Review Score:

Capturing the excitement and thrill of the WWE and translating it into a videogame can be done. But can it be done well? That is the question. WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2010 tackles that question with a few gameplay tweaks, couple of new match types, and a few creation tools. And while problems are still present in SVR 2010, they really won’t become that troublesome to depart you from its main attraction.

Over 60+ wrestlers are in SVR 2010. Some are from Raw, Smackdown, and ECW. The roster ranges from who you typical see on WWE programming. However, some wrestlers are present in the game that aren’t with the company anymore. And a few legends are thrown in as unlockables. If you’re not content with what the game offers, you can create your own superstar, his entrance, and his own finisher. Create a wrestler has been around since the series first emerged, but it has finally received an overhaul in 2010. All clothing parts are now 3D as opposed to 2D, created wrestlers look on par with the actual wrestlers, and more things have been added to be applied to your created superstar. You can also create your own logo using the paint tool, which is new this year. Finally yet importantly, you can create your own entrance movie using clips you saved in matches and splicing them up with music, sound effects, etc.

In addition to creating your wrestler, you can also create your own story. Which is easily the biggest feature implemented in this year’s game. Once you dive into create a story mode, you can start wherever and whenever you’d like in the calendar. If Want to start at Wrestlemania…you can. From here, you can select to either set up a match for your show or a “moment.” A moment is a scene that you’d normally see on WWE programming. It can range to anything from interviews backstage all the way to a car blowing up. You can also get more elaborate by setting up the length of the scene, sound, camera placement, emotions on the wrestlers faces, and even write your own dialogue if you so desire. You can set up 500 moments on the Xbox 360 and 50 on the Playstation 3. You can also use you created superstar for you created story, but there’s a limitation that will only let you use him 10 times in your scenes and matches. Speaking of matches, you can set stipulations to make your match associate more with your story, set who wins or loses, and even set pre-damage on someone. It all works and it is definitely the most interesting feature that has come across a wrestling game in a long, long time. If you’re not feeling too creative you can download other stories online that people have created. But it doesn’t stop there. You can also upload your own, rate ones you’ve downloaded, and even write short reviews for them. If creating things is something you like, SVR 2010 has you covered.

In addition to the entire creation phenomenon, Road to Wrestlemania is back from last year’s game, and with new superstars to their journey to become champion. The superstars are Edge, Randy Orton, Shawn Michaels, John Cena & Triple H, and Mickie James. There’s also a created RTWM for your created guy. Most stories are similar to the formula they used last year, but they are definitely a lot better. Not only is there more choices you can make, there’s also more unlockables packed in for this year. All of the RTWM’s are good and they’re a nice break from all of the creation modes.

All the match types that you’d typically see on WWE programming are back, and some have been improved. The Royal Rumble has been completely overhauled. Wrestlers now have specific entrances, new eliminations processes, and they walk back to the backstage once they’re eliminated. Everything works well and I welcome the new Rumble. A new match making its debut in SVR 2010 is the Championship scramble. Which is also another welcoming match type, but it’s nothing memorable. Every other match has been recycled from previous games, and unfortunately some are really, really due for an overhaul.

There are some things that still remain an issue with 2010. The gameplay, while it does have some tweaks, doesn’t feel fresh at all. It is something that needs a complete brush up. Collision detection is still a problem, targeting other opponents is a mess, and clipping issues are just as bad as they were before. The game just feels repetitive because it simply, aside from a few changes, is the same as SVR ’09. And this isn’t necessarily a good thing. However, that’s not to say that it isn’t playable. Because it is… it just really needs some changes that can offer a more satisfying experience once I play a match. One thing that they did work on is the presentation. Gone from the past games is the hud. No more bars, but instead a little halo under the wrestler. It shows your momentum and when you have a finisher. With this new improvement, the game looks and feels like you’re watching it on TV. If you’re playing a championship match…you’ll see the championship logo just like it is shown on TV. And when a match ends it’ll show the end of the show logo. While these are subtle improvements, they really do make it feel as If you’re watching an episode of Monday Night Raw.

WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2010 answers the question with a yes. It can be done well. But there are a few problems that stop it from being a true champion. The gameplay is still not much fun, especially after years of the same thing, and glitches remain. But with all of the new creation tools this game has…it holds up well when facing its problems. Creating a story is something that I’ve always wanted to do, and now that SVR 2010 has given me an option to do so, I can do it. New match types are fun, and the online community is always a good thing. SVR 2010 is a good wrestling game. But it just feels rather saturated. If you can look past these issues, you’ll find that Smackdown vs. Raw 2010 is a good wrestling game on its own right.