WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 (PS2)

Over-the-top melodrama and online action. But where's the guy who can defeat 10,000 elephants?
11/12/2008 7:58 PM | 0 Comments | Page 2 of 3

The AI here is very fine, though not perfect. Hit or kick a player three or four times without performing a hold, and he'll find a way to summon the energy to fight back. Occasionally, the wrestler will punch the air instead of you, and you know that wouldn't happen in real life. Mostly, though, the AI isn't easily foiled. Even when you think a top wrestler is ready to be pinned, he may surprise you with a move that knocks the wind out of you.

You'll find minor camera issues when you're outside of the ring. Get knocked down in a corner or in an area where a fan is holding up a sign, and you won't be able to see how your Superstar is faring. You can be pressing "X" like a madman to get him up off the ground, but you won't be able to see his progress until he's up on his feet. Also, when your opponent goes for a weapon like a table that's hidden under the ring, the camera switches to him in close-up as he pulls it out. Better would be a split screen that allows you to see your own character, especially if you're pressing the triangle button and trying to see how you quickly you heal from a recent pummeling.

In the Road to WrestleMania story mode, I also noticed a glitch. Say you're fighting against Kane and you bloody his forehead with a huge gaping gash. At the end of the match, you won't see that bloody gash in the cut scene. It's a minor inconsistency, but one that's very noticeable. And there should be more to do in the locker room (no, I don't mean that). Basically, in the 2-D room, you'll get voice or text messages via your cell phone that move the story forward. You really can't do anything in the room. No one shows up. You can't move around. It's just a static screen with some clickable icons.

The Creation modes in SVR 2009 can be monstrously intense. With Create-A-Finisher, you can string together and save a combination of four knock-his-block-off moves, chosen from a library of dozens. When you're more powerful, you can chain more than 10 moves together. The flamboyant personality within you may want to fool with the Entrance creation tool, which lets you add fireworks and camera angles to your fighter's entrance. I did see actual high-definition fighter video in the entrances, but it doesn't appear that you can edit the video portion. It would be cool if you had a few dozen clips to choose from. Overall, while you'll feel you really put your stamp on the Finisher tool, the Entrance tool -- while cool -- needs some variety.

Of the many gameplay modes, the one that seemed most compelling to me was the Inferno mode. Unlike that torch under the ring that doesn't burn your opponent, the purpose of the Inferno match is to set that hated wrestler on fire on the burning ring ropes. It's sadistic. But who doesn't want to have fun with the elements? And as someone off-screen sprays a fire extinguisher on your embarrassed opponent's burning derrier, the amazed announcer wonders, "How can we begin to describe what we've just witnessed?"

The game-makers made such a gigantic deal about cooperation in competition this year, you'd think they were politicians. I almost expect the wacky announcers to say, "We've reached across the aisle to get both Ashley and Rey Mysterio to work together for change that will result in bloodifying all those who deign to halt this spirit of cooperation." THQ is gloating about its new Tag Team Explosion feature, which appears in the PS2 version (as well as the Xbox 360, PS3 and PSP disks). It does add variety and some unexpectedly thrilling moments: When you're two-versus-two in the ring, you just might hit the ref or your teammate with a ladder. I have a loner personality, so I'm not that into co-op. But I can see that co-op does spice things up -- and let you cheat a little, too (one tag option lets you tag yourself so you can save your partner who may be down for the count).