WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2009: One Man's Opinion

[icepikk]

Quote: Originally Posted by blinkfan77

I agree with a lot of whats been said. Especially in the article. This lame ticky-tacky stuff like the Inferno Match and the backstage brawl that has the same stupid canned, long, boring, repetitive animations that get old and stale after 1 match are getting seriously old and boring. So what, flames rise up after a few minutes/strong moves. So what the loser rolls around with crappy looking flames on them. It's cool to watch once. For me, fixing the gameplay mechanics and the weapon interactions is what they need to do. I'm so sick of weapons/tables etc.. and the "sliding" mechanic, where if you walk near something, it just simply slides, rather than being able to do a move ONTO it. Rather than some stupid animation that involves you throwing an opponent on a table first, then you do something. No thanks Get rid of these lame, gimmicky moves and interactions with the crowd. I don't feel like I'm really involved in the matches when it takes a single button press that goes into some stupid animation with the crowd/barrier that included a new camera angle, further removing me from the experience of me actually performing the moves with the utmost video game gratification. The developers and producers clearly don't have a genuine feel for what SHOULD be being fixed and what fans really want. A couple new modes and matches that are fun once or twice, isn't going to make me buy this game. Improved controls, mechanics, graphics, loads of backstage areas, new situations to do moves in, new moves themselves, GETTING RID OF 8 YEARS OLD MOVES!!!! That's what I want to see. And for gods sake, PLEASE REDO THE HELL IN THE CELL!!!!! I can't tell you how sick I am of the 8 year old animation of falling through the cell and HANGING ON! The old WM game for GameCube had THE BEST HIAC match in any WWE game. I loved playing it because every move you used to put someone through was new, exciting, different looking animation/reaction. Not to mention Corey Ledesma is the most fake, disingenuous, see through, transparent developer/PR person I've ever seen in interviews. The guy thinks his audience is 10 year olds who just accept all the crap he says. I don't fall for all of his stupid hype tactics that he whips out every year. This franchise needs a new direction, new staff, new outlook, better community relations, better PR, better goals, higher standards and a better feel for what their consumers really want. Freshen this game up already!!!!!

very well put. I agree with all of that.

[CarryTheWeight]

The best thing about the SVR series is the CAW mode. Probably the best one out there and the only one out there worth a damn. Hell, I run a CAW league on SVR just because of that reason. SVR, by far, has the best customizability (is that even a word?) of any sports game out there, even if games like Fire Pro and No Mercy had more flexibility.

But, at the same time, I'm still very skeptical of just where the game's going gameplay-wise. It's the "Madden" of Wrestling games after all. THQ and the developers talk every year about how "nothing's been recycled" and how they're "rethinking" the game's various features. Why are we seeing recycled animations from Smackdown 1, then? Why does the game always seem to take "one step forward and two steps back" gameplay-wise?

I like the "struggle submission" system they implemented last year, but I hated how it rendered every submission without an "SS" by its name null and void. I liked the addition of the ECW Extreme Rules Match last year, but when I can't break an announce table by jumping off the top rope or suplexing someone off a ladder, I instantly cringe.

Like 2K5/Madden, it's REALLY sad when games with inferior graphical quality and games on older consoles (DOR and No Mercy) perform much better when it comes down to basics. Sure, SVR still has the best customization around and the most authentic out-of-ring authenticity. But when it comes down to pure wrestling, SVR is junk. The AI fails to act competently, you can still beat opponents endlessly with stomps and irreversable maneuvers on the mat, and its mechanics still belong in a fighting game.

...oh yeah, and don't get me started on the commentary.

SVR2009 looks like more of the same to me. Despite the addition of some new exciting customization (create-a-finisher), I'm still skeptical. And I'll continue to be skeptical until the demo or the game itself releases. Sure, it's still a "buy" for me (I own a CAW league, after all) but I can't help but think it's...well...more of the same.

[VG31]

Has it been announced if you can use any superstar in story mode or are you restricted to a list of like 20 wrestlers like last year?

