Part acrobatic showcase and part male soap opera, professional wrestling has always had a flair for the dramatic. So it seems natural for a wrestling video game to take elements of high athleticism and hyperbolic drama and combine them into one over-the-top package.
"WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2010", the new game from longtime World Wrestling Entertainment partner THQ, lets players choose their favourite wrestlers from the Raw, Smackdown or ECW television shows and do battle in tag-team, Hell in a Cell or Elimination Chamber matches. Or, if no one on the current roster of WWE superstars entices, players can create their own fighters and see if they can take them to Wrestlemania.
Pulling off high-powered wrestling moves seemed simple and fluid with the Xbox 360 controller. Using the right analog stick will perform light grapples, adding the right bumper will perform stronger grapples which do more damage but also have a higher chance of being reversed.
Throw in Irish whips, high-flying moves off the top rope, strikes and ground attacks, and the fighting is actually quite deep. But as fluid as the wrestling is and as realistic as the fighters look, some of the animations are still choppy and stiff -- a long-standing problem with this series.
There are several different match types ready to be played right out of the box, including Hell in a Cell where wrestlers fight in, and on top of, a massive steel cage that covers the ring, and the Championship Scramble, where wrestlers fight each other within a time limit and the last grappler to record a pin wins the match.
The Royal Rumble returns and the chaotic 30-man battle royal is as much fun as ever, though new mini-games implemented to throw rivals over the ropes and eliminate them amount to little more than button-mashing sequences that can be frustrating.
If you want a ridiculous storyline to go with your brawling, there are six Road to Wrestlemania stories to play through, with plots that would be right at home on any Raw or Smackdown broadcast. Each story follows a specific wrestler on his or her journey to the WWE's flagship event.
Canada's own Edge as well as Shawn Michaels, Randy Orton and WWE Diva Mickie James get their own storyline. Triple H and John Cena, arguably the top two draws in the business right now, share a story that pits the Raw and Smackdown brands against each other and can be played co-operatively with a friend. There is also a story for player-created wrestlers.
Each storyline contains a series of matches often preceded and followed by a vignette advancing the plot. Players are able to make some decisions during the story but they mostly follow a set course. The usual wrestling themes are in play. Expect to be double-crossed by a supposed ally at least once.
The character creation toolset is robust. Along with the ability to customize a wrestler's appearance, there are tools to create an entrance, a finishing move, and even set a wrestler's allies and enemies.
For the very ambitious there is a story creation option. Players can create entire scenarios including plot, dialogue and match types. The interfaces for these toolsets are a bit clunky and take getting used to, and creating a comprehensive storyline will take time. But the rewards are there for those willing to put in the effort. With an Xbox Live membership you can easily upload and download created content giving the game tonnes of replay value.
With many different match types, several Road to Wrestlemania storylines and as robust toolset to create custom wrestlers and storylines, "Smackdown vs. Raw 2010" has more than enough going for it to entertain wrestling fans until the inevitable 2011 edition makes its way into stores next year.
"Smackdown vs. Raw 2010" is rated T for Teen and is available on PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PSP, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS and Xbox 360.
