WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010

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I have been a wrestling fan nearly all my life. I've played every game from WWF Raw on the SNES to No Mercy on the N64 to Day of Reckoning on the Gamecube to every single SvR title, and I have to say this one rates up there with the best. I was skeptical in buying this, however, as I have become a TNA fan in the past couple years since WWE TV has been CRAP...but that's another story. Needless to say though, I was pleasantly surprised by this release.

Not much has changed since last year's SvR release. The only changes are now you can have more customizable abilities with the real-life superstars, create entrance videos, create storylines, and create flying finishers. There isn't anything much more to mention besides those things, and everything else is pretty much the same as 2009. Now what makes this game better than the other titles is that, as you would expect, everything from the graphics to the sound to the flow of things has been slightly improved. No surprise there.

There are, however, some very annoying things about this game that I must mention. For one, when you download superstars that other people made, you cannot edit their entrance nor their moveset. I could give a damn about their entrance, but people who are lazy and just give the people they make no thought at all besides appearance is quite disappointing. And the worst part is you can't even tell what their finishers are until you download them and attempt to play them in the game. Plus when it comes to created superstars, you cannot copy a superstar who is level 99 and make a bunch of them. Kind of lame when you have to level up every single wrestler you decide to make. Also, the flying finisher maker is absolute crap. Basically no matter what move you make it's going to be a really retarded-looking splash. This looks more like designing a dive into a pool for someone in the Olympics than a wrestling move.

My last couple gripes have to do with the in-match action. The targeting system on this game is HORRIBLE. Remember back on 2007 where you could target someone else just by running at them if nothing else? Well on here you can't even do that. It's complete BS. Secondly, they made it so it's almost impossible to do a top rope move onto an opponent who's lying on the mat. For some reason your opponents on this game get up far more quick than they ever did in past games. I cannot tell you how many times I've climbed the turnbuckle only to reach the top as the other guy gets up to one knee.

On the whole, however, this is far from a bad game. With the exception of the CAW options, a couple in-game mechanics, and the damn flying finisher maker...this game is probably the best so far. The superstars look better than ever, and you can change them in accordance to how things progress in real life. I applaud WWE and THQ for making a good wrestling game, but they need to go back to basics and make the CAWs much better.

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Stamina. It's a term that is incredibly relevant to everything related to the wonderful world of WWE. It's the difference between mid-card and main event, the change from jobber to superstar, and the proof that longevity breeds a successful career. Take a look at Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker, and even Triple H just to name a few. After being in the industry for years upon years, they still pull out all the stops, put their bodies on the line and keep on doing it for the fans. The WWE Smackdown franchise is the video game equivalent, and with sequels now in the double figures spanning three generations of consoles, we're very pleased to say that the 2010 edition of WWE Smackdown vs. Raw is indeed one of the best wrestling games not only of the series, but of all time.

Why, do you ask?

Creativity. Creative freedom oozes out of WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2010 in a way never seen before; sure, you've always been able to create your own superstars and recently even create your own finishers, modify the roster and so on. Hardcore wrestling fans have always been wanting just that little bit more, and that little bit more ladies and gentlemen is the ability to create your own story lines. How many times have you sat down with your mates and discussed what you think should happen with superstar interactions and the week-to-week narrative, discussing who deserves a push and contemplating possibilities for serious character development? We've done it endlessly over the many years we've been watching WWE, and the ability to put it all there on the screen in front of us and watch our work play out in front of our very eyes is, quite frankly, all kinds of awesome.

From the incredibly detailed Create-a-Superstar mode (which loads a bit faster this year, by the way) to the Create-a-Finisher mode which is also far more detailed than usual with the ability to add diving finishers too, you can tailor make everything just how you want it to be. Entrances have always been a highlight in showing off the presentation of the WWE games, and here you can create your entrance right down to the specific lighting cues and music that plays; for a film-makers touch, you can even edit together snippets from your matches to make a custom entrance movie that plays on the titan tron. If anyone says there isn't enough options in this game, we'll slap them down and spit on them, because we're almost wondering how they crammed so many options onto a disc.

The greatest thing about all of this content that you can create is that you are able to share it online with the rest of the world. The fact that you can upload your own storylines and download other ones to play through means that the content is potentially infinite if it's embraced by the community; and to be honest, the system is so easy and fun to use that we can't see why it wouldn't be embraced wholeheartedly. Being able to download each others created superstars also will extend the longevity of the game as there is the ability to constantly keep your roster fresh with new characters and therefore, more strategies. While we're sure there will be some unique creations, it's going to be handy to download superstars that have been created based on real-life counterparts from those created players who want to play as their favourite new superstar or legend from the past.

