According to the previous titles of WWE games I'm supposed to “Know my role” and “Shut my mouth.” I don't take kindly to demands.
I've been a fan of wrestling ever since I can remember. I vividly recall thinking the 'unannounced visits' from Hulk Hogan or other superstars were truly unexpected. Unlike the Easter Bunny or Santa though, wrestling never got worse once I finally realised that it was all staged. I never doubted the skill required in wrestling, but I did know that when Hulk Hogan hoisted chairs over his head and initiated the pummel sequence, the target was fully prepared for his impending 'doom.' It was this synergy between wrestling and theatrics that compelled me to obtain the very first WWF: Smackdown! game in 2000. I played that game until the characters were burned into the memory banks of my brain; everything was there: the histrionics, the dramatic entrances, the signature slams, and most importantly, the finishers. There was nothing better than watching the little cutscene as The Undertaker grabbed The Rock and executed the Tombstone Piledriver. I cackled with glee when my brother's face reacted - he could do nothing to halt my imminent victory. Yuke's has consistently released wrestling games every year, and this year's iteration, WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2011, promises to have the same crunchiness of the past coupled with the advancements of this generation's gameplay. The experience Yuke's gained from UFC: Undisputed 2010 added immeasurably to the development of Smackdown vs. Raw.
Yuke's flagship of never-ending brawl sequences made its debut in the new game, and the WWE Universe mode is just what we've been waiting for. In this mode you are given an unending list of matches - pick the combatants, win your match (or lose, if you suck!), and then move on to the next match. In attempt to keep things fresh, unique events have been intermittently dispersed throughout the matches, and it works. I spent the better part of my evening in WWE Universe before realizing that nothing was actually going to happen except more, and more, and more matches. It was awesome. The enormous number of additional modes begs the question: What is Yuke's hiding? What are they trying to cover up for? The answer: nothing. If there's a type of match that you personally enjoy when you're watching WWE, you can emulate it here. Table Matches between Masked Kane and Jake "The Snake" Roberts are easily arranged, as are match-ups between R-Truth and Shawn Michaels in a Hell in a Cell. The superfluity of match-ups is mind-blowing. There was literally no type of match that I couldn't play. The only missing element was an ability to play historic rounds and potentially change the outcome, just as UFC 2010 did. I think playing WWF matches that I remember from my childhood could have really tipped WWE Smackdown Vs. Raw 2011 over the edge. Even a limitless number of modes, characters, and moves/combos cannot save a game from repetition, though. After you've played it for a few hours, maybe gotten to the end of Wrestlemania a few times, there's really nothing left to do except play matches over, and over again with friends or online.
WWE Smackdown Vs. Raw 2011 isn't the best looking game on the market, but most of it isn't visually offensive either. Although, I almost cried when graphics reminiscent of Out Run digitized on my screen; parts of WWE 2011 bear striking resemblance to the 1984 arcade game. I thought Smackdown had glitched in some way - maybe I had done something wrong - nope, just awkward design. The backstage areas weren't overly impressive either. I know it's cool that we can go backstage again in a WWE game, something that we haven’t been able to do since 2002's WWE Smackdown: Shut Your Mouth, but it really bothers me that all of the backstage areas are exactly the same, no matter what venue you're at. A little bit of variety would have gone a long way I think, especially considering the amount of PR attention that THQ and Yuke's have dedicated to 'going backstage,' when in reality, it's the most boring thing about 'Road to Wrestlemania.' A lot of time dwindles away within the monotonous rooms our backstage set. It was disappointing that the backstage stuff in WWF Smackdown!, some ten years old, was the most fun I had in the game. Here it just feels as if it was tacked on at the very last moment. Shame, really.
I'm pretty happy with WWE Smackdown Vs. Raw 2011. Despite the flaws, it's a very playable game and extremely fun at times. The game was hamstrung by its own attempt to force more content into a small box, but if you only care about the matches and multiplayer, you'll be just fine. UFC: Undisputed 2010 was technically a better game but it was really difficult to get into, whereas WWE Smackdown Vs. Raw 2011 is much easier to start having fun with, just don't count on having the fun continue at the same level for too long.