Official Xbox 360 Magazine - Play new games every month with the UK's number one Xbox 360 magazine

	Black Ops: Killstreak Ideas FEATURE: What's confirmed, expected, suggested!
	Mafia 2 ³⁶⁰ REVIEW: An offer you can't refuse?
	10 Things To Try In Crackdown 2 FEATURE: Have you done them all yet, agent?
	OXM Speaks To... Phil Spencer FEATURE: MGS boss on Kinect, Crytek and Milo!

On the site today - News: Black Ops Mulitplayer trailer hits http://bit.ly/cMRurs

BROWSE OXM

OXM CONTENT

Contact us
Feeds

Login

Not a member yet? Click here to register!

Video

Launch Player

Guitar Hero: World Tour ³⁶⁰

Mirror's Edge ³⁶⁰

Review

WWE Smackdown vs RAW 2009

8.0

Format Xbox 360

Developer Yuke's

Publisher THQ

Genre Action, Beat 'em Up

7-Nov-2008 Finally, a good Smackdown game. Looks like tenth time's the charm...

1 Comments

The once-popular Smackdown series of wrestling games has become progressively weaker as the years have passed. While the original titles from around a decade ago focused mainly on fast-paced arcade-style action, the more recent offerings have become bogged down trying to be realistic and were much worse for it.

After last year's effort, which was the worst of the lot (we gave it a 5), it looked like the series was set to die a slow and lingering death. Yet this year, we don't know how they've done it, but developer Yuke's has somehow turned everything on its head and produced not only a better game, but one of the best in the series to date.

Simply put, almost every problem from the previous couple of years has been addressed. The controls have been made a lot simpler (there are no more silly mini-
games dotted throughout), and beginners can play with on-screen tutorial prompts to help guide them through the control system for the first time.

The action is much faster and less frustrating than before: when you get knocked down it no longer takes an age to get up. The ridiculous loading times have been greatly reduced. And the annoying "fighting styles" gimmick from last year - which promised to give each wrestler unique moves but instead just limited access to other ones - has been scrapped.

On top of this, there's a brand new Road To Wrestlemania mode, which features six different unique storylines starring the likes of Triple H and Chris Jericho. After choosing the one you want, you follow that wrestler's path to Wrestlemania through a series of fantastic cut-scenes (all voiced by the actual wrestlers themselves) and events that feel more like the actual TV broadcasts than ever before.

There's also a co-op tag team story for the first time. Of course, the normal Career mode also remains if you want to choose a different wrestler (or a created character) and try to take them to the top, though the cut-scenes aren't quite as linear and well-scripted as in the other mode.

We'll be honest, after last year we approached Smackdown vs Raw 2009 with fear and trepidation, worrying how the developers would mess it up this year. As it is, we were greatly surprised at how the developer has clearly listened to all the criticism doled out previously and delivered one of the best wrestling games for years.

Being a wrestling game, it certainly won't be to everyone's tastes, but for the first time we can safely say that this is a title that fans of the sport can really grapple with and, ultimately, love.

OXM Staff

Overview

Verdict

For once, a must-have for wrestling fans

Uppers

Controls are far less complicated

Greatly improved loading times

Six fantastic story modes

Extensive creation modes

Downers

Cage and ladder matches are fiddly

Screens

Interactive

Read all 1 comments

Screens

1 / 7 Screenshots

Reviews:

WWE Smackdown vs RAW 2009

News:

First ever Smackdown DLC revealed

Smackdown vs RAW 2009 shots and details combo

More Related

Copyright 2006 - 2009 Future Publishing Limited,
Beauford Court, 30 Monmouth Street, Bath, UK BA1 2BW
England and Wales company registration number 2008885