Road to Wrestlemania mode, a story mode designed specifically with a handful of particular characters in mind. These are a lot of fun to play, and range from playing as Mickie James all the way to the other end of the spectrum, playing as a desperate Shawn Michaels who refuses to give up and retire. More importantly, you can now take your created superstars through this special mode, starting out as a fan that gets insulted by Santino while sitting in the front row and playing through the narrative from there. There are moments in this mode where you have to make decisions that alter the path in the story, and there are also special match conditions you can meet such as winning in a certain way or using a certain move which goes towards unlocking more goodies for yourself later.

The presentation in WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2010 is top notch this time around as well. While it's always been said that the games try to be as close to the real thing as possible, it's 2010 that more than ever proves that it's certainly not far from the truth. Replacing some loading screens are the logos of company and show copyright pops up at the end of matches as your superstar celebrates in the ring. There are even more subtle touches to the presentation, including actual reactions from superstars outside the ring after they've been eliminated from the Royal Rumble, and the HUD has been replaced with a simple circle around your superstars feet which lets you know how much momentum you have, so that you can time your trademark moves and finishers.

Gameplay has also been refined for the better, moving to just the one reversal button rather than using both the shoulder buttons. The timing of each counter really needs to be more precise, and it just feels more natural when counters do occur rather than just picking a side and mashing it in the hope that you are predicting whether your foe is using a striking or a grappling move. There are also a few new moves in there for good measure, and the mechanic for kicking out has moved into a mini-game of timing rather than being merely about bashing the control pad. The Royal Rumble has copped some serious upgrading in terms of how to eliminate people also, with timing-based mini games replacing the old formula which essentially was frustrating and cheap if you were ganged up on by the AI at any point. And finally, the Championship Scramble has been added as a match mode, where (for those who don't know) the title can change hands as many times as necessary over a period of either 5, 10 or 20 minutes, with the winner being the last person holding the belt at the end.

The bottom line here is of course that WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2010 isn't a perfect game, but there isn't a serious need to go over the flaws when it's such a big step forward for the franchise overall. There are so many improvements that it stands out as one of the most successful wrestling games of all time, and easily the best of this generation. The creativity that it allows you is unmatched, and the fact that you can share your stories and creations with the world means that the game could effectively last you forever, and the entire game has been given an edge in presentation that genuinely makes you feel like you're watching the programming, which is not an easy thing to deliver. Improved in almost every way, this is one chunk of gaming goodness that's impossible for any true wrestling fan to ignore.

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I happen to own a bunch of the Smackdowns already and had no plans of picking this one up...UNTIL I found out about the story editor mode. Then I decided to buy it and give the newest smackdown a chance.

Let me say, that while the story editor leaves a lot to be desired, it could be great. Emphasis on COULD be. Unfortunately there's a bizzare limitation they added that makes no sense at all. For some reason, you can only use your created characters up to 10 times in the full year story you have. Matches and scenarios count the same, and so if you have half of your story be scenarios, that means you can have a maximum of 5 matches with 5 scenes....for the whole year. Or worst yet, if you include 2 guys you created, that counts as 2 scenarios or matches per scenario.

This is a bizarre limitation since it wouldn't hurt the game performance to allow you to use whoever you want. I have no clue why the developers of this game would want to add such a severe limitation to a great idea. Since I got this game to develop my own characters through stories, I am frustrated and disappointed with this limitation that takes an otherwise cool idea and limits it to pointlessness.

The story editor already has its setbacks, but this is the killer. So I think I'm going to go ahead and take this game back, since the gameplay isn't improved enough from last year to be worth the high price if I'm not going to use the story editor. I'm hoping that maybe they'll make a patch to fix this problem or increase the limit on a future DLC package. If they did that, I would buy this game again. Until then, I might as well just play Smackdown 2008's GM mode, which doesn't make such an insane limit on how you use your created wrestlers.

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This is the best SvR game I've ever played so far. This game can be so much better if: there's less glitches in game, A lot of limitations on the online community and in game, half-decent manual control target, features taken out again, limited editing options for CAS from online and in-game superstars, lack of support from developers (updates so far), etc. Even with all these faults, the gameplay is better, they added a lot of the little things that made the gameplay more better. RTWM is fun and entertaining, Create-A-Storyline is tons of fun, and tons of others. I'd like to give it a 3.5, but cannot give it 4 stars. Still is a great game IMO. Worth $60 for wrestling fans like me, but not worth it for other gamers.

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After five minutes of it being on it freezes. At first you think its gonna work, but it doesnt. Irritated.