I have just completed my first game out of the ones I have bought this Autumn, I was surprised how fairly easy the game was to complete. Taken me exactly a week to complete it. I will run through my opinion of the game.
Roster
I was looking forward to this game because it was my first time being able to play as superstars like Alberto Del Rio, Sin Cara, as well as being able to play as people like Brock Lesnar for the first time in many years. There is a good mix of the current roster and legends, perhaps too many superstars who have parted ways with the company yet still in the game for my liking but that isn’t too major. I don’t like how a chunk of the Divas roster is only available as paid for DLC, that is a bad precedent for WWE to set although it is Divas so they aren’t really missed.
Gameplay
Much was trumpeted about the new ‘predator’ system and the limb targeting which allows you to damage a specific part of your opponents body. I will be honest and say that I didn’t notice much improvement with the predator system and the limb targeting gets repetitive very quickly. The models do look crisper this year but I notice they seem to have undone some good changes of the past like realism, no chance in hell that Rey Mysterio could suplex The Bigshow. They did sort that out in a prior version of WWE Smackdown vs Raw but it has reared it’s ugly head in this game. An addition I did enjoy was the comeback moment which gives superstars that have the comeback perk an opportunity to comeback from the brink of defeat and turn the match completely on its head.
The controls take a little getting used to at first but they quickly feel like second nature and work well. One thing I notice is that the grappling system does feel repetitive and it is quicker to spam strikes until you can hit a signature move then finisher to win the match. It kind of takes the wrestling aspect out of the game.
Game Modes
Exhibition is the usual fare with you being able to play all the different types of matches like one vs. one, tag match, speciality and so on. Nothing really new here except for free brawls – backstage brawl.
WWE Universe is improved on last year, I really enjoyed taking my created superstar Masato through the ranks. The matchmaking is much better this year and less repetitive. It can get a wee bit repetitive but nothing too serious. The most annoying part was becoming the number one contender for titles like Intercontinental and US Championship when you have previously been WWE and World Heavyweight Champion.
Road To Wrestlemania (RTWM). At first I hated this mode due to the repetitive nature and lack of matches but the final third of the whole storyline redeemed it. My main gripe is that there is a lack of complete matches, 80% of the time you have to beat your opponent in order to be able to press triangle and trigger a cutscene where your opponent miraculously beats the shit out of you and you lose. There is also way too many backstage brawls for my liking. I must’ve beat Vader about a dozen times backstage. The storyline was very good, I really liked the final bit at Starrcade it kept me on the edge of my seat and I was thrilled when I finally won. If they have more matches and more choice of superstars you can be in RTWM then they will be onto a winner next year.
Create Modes
The usual suspects return like superstar, logo, finisher, entrance. The new addition this year is create an arena. It’s neat to recreate arenas from yesteryear like a Raw Is War arena or any ofmthenpastnWrestlemanias. Aside from creating a superstarmimdontmreallymventure into this part of the game. I do so purely for the trophies.
Online
This seriously lets the game down, in today’s gaming World youmwould expect them to have servers that work. It was very hard work to get connected especially for the community creation aspect. For the ‘reviewer’ trophy where you review 5 items online it took me well over 8 hours to just select 5 stars and send it. That takes mere seconds but the terrible connection made it more of less impossible to do. They have dropped the ball big time this year, I am glad all you had to do was review 5 items, get 5 downloads of your upload and play a one vs. one match for the online trophies.
Trophies
I found the trophies with exception the review one very easy. They are straightforward, the one that gives most a headache are the ones where you must win 50 matches on hard, 20 submissions, break 50 chairs in one session. It was a little bit of a grind but nothing too bad. The WWE Universe related trophies could be seen as a pain to some too but I enjoyed playing the mode so unlocking them all was going to happen eventually for me. I preferred this years trophy list to last years.
On the whole it is a good game but one or two things like RTWM and the online prevent it from being a great game. I hope they sort them out for next year and improve on the solid foundations they already have. The name is new and fresh but not much else is. It’s the same old features and superstars with new licks of paint.
6.5/10
