Smackdown vs. Raw 2010

Rating Teen Genre sports Publisher THQ External Links

THQ has once again enticed wrestling fans with the newest release of their annual romp in the ring Smackdown vs. Raw 2010.  Featuring ECW wrestlers, Smackdown vs. Raw 2010 brings a wealth of wrestlers and customizable features for the avid wrestling fan.  Although annual games often struggle with the expectations and benchmarks created by their predecessors, Smackdown vs. Raw 2010 amps up the customizable features and game play in the newest addition.

From the opening bell, you will be able to play a variety of game modes.  Ranging from the familiar “Road to Wrestlemania” to new additions like “Story Designer,” Smackdown vs. Raw 2010 gives staunch wrestling followers a variety of ways to take on their favorite wrestlers in the ring.  Players can quickly jump into a match in the “Play” menu or go for the wrestling title in game modes such as “Road to Wrestlemania.”  The most impressive aspect to Smackdown vs. Raw 2010 is the myriad of customizable options.  From game types to facial features, Smackdown vs. Raw 2010 will let you jump into a match—or more rewarding—take your time to customize your own wrestler.  The customizable options are impressive, allowing players to adjust simple elements like height and weight to more complex options like tattoo placement, outfit choices, and facial creation.

These customizable options are combined with the ability to create your own “finisher,” which is the show-stopping move that will take your opponent down to the mat and little hope to get back up.  Not stopping there, the “Create-A-Story Mode” allows the most faithful to develop their own storyline.  All of these options give players a wealth of game modes, wrestlers, and special additions to square off in the ring over and over again.

Looking back on the previous Smackdown vs. Raw, the controls have not considerably changed.  With simple button flicking and tapping, you can quickly pick up enough controls to enter the ring and be a contender.  For those that will take the time to create their wrestler, more subtle and complex button combination will once again provide players with high-flying and powerful moves.

The difficulty in rating this game comes from the previous installments in the series. Smackdown vs. Raw 2010 provides a great deal of those new features, but some players may not have the patience, time, or ability to create the wrestler they have in mind.  While the familiar game types offer some options to quickly play a match, they remain unchanged from previous editions.  The customizable options are overall well done and add depth to what could easily become a simplistic title, but must be deemed worth the time and effort in order to come to fruition.

Smackdown vs. Raw 2010 is a quality new release of the series from THQ, giving players a new spin on a familiar title.  Although some of the same oddities in character movement and other flaws still remain, the customizable additions to Smackdown vs. Raw 2010 make this a good wrestling title for the Xbox360 that players will enjoy exploring.