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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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It's not a one-player game by any means, don't expect it to last you like the PlayStation incarnation because it won't. But, it's still a fun game to play don't get me wrong, it's just not as comprehensive in the one-player Story scenario.
No, there doesn't seem to be a flow like there was in SD2. At least if you lost, you just dropped in the rankings. To create any sort of length to the storyline in SD:JBI you have to turn down title shots or pick fights with others, to postpone title matches for a little longer.
You just don't seem to be able to pick one wrestler and spend a decent length of time, establishing yourself first before a title shot arrives. I'd have liked several matches against midcarders, a few tag/special matches, the chance to build up friendships/rivalries backstage before you get your title shot and start again. A bit of depth, is all I require.
The in-ring stuff is quite good, but then it always was, and the ring entrance are great.
But the storyline is a huge part of why wrestling is so popular, even with people like me who should be old enough to know better. For me they've messed up a major, major section of the game.
Good to hear all RVD's moves, outfits and entrance are unlockable in CAW section. Cool, but then everythings cool when you're (say it with me!) Rob.......Van.......Dam.
Mark
You just don't seem to be able to pick one wrestler and spend a decent length of time, establishing yourself first before a title shot arrives. I'd have liked several matches against midcarders, a few tag/special matches, the chance to build up friendships/rivalries backstage before you get your title shot and start again. A bit of depth, is all I require.
The in-ring stuff is quite good, but then it always was, and the ring entrance are great.
But the storyline is a huge part of why wrestling is so popular, even with people like me who should be old enough to know better. For me they've messed up a major, major section of the game.
Good to hear all RVD's moves, outfits and entrance are unlockable in CAW section. Cool, but then everythings cool when you're (say it with me!) Rob.......Van.......Dam.
Mark
markh wrote:
> Got it last night, and have to concur with your comments.
Didn't create my
> own wrestler, but picked a superstar, and ended up in a story mode that lasted
> only a couple of fights. Win or lose a title match, and you're back to the
> select a wrestler screen. The longest I lasted before starting again was one
> Raw, one Smackdown and a PPV.
I hope there's more longevity when you start
> with a created wrestler, if not I'm going to be sorely dissappointed
Mark
so the story mode aint lasting a long time?
> Got it last night, and have to concur with your comments.
Didn't create my
> own wrestler, but picked a superstar, and ended up in a story mode that lasted
> only a couple of fights. Win or lose a title match, and you're back to the
> select a wrestler screen. The longest I lasted before starting again was one
> Raw, one Smackdown and a PPV.
I hope there's more longevity when you start
> with a created wrestler, if not I'm going to be sorely dissappointed
Mark
so the story mode aint lasting a long time?
I have to agree too.
Jumped straight into Story Mode, picked Tazz, found a tag-team partner in the form of Christian, told him I didn’t trust him and ended up on the receiving end of a 3-1 handicap match. Mind you, I *think* I’ve found a neat little trick to even up the odds, only tried it the once mind. I jumped out the ring with Kane and Christian in hot pursuit of me, walked up the Smackdown ramp, dropped down the floor on the right-side of the ramp, where the barricades go to the right opening up a section. Anyway, Kane and Christian followed me and seem to have gotten stuck in that small right-side, they were moving around, but they couldn’t get back up the ramp for some reason, leaving ‘Taker in the ring all by his lonesome and me getting a chokeslam administered to me.
Alright, try again, back into Story Mode, picked Chris Benoit, declined Vince’s offer to form a tag-team, went it along, fought Test twice and won both bouts, went to Wrestlemania, fought Austin with McMahon as the Special Guest Referee. Austin won! Mick Foley came down and issued a rematch there and then in a Hell In A Cell. Turned it off, since I had to go out, will play more at the weekend though.
I hope Story Mode lasts longer....
Jumped straight into Story Mode, picked Tazz, found a tag-team partner in the form of Christian, told him I didn’t trust him and ended up on the receiving end of a 3-1 handicap match. Mind you, I *think* I’ve found a neat little trick to even up the odds, only tried it the once mind. I jumped out the ring with Kane and Christian in hot pursuit of me, walked up the Smackdown ramp, dropped down the floor on the right-side of the ramp, where the barricades go to the right opening up a section. Anyway, Kane and Christian followed me and seem to have gotten stuck in that small right-side, they were moving around, but they couldn’t get back up the ramp for some reason, leaving ‘Taker in the ring all by his lonesome and me getting a chokeslam administered to me.
Alright, try again, back into Story Mode, picked Chris Benoit, declined Vince’s offer to form a tag-team, went it along, fought Test twice and won both bouts, went to Wrestlemania, fought Austin with McMahon as the Special Guest Referee. Austin won! Mick Foley came down and issued a rematch there and then in a Hell In A Cell. Turned it off, since I had to go out, will play more at the weekend though.
I hope Story Mode lasts longer....
Got it last night, and have to concur with your comments.
Didn't create my own wrestler, but picked a superstar, and ended up in a story mode that lasted only a couple of fights. Win or lose a title match, and you're back to the select a wrestler screen. The longest I lasted before starting again was one Raw, one Smackdown and a PPV.
I hope there's more longevity when you start with a created wrestler, if not I'm going to be sorely dissappointed
Mark
Didn't create my own wrestler, but picked a superstar, and ended up in a story mode that lasted only a couple of fights. Win or lose a title match, and you're back to the select a wrestler screen. The longest I lasted before starting again was one Raw, one Smackdown and a PPV.
I hope there's more longevity when you start with a created wrestler, if not I'm going to be sorely dissappointed
Mark
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?
Page: