd noises, but the commentary is diabolical. It’s up there with the likes of ISS in the commentary stakes.
I don’t own *any* of the Smackdown titles, although I had played them on many occasion before. This is a good buy, if your a wrestling fan, then your going to like it, if your not, this is unlikely to change your view.
In essence it’s a shinier Smackdown 2 for all intents and purposes, but is that necessarily a bad thing?
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Nice of you to tell us.
Do you not get it that you have a different opinion to everyone else?
Stop telling us you think its crap over and over.
Ok?
Do you not get it that you have a different opinion to everyone else?
Stop telling us you think its crap over and over.
Ok?
the only half decent thing on the game is the create a wrestler....all the other things are naff including gameplay.
asda wrote:
> it seems to restart every time yu win a card, so maybe when everything is
> unlocked well be able to do a full season
Has anyone unlocked AL Snow cause
> i havent seen him in the game
That is exactly what people on different Smackdown 3 forums say about that full season....
And Al Snow isnt in the game is he?
> it seems to restart every time yu win a card, so maybe when everything is
> unlocked well be able to do a full season
Has anyone unlocked AL Snow cause
> i havent seen him in the game
That is exactly what people on different Smackdown 3 forums say about that full season....
And Al Snow isnt in the game is he?
I will have to see what the problem is tomorrow...
It could be you have to unlock everything before you can play the story mode in full.
Its got to be a bug....Every magazine said that the Story mode is bigger and better....
Even if you don't win a title within a certain amount of matches it seems to restart you. I tried my best to avoid title shots and stuff, but i still ended up starting again. Can't believe the story mode is so naff.
So what happens when you lose a title shot?If you have to restart where's the fun in that???I seriously do not believe that THQ would mess up the story mode. Could someone tell me what happens in the Story mode
The game is likely to arrive tomorrow, but I need to know if there is something wrong with it
The game is likely to arrive tomorrow, but I need to know if there is something wrong with it
I understand it's more of a multiplayer game, but even so, it's terribly dissappointing. I just don't get why they couldn't interweave the first-person stuff into the framework they already had from SD2. The in-ring action has changed little. They've improved it, but kept the same feel.
Why couldn't they do this for the story mode.
On PS2 sequels I expect additions to a winning formula, not stuff being removed or shortened.
It's seems a case of making a game 'look' right above giving the game some substance. This they've done, as I said before, the entrance movies look superb, and the graphics are much better (but still a little glitchy and stilted in places).
This happened with the FIFA series on transition to PS2. Looked great, played like cack.
Hopefully, and probably MGS2, and games like SSX Tricky and GTA3 (yes I realise SSX was made by EA, the same as FIFA) seem to prove that there are developers out there who know what they're doing, and can make a great looking and great playing game. These are the developers that will continue to thrive. We gamers don't forget, you see.
Unless there is a massive improvement next time round, I won't buy the next Smackdown game (for there WILL be one).
I won't be buying FIFA2002. These franchises, however successful, will dry up, and the people who provide us with quality gaming experiences will sell more and more. This is my sincere hope.
Smackdown:Just Bring It smack's of a game rushed out for Christmas, understandable maybe, but when a game falls so far short of it's hype and promise, unforgiveable.
Oh and the commentary's bad as well.........
Why couldn't they do this for the story mode.
On PS2 sequels I expect additions to a winning formula, not stuff being removed or shortened.
It's seems a case of making a game 'look' right above giving the game some substance. This they've done, as I said before, the entrance movies look superb, and the graphics are much better (but still a little glitchy and stilted in places).
This happened with the FIFA series on transition to PS2. Looked great, played like cack.
Hopefully, and probably MGS2, and games like SSX Tricky and GTA3 (yes I realise SSX was made by EA, the same as FIFA) seem to prove that there are developers out there who know what they're doing, and can make a great looking and great playing game. These are the developers that will continue to thrive. We gamers don't forget, you see.
Unless there is a massive improvement next time round, I won't buy the next Smackdown game (for there WILL be one).
I won't be buying FIFA2002. These franchises, however successful, will dry up, and the people who provide us with quality gaming experiences will sell more and more. This is my sincere hope.
Smackdown:Just Bring It smack's of a game rushed out for Christmas, understandable maybe, but when a game falls so far short of it's hype and promise, unforgiveable.
Oh and the commentary's bad as well.........
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