[goh]

Quote: Originally Posted by CarryTheWeight

The best thing about the SVR series is the CAW mode. Probably the best one out there and the only one out there worth a damn. Hell, I run a CAW league on SVR just because of that reason. SVR, by far, has the best customizability (is that even a word?) of any sports game out there, even if games like Fire Pro and No Mercy had more flexibility.

I think the CAW mode has gotten progressively worse too. Especially with the females,goodness forbid they have a logo on their shirt and can wrestle in more than one match type,apprently they're also made of some sort of plastic cause they don't bleed,also can't be used in story. Guys can't have logos on their upper pants either and putting any logos at all anywhere on them and they're not usable online. Need the PS2 version with a cheat device to get anything done anymore.

[CarryTheWeight]

goh, even with its quirks on next-gen (less layers on PS3 than 360, and all the blurring) and even after all that's been removed, SVR's CAW mode hasn't been butchered as much as the gameplay. People are still able to make mindblowing creations in there.

On second thought, though, it's still a damn shame. Every point you made is valid. At the very least, we should have more slots for creations. 30 is fine, but 64 would be better. Why can't we have the limit be our own hard drive (or memory card) capacity? And about women bleeding, I think it's more of a rating issue than anything else...if they were to include it, up comes the M rating. Which isn't a bad thing per se, but we'd have to deal with the endless groups of angry kids complaining about why "gamestop won't let me get the game".

Once again, one step forward, two steps back...

[TCF]

Quote: Originally Posted by CarryTheWeight

The best thing about the SVR series is the CAW mode. Probably the best one out there and the only one out there worth a damn. Hell, I run a CAW league on SVR just because of that reason. SVR, by far, has the best customizability (is that even a word?) of any sports game out there, even if games like Fire Pro and No Mercy had more flexibility. But, at the same time, I'm still very skeptical of just where the game's going gameplay-wise. It's the "Madden" of Wrestling games after all. THQ and the developers talk every year about how "nothing's been recycled" and how they're "rethinking" the game's various features. Why are we seeing recycled animations from Smackdown 1, then? Why does the game always seem to take "one step forward and two steps back" gameplay-wise? I like the "struggle submission" system they implemented last year, but I hated how it rendered every submission without an "SS" by its name null and void. I liked the addition of the ECW Extreme Rules Match last year, but when I can't break an announce table by jumping off the top rope or suplexing someone off a ladder, I instantly cringe. Like 2K5/Madden, it's REALLY sad when games with inferior graphical quality and games on older consoles (DOR and No Mercy) perform much better when it comes down to basics. Sure, SVR still has the best customization around and the most authentic out-of-ring authenticity. But when it comes down to pure wrestling, SVR is junk. The AI fails to act competently, you can still beat opponents endlessly with stomps and irreversable maneuvers on the mat, and its mechanics still belong in a fighting game. ...oh yeah, and don't get me started on the commentary. SVR2009 looks like more of the same to me. Despite the addition of some new exciting customization (create-a-finisher), I'm still skeptical. And I'll continue to be skeptical until the demo or the game itself releases. Sure, it's still a "buy" for me (I own a CAW league, after all) but I can't help but think it's...well...more of the same.

really compared to what other wrestling game in regards to the CAW? it had no competition and TNA's game comes out next week and until we get to see that nobody knows how good it really is.

[CarryTheWeight]

Well, at least compared to the other WWE titles out there, SVR IMO had the better CAW mode, despite the fact Raw 2 had more customization options (editing existing wrestlers' attire and the robust create-an-entrance) and DOR had the better gameplay of the three (at least IMO). SVR always was the higher end of the three in terms of detail and what you could design. Since it made the jump to every console under the sun, though, you're right. There really isn't anything to compare it to. But for what it's worth, it's incredibly detailed, even with the stuff they took out (layer copying, anyone)?

[PSMD410]

I used to be a hardcore Smackdown game fan. But its just become the same ol same ol every year. SVR is plagued with issues every year. Also I can't stand how ur beating a guys *** and hes all red yet he can reverse everything. Its just not realistic enough for me. I am thinking about the TNA game. Just the way the matches flow makes it look alot better then SVR. More Realistic n less arcadish.