Post by hbkjason on May 29, 2007 4:47:00 GMT -5
WWE Smackdown vs RAW, 2004
Format
Playstation 2
Talk about a tough act to follow the first SVR really was against the world from the very start. After the huge financial and critical success that was Smackdown Here Comes The Pain SVR really had to be something special to advance the series. Unfortunately while in its own right it was a pretty good perhaps even great game it just did not offer enough to really make it stand out of HCTP's shadow. I will say that the very first preview video for SVR where it took you through all the SD games was really cool in fact no preview video has gotten me that excited for a SD game.
SVR did boast a couple of new features the main 3 being the increased polygon account superstar voice overs and of course on line play. Sadly only one of these really was special. With the polygon account improved the superstars looked great I would not say they looked like 10x better than the models in HCTP they just looked smoother a down side was the roster was greatly reduced but this was partly due to the VO's as well. the arenas as always looked fantastic however we were down a couple from HCTP as by this point the WWE had stopped the UK exclusive PPV's. They perhaps could have thrown us a bone and gave us maybe a house show arena or something.
Voice overs were something that I had wanted for a while but I never really thought it through. You see if you have VO's it greatly limits what you can do in season mode as when it was all text based it did not take any where near the length of time that it takes to record and edit a actual voice. This along with the great character models reduced the roster. Some of the time I felt like it sounded as if the VO's had been recorded in a bath room as a lot of them really were quite poor it was THQ's first try and they have improved a bit. the game had a proper soundtrack this time round which I actually liked they also brought back the play by play which as usual with THQ was not very good.
Season mode was and I really do not think this is a exaggeration here greatly reduced this was down to the VO's one thing is that the guy you picked did not actually talk it was still all text box so why the could you not go The Rock?. Season mode was much much more linear than what we had in SYM and HCTP there was a few different paths but they all pretty much ended up at one of a couple of conclusions. Other wise season mode was quite enjoyable it was not horrible by any means just sucks how after a couple of years of many different scenarios we now took a step back.
The game play is SVR had the same great grapple system that had been implemented in HCTP. However there was a few new mini games now depending on who you talk to you either love or hate these I thought they were a cool little touch. You also could choose your superstar to fight clean or dirty. Problem with this was while if your clean meter filled up you were invincible for a little bit the dirty one gave you a low blow that pretty much did as much damage as a finisher so it was always better to be bad. No complaints from me as far as game play goes in fact this was the last SD game that I played to death without getting board.
I have to touch on the last of the big 3 new features which was on line mode. Or shall I call it on line demo as thats what it played like. There really was nothing to it next to no match types only 2 arenas very poor indeed. SVR also had a few more new features such as the great challenge mode I really enjoyed this and being a HUGE Rock mark the extra unlockable was sweet. Another feature was the create a belt mode which had the potential to be great it was let down by a couple of things. First the amount of cash it cost to buy a belt was crazy and second this is more a personal thing I hate the fact that you always have to have a center plate. Now THQ made a bid deal about the create a PPV mode which I do not understand as this was in the early SD games. THQ also revamped the Royal Rumble mode which while I appreciated the idea the way you eliminated someone just looked weird.
I will close it here I really did enjoy SVR it was more of just a upgrade of HCTP than a great step forward and I have to ask am I the only one who thought there was far to many damn bars on the screen lol. This was the last SD I really enjoyed even the CAW mode which I usually suck at I found easy to get to grips with. To be fair the game did have a hard act to follow and the reduced roster was always going to go against it. But I think SVR in its own right is kind of a unfairly under rated game, for its 2 sequels thats sure as hell is a different story.
Graphics 9/10
Sound 8/10
Gameplay 8.5/10
Lifespan 8/10
Roster 7.5/10
OVERALL 8/10
Next review will be a side scrolling shoot em up where you play as Hulk Hogan?
Format
Playstation 2
Talk about a tough act to follow the first SVR really was against the world from the very start. After the huge financial and critical success that was Smackdown Here Comes The Pain SVR really had to be something special to advance the series. Unfortunately while in its own right it was a pretty good perhaps even great game it just did not offer enough to really make it stand out of HCTP's shadow. I will say that the very first preview video for SVR where it took you through all the SD games was really cool in fact no preview video has gotten me that excited for a SD game.
SVR did boast a couple of new features the main 3 being the increased polygon account superstar voice overs and of course on line play. Sadly only one of these really was special. With the polygon account improved the superstars looked great I would not say they looked like 10x better than the models in HCTP they just looked smoother a down side was the roster was greatly reduced but this was partly due to the VO's as well. the arenas as always looked fantastic however we were down a couple from HCTP as by this point the WWE had stopped the UK exclusive PPV's. They perhaps could have thrown us a bone and gave us maybe a house show arena or something.
Voice overs were something that I had wanted for a while but I never really thought it through. You see if you have VO's it greatly limits what you can do in season mode as when it was all text based it did not take any where near the length of time that it takes to record and edit a actual voice. This along with the great character models reduced the roster. Some of the time I felt like it sounded as if the VO's had been recorded in a bath room as a lot of them really were quite poor it was THQ's first try and they have improved a bit. the game had a proper soundtrack this time round which I actually liked they also brought back the play by play which as usual with THQ was not very good.
Season mode was and I really do not think this is a exaggeration here greatly reduced this was down to the VO's one thing is that the guy you picked did not actually talk it was still all text box so why the could you not go The Rock?. Season mode was much much more linear than what we had in SYM and HCTP there was a few different paths but they all pretty much ended up at one of a couple of conclusions. Other wise season mode was quite enjoyable it was not horrible by any means just sucks how after a couple of years of many different scenarios we now took a step back.
The game play is SVR had the same great grapple system that had been implemented in HCTP. However there was a few new mini games now depending on who you talk to you either love or hate these I thought they were a cool little touch. You also could choose your superstar to fight clean or dirty. Problem with this was while if your clean meter filled up you were invincible for a little bit the dirty one gave you a low blow that pretty much did as much damage as a finisher so it was always better to be bad. No complaints from me as far as game play goes in fact this was the last SD game that I played to death without getting board.
I have to touch on the last of the big 3 new features which was on line mode. Or shall I call it on line demo as thats what it played like. There really was nothing to it next to no match types only 2 arenas very poor indeed. SVR also had a few more new features such as the great challenge mode I really enjoyed this and being a HUGE Rock mark the extra unlockable was sweet. Another feature was the create a belt mode which had the potential to be great it was let down by a couple of things. First the amount of cash it cost to buy a belt was crazy and second this is more a personal thing I hate the fact that you always have to have a center plate. Now THQ made a bid deal about the create a PPV mode which I do not understand as this was in the early SD games. THQ also revamped the Royal Rumble mode which while I appreciated the idea the way you eliminated someone just looked weird.
I will close it here I really did enjoy SVR it was more of just a upgrade of HCTP than a great step forward and I have to ask am I the only one who thought there was far to many damn bars on the screen lol. This was the last SD I really enjoyed even the CAW mode which I usually suck at I found easy to get to grips with. To be fair the game did have a hard act to follow and the reduced roster was always going to go against it. But I think SVR in its own right is kind of a unfairly under rated game, for its 2 sequels thats sure as hell is a different story.
Graphics 9/10
Sound 8/10
Gameplay 8.5/10
Lifespan 8/10
Roster 7.5/10
OVERALL 8/10
Next review will be a side scrolling shoot em up where you play as Hulk Hogan?