Every year THQ rolls out a new WWE wrestling game that often is nothing more than a glorified roster update. While the other systems may be receiving more of the same this year, the Wii is at least receiving something different: a brand new control scheme. It is also receiving gameplay content that seems like it belongs on an eight-bit console rather than modern-day gaming hardware.
The best word to describe the Wii’s version of Smackdown vs. Raw 2008 (featuring ECW) is “simple,” which is both praise and damnation. Developer YUKE’S has done everything in their power to provide a WWE gaming experience that feels immersive and that would appeal to the casual wrestling fan. To this end, they have largely succeeded… although they may have left the more devoted wrestling fans out in the cold in the process.
Almost everything you do in SDvRAW is accomplished with a wave of the Wii remote, often in conjunction with holding down one or two buttons. This will execute various strikes and grapples; several grapples are also interactive and can have several different outcomes depending on which direction(s) you wave once initiated. Don’t worry about having to remember which directions do what, as an HUD appears on-screen that tells you which directions are valid for your current situation. The HUD also tells you when (and how) you can perform favorite moves, finishers, and pinfalls. In addition to being able to simulate punches, chops, and even headbutts by making the appropriate gestures (in the appropriate situations), you can also regain some stamina by hitting the C button and performing your selected superstar’s signature taunt in the same manner.
While these controls work very well, they are not without their faults. The reversal system feels too random to be reliable, for instance, and “frantic waving” has unfortunately replaced “button mashing” when it comes to kicking out of pinfalls or just getting up off the mat. Perhaps the most significant drawback to this new control scheme is that they don’t cover every situation you might encounter in (and around) the ring. I still have no idea how to shift focus when faced with multiple opponents, and you basically have to discover for yourself that the Z button will allow you to cancel certain command input situations. The ten-page instruction booklet is all but useless in this regard, and there is no tutorial mode.
In fact, “there is no” is a recurring phrase when comparing the Wii version to it’s brethren, which is where “simple” becomes a double-edged sword. There is no preview option for entrances in create-a-wrestler mode, meaning that you have to actually have a match to see what the maddeningly-unhelpful descriptions of “Music 01” or “Superstar 05” translate to in the actual entrance, then back out (after finishing the match) and return to CAW mode to make changes, enduring auto-save screens and load times every step of the way. There is no real plot or story to “Main Event” mode; everything is done via static text messages on your cellphone, with no twists and turns to provide any interest, and basically all you do is challenge opponents and/or accept their challenges ad nauseum until you’ve won enough matches to earn a title shot, training and resting to recover stamina as necessary along the way. There is no rhyme or reason as to when the remote’s pointer activates menu selections and when the nunchuk’s c-stick does the navigating.
Perhaps the most glaring omission is the fact that there are no special matches to be found anywhere in this version. The only options you have for matches are singles, tag team, triple threat, “KO” (first to lose all their stamina loses, no pinfall or submission required), and “hardcore” (if you can call two chairs and falls count anywhere “hardcore”). That’s it — no ladder match, no cage match (neither traditional, Hell in a Cell, nor Elimination Chamber), no Royal Rumble… nothing. There isn’t even an option for an “I Quit” match, despite the much-touted “struggle submission system” of this year’s edition.
Most (if not all) of these omissions are present on the Xbox360 and PS3 versions — why did the Wii receive gameplay that comes from the late 80s? The unique control scheme can’t be blamed for all of this (although it is probably the root cause of the dearth of match types), can it?
Whatever the reason(s), the Wii version simply feels half-baked. The game will be fun for casual wrestling fans who just want to pretend to be John Cena as he takes on Triple H, and there is potential in the new control scheme, but the overall shortcomings in the actual gameplay will prevent this from being anything more than a weekend rental at best. Hopefully THQ/YUKE’S will be able to provide a full WWE experience next year.
