Since I have no interest in the onling gaming (as I am stuck in Mayberry, both geographically and technologically), it's not a factor in my purchase of the game. But I think it's released today, and I hope to pick it up and play it while listening to the electoral results on the radio. Bret Hart vs. everybody!
"To be the man, you gotta beat demands." -- The Lovely Mrs. Tracker
...as well, at Gamespot, too. Interestingly, both reviews basically say that the game is disappointing and doesn't live up to it's hype, especially with the online play.
It'e entirely possible that we're in the territory of diminishing returns with this game. They've tried to spruce up the THQ franchise by adding new matches and environments but there's only so far they can go with repetitive storylines and the CAWs. I would rather not have voice-overs if it meant I'd get an expanded roster.
"To be the man, you gotta beat demands." -- The Lovely Mrs. Tracker
The reason, this is the first Smackdown game, I 'm not buying is the lack of characters. No Austin, Hogan and Brock even in the legend mode is disappionting. Plus, they only added Bret and Andre to the legends list, so it feels more like an expansion pack than a real game. I'll rent it this weekend to see if I am wrong, but dropping $50 for something in essence I already have.
I've been playing it for about an hour now and I'd like to say that the graphics and gameplay are much improved over last year.
I'm taking Matt Hardy through the story mode right now. The voiceovers are kinda crappy sounding, but, humorously enough, all of Tajiri's voiceovers are in Japanese. XD
"You won't see that on Everybody Loves Raymond!" -J.R. after Trish gets pasted with a chair
Originally posted by A FanThe reason, this is the first Smackdown game, I 'm not buying is the lack of characters. No Austin, Hogan and Brock even in the legend mode is disappionting. Plus, they only added Bret and Andre to the legends list, so it feels more like an expansion pack than a real game. I'll rent it this weekend to see if I am wrong, but dropping $50 for something in essence I already have.
Agreed. I'm curious, but I don't think I'm going to rush out to buy.
Can anyone who's played the game confirm one thing for me? The Gamespot review makes it sound as if they no longer use text boxes for backstage dialogue (except for your character) -- everything's voice-over. Is there an option to turn on text, or do you have to use the voice? If the latter, I'm not buying this for sure.
Originally posted by Shem the PenmanCan anyone who's played the game confirm one thing for me? The Gamespot review makes it sound as if they no longer use text boxes for backstage dialogue (except for your character) -- everything's voice-over. Is there an option to turn on text, or do you have to use the voice? If the latter, I'm not buying this for sure.
There's an option to turn on text.
"You won't see that on Everybody Loves Raymond!" -J.R. after Trish gets pasted with a chair
Originally posted by A FanThe reason, this is the first Smackdown game, I 'm not buying is the lack of characters. No Austin, Hogan and Brock even in the legend mode is disappionting. Plus, they only added Bret and Andre to the legends list, so it feels more like an expansion pack than a real game. I'll rent it this weekend to see if I am wrong, but dropping $50 for something in essence I already have.
that's not entirely correct: the legends listed are as follows:
Andre the Giant, the LOD, Mick Foley (as Mankind), Jimmy Snuka, Brutus Beefcake, The Rock, Bret Hart, Kane (Masked) and the Original Undertaker.
I really have to question their choices in the legends category. Beefcake? Come on!
Well, in the legend list, you could all, but Andre, Bret, Mick and Beefcake in Smackdown: Here comes the pain. My complaint is that it feels like an expansion pack instead of a totally new game. I do like the online feature, but since I don't have the online system, it cancels it out.
The roster has been slimmed down, some of the regular SD! & RAW talent are not in the game (Eugene, Luther Reigns, Kidman, La Resistance, etc. I shouldn't have to create guys who SHOULD BE IN THE GAME ALREADY) The roster was "locked" by THQ during the summer I believe and no reason these guys shouldn't have been included as they all have been on TV in regards to storylines.
Also the legends...Beefcake are you nuts? Lets add the legendary MBTA employee(Buses/trains in Boston area) who was caught using/having cocaine on the job as a legend who never would have been what he was if it wasn't for Hulk Hogan. We don't even get all the gimmicks of Mr. Leslie. Zodiac, Booty Man, the stupid mask he wore because of his para sailing accident. Seems like a fair trade not have an active wrestler or even an actual legend like Honky Tonk Man, Owen Hart or Jesse Ventura. (That I'm not counting the crappy Legends of Wrestling games).
The on-line play? No voice chat, no stat tracking, leagues, anything? What is this a first generation Dreamcast on-line game? Look at Madden, any of the fighting games out nowadays. That's how you make an on-line game/community. And on-line we only get a one-on-one match or Bra/Panties. Is anyone really that excited over a Bra/Panties match? This was a the great innovation they had from last years game? No reason why we should have got this dumbed down, bare bones on-line play. Is it even worth it? I say no if you are buying this just for the on-line mode you'll be sorely disappointed.
