If there’s one thing I love about WWE, it’s the theatre of it all. And no, I don’t mean in a masterfully-crafted Shakespeare-worthy sense, I’m referring to the simple entertainment of watching ridiculously macho men in equally ridiculous costumes violently squabble over who they’ll punch in the face next. The roar of the crowd, the flash of lights, and the heavy metal music, all for something we all know is well rehearsed at the end of the day; it’s brilliant. As always, WWE SmackDown vs. RAW 2011 delivers that in spades this year, nailing the essence of the event with spectacular entrances, crazy plots, and of course, a whole lot of wrestling. But does this year’s entry offer enough fresh content to keep it in the ring?
Well it’s SVR’s biggest year ever with new modes, moves, and tweaks for fans to enjoy. If you were to look at the game on paper, the 70 plus line-up and more than 100 match types are certainly enough to impress, but long time fans will be looking for more.
The bulk of any player’s time will go into the Road to Wrestlemania (RTW) campaign, which has five different characters. I’ve always loved this mode because it wraps an amusing plot around one wrestler’s epic struggle to become champion, and this year is no different. John Cena’s campaign is a bold fight against the iron fist of Randy Orton, who will stop at nothing to cling onto his title belt despite how illegal it may be. The real star of the show though is the Vs. Undertaker campaign, which sees you picking one of a number of characters then take on the madman’s undefeated streak. It’s fair to say it’s one of the more unique RTW campaigns, and a lot of fun. I don’t want to spoil much more than that though.
You’ll be able to go backstage this time too, letting you roam around and take on different missions as well as drinking in all the WWE memorabilia. It’s a fairly simple addition, which makes me wonder why it’s not that well produced. The vast space allowed to run around in is always completely dead, filled with low-res posters, and fails to give you anything to do other than running around looking like you’ve crapped your pants. Perhaps this one should have stayed on the drawing board; another year in development and it could turn into something interesting, but it just feels underdeveloped here.
Past RTW, the new additions this year mainly come in the form of the WWE Universe Mode. Gone is the career mode of yesteryear and in its place is this clever new addition that tracks your progress as you play the game. You’ll be judged on who you like to play as, how you perform, and who you beat up. The game will then work to come up with your very own story that’s unique to you. It’s a nice addition that gives everyone playing something different to experience. Taking away the career mode (which was beginning to get more than a little stale) also replicates the brilliantly unpredictable edge of the real thing. You get your own cutscenes and your very own WWE-style surprise matches thrown at you at any time. It delivers the feeling of watching a drama-packed show perfectly. As always you can either create your own character to use or bring your own favourite into the mix.
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