Looking to win certain belts in the story mode? Hope you didn't want to win the tag titles or cruiser weight belt. THQ took certain belts and also streamlined the story mode.
Basically we get mildly updated roster and loses of titles in the story mode, added "mini-games" such as chopfests, shoving matches, etc which are a good additions, a s*tty on-line game that was more of an afterthought then anything else so they could market the game by saying they are the only wrestling game on-line in the US. Which they are since Backyard Wrestling 2 isn't going to be on-line anymore and Rumble Roses never was. Sorely disappointed and certainly hope if the legal battle between THQ/JAKKS and the WWE is settled they look long and hard the fans opinion of this game and make the needed changes. If not hell let the WWE give the license to a company who knows what they are doing. EA or Midway perhaps? As long as that new company signs on AKI (No Mercy) to make the game engine woohoo!
Hey Lance, do you have to eliminate records to use a new character in season? Even at the end when it says NEW SEASON, I still have them same guy. I mean, just gay.
I too am amazed at how much of a dud this game is. The gameplay itself is better, and while Season is vastly improved in terms of the depth of storylines the removal of those titles is absolutely enraging. Another thing I liked about HCTP was organizing the rosters every season, trading people, making certain wrestlers inactive. Say goodbye to that, now you MUST be subjected to Orton's overpush, even in video game form. No records are available. This is a huge step backwards.
Hot Virgins-The World's Most Steadily Shrinking Commodity
I will probably buy this game. I don't care about online mode, I rarely use the season mode, Eugene is fairly easy to create, the only guys missing that I really wanted to see are La Résistance, BRET HART is there, the gameplay looks better and the graphics look improved.
So I just got the game and have played in for a couple of hours ... I know that Orton, Jericho, JBL & Booker T are the World, IC, WWE & U.S. champs, respectively, but who are the other default champs?
I got the game last night and only played it for about an hour or two and formed a few first impressions on it.
I'll agree with a lot of the reviews so far based on my 1-2 hours of playing last night. This seems more like an expansion pack from HCTP rather than a new chapter in the SD game series. So, while still a great game because HCTP was such a great game, it didn't make any improvements at all over the old engine.
The CAW mode seems significantly scaled back. I haven't unlocked anything that might help in that category. Usually when glaring omissions in the roster list are made, they've set it up so it's pretty easy to create the missing wrestlers in the CAW mode by putting in their identifiable parts. I attempted to whip up a Hurricane last night and had no luck at all. Couldn't find a Hurricane mask or face paint, no Hurricane tights, no Hurricane logo, nothing. Again, I'm hoping that this is corrected when things start to get unlocked via the Season Mode.
I've got a few hours of Season Mode playing to get through tonight, so maybe my opinion will change after more time with it. But you know what they say about first impressions, and my first impression on this game isn't what it was when I first played HCTP last year.
It's a fun game to play but I'm hoping WWE can get their license away from THQ at this point. They touted the online play and the new voice recordings, but both of those features are so far behind the pack that it's almost funny. Games like Madden can add a player's name into the commentary seemlessly and there's hundreds of players in the NFL. SvR had 40 wrestlers to worry about, but we're stuck with GM Kurt Angle saying generic things like "I'm sorry that one certain superstar got robbed of his title shot by a different superstar" or Michael Cole saying "a hard fought win for the wrestler with his hand raised".
How lame is that? Your own wrestler not speaking is just as bad. This may be picky, but some people doing a promo in the ring sound like they're having a quiet conversation backstage. The list goes on and on. It's very disappointing in these aspects, but the gameplay is still strong.
I know that Orton, Jericho, JBL & Booker T are the World, IC, WWE & U.S. champs, respectively, but who are the other default champs?
That's it. That's the list.
(there are no other belts in this year's version.)
That's just wrong ... I know that the Create-A-Belt option is in, but this is crap. I usually take a day off of work to play the game, but I'm just not motivated to do that with this one.
Originally posted by Mayhem So I just got the game and have played in for a couple of hours ... I know that Orton, Jericho, JBL & Booker T are the World, IC, WWE & U.S. champs, respectively, but who are the other default champs?
You guys really need to read others posts. I mentioned the fact only the 4 major titles are in the game previously, and therefore would have answered your repetitive question.
Yeah, I've gotta say, I'm...dissatisfied. The game has very slight steps forward (minigames, graphical cleanup), vs. very noticeable steps backward (loss of belts, roster, CAW) vs. completely new ideas that really didn't pan out so well (the challenge systems; the voiceovers (dear god, the voiceovers)).
For some reason, the controls also feel a bit...loose, to me. I can't quite put my finger on it, but the whole effort just feels sloppy and rushed.
Aside from that, all I really have to comment on at this point is that Garrison Cade's hair is going to burn a hole in my television screen.
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