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WWE Smackdown 2011 is disappointing for a number of reasons. The biggest reason is that THQ has somehow, in their infinite wisdom, decided to remove over 250 MOVES from the game!!! This is inexcusable. WWE Smackdown 2010 has all of these moves included.
In a pro wrestling video game, other than the roster, the most important thing is the MOVES! Without moves, it isn't even a wrestling game. I devolves into a Street Fighter style "fighting" game. I cannot overstate how disappointed I am in this year's game.
If you don't think you'll miss the moves that were removed, let me assure you that you will. Among the moves missing is Chris Jericho's Lionsault, his Walls of Jericho, Triple H's signature clothesline, the Rock's signature clothesline, RVD's rolling thunder (yes he is in the game) and his split legged moonsault. Not only that but if you want to create Hulk Hogan to bring into your game forget it. There is no leg drop finisher in the game!! Want the Ultimate Warrior? Nope, his moves are gone too. This applies for any more past and current WWE wrestlers.
You now only have four front grapples. Way down from last year. The developers said they wanted to make a game from the viewpoint of an 8 year old fan. Well, I guess they have succeeded. But along the way, they are killing the loyal fan base that made the series relevant in the 1st please. Seriously, just get WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2010 for $21.00 on Amazon.com
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Okay. Usually I buy these games every year and play them, despite their flaws and such. SvR2006 was the greatest in the series and from there, the Smackdown vs RAW series has spiraled into awfulness like the flushing water of a toilet bowl. And speaking of s---, Smackdown vs RAW 2011 is probably one of the lamest games yet.2007 had glitches and bugs in it, and a flawed new control style. 2008 improved the control style, but got rid of all the moveset moves, had a boring as heck story mode, and was ultimately boring. 2009 was the worst yet, with GM Mode GONE from the game entirely and no replay value, whatsover. And 2010 managed to breathe a little life back into the series with the okay Story Editor mode and improved gameplay and Create features.
So if 2006 was a (9/10), 2007 was a (5/10), 2008 was a (6.5/10), 2009 was a (4/10) and 2010 was a (8/10), what does that make 2011?
Well, let's see... the so-called "revival" of General Manager's Mode as "WWE Universe Mode" is anything but cool. It's like GM Mode or Story Designer, but with absolutely NO control over almost anything! You can't choose who will get to fight for championship title contenders, no matter what, and you can barely customize the matches. Even if you do, though, the game will ignore all attempted rivalry and storyline development, anyways. It only does what *it* wants. You can try to make a storyline, or use your own Created Characters (which the game never counts as being significant) and the Mode will just go, "Yeah, that's cute. Now step aside and let the grown-ups do their job." Any thing that isn't randomally generated by Universe Mode pretty much doesn't count. This might be forgivable if it wasn't the main part of the game! Universe Mode completely replaces Exhibition Mode. So, all the choices are more-or-less permanent, seeing as all decisions made in the previously "consequence-free" exhibition mode will now affect everything thing else. And you have virtually NO control over it! How fun is that? Why would they think it'd be cool letting a computer generate random rivalries and storylines that the player has almost no control over? Was this mode meant to work this way?
The gameplay is indeed different. They tried to add in a new physics/mechanics engine this year, but the game still plays similar to before. Only thing is, the wrestlers move so badly! I don't know exactly what they did, but the superstars and divas now move really slowly and wooden. The feel of the gameplay is far less organic and fluid than it used to be. While I give them credit for pulling off a good counters/reversals system, it just feels like you're playing with stiff robots, the entire time. Everyone moves so slow and un-organic. The pool of moves has been stripped down, once again. Just like in 2007 when they decided to switch over to the control stick format, all moves have been once again scrapped. I can understand why THQ does this every year, as they must not have enough disk space to keep everything. The problem is, the moves they *do* keep are always lame. They always get rid of the cool or not "WWE approved" moves and keep the same 16 different DDT's or Suplexes. This time, though, they didn't even keep those! I will give them credit for trying to expand the overall wrestler moveset and add in new options, like new Turnbuckle moves, but it's just too bad they had to get rid of a good 25% of their old grapples and strikes, most of which were some of the best and unique moves the game had to offer. I guess they figure Create A Finisher will replace those. Speaking of which, they added in a new Turnbuckle Create-a-Finisher option. But as it always is in it's first year, it could use a lot more improvement. We're just NOW getting to some decent options for the original Front-Grapple Created Finishers.
In other Create Modes... Once again, the Create a Superstar options have been scrapped. While 2010 had some okay clothing options for Male created superstars, females basically had nothing to wear besides a few skirts and tights. Well, don't expect any improvement, here. And as always, the hair options are terrible and are only designed for Caucasian men and NO ONE else. I truly, truly wish they'd just come up with a Create A Hairstyle option, cause it's really hard to make some decent created superstars/divas when the hair choices are so limiting.
In Smackdown vs RAW 2011, the roster is simply terrible. Probably one of the worse they've ever done. Of course, one with common sense would know you'd have to unlock some people, but even including that, the roster is still horrible. I can forgive them for all the missing people, if a lot of them weren't PURPOSELY left out, only to be charged for a price later on as Downloadable Content! And this WAS done intentionally, as the game actually includes them in it, but doesn't make them usuable until you go online and actually buy them via "WWE Fan Axxess" (which you can't do unless you buy the game new, AND have online access). Are you freaking kidding me, THQ?!? You left out Layla, Chris Masters, Nexus, the NXT set, and everything else just to CHARGE people for them? And you won't even BOTHER to make Alberto Del Rio, Daniel Bryan, Alex Riley, Jillian Hall, Kaitlyn, Naomi, more Legends, and countless others that OUGHT TO BE Downloadable Content superstars? We get you're losing support and customers THQ, and need to make money. But doing this only proves *why* you're losing all your support and customers for this game franchise.
The Road to Wrestlemania stories are just the dumbest. It seems ironic THQ would state they want their 'Smackdown vs RAW' games to be as realistic as possible (which is why they banned female on male violence in the games), and yet, they purposely limit their roster to be as small as they can get away with, and also give us a Road to Wrestlemania as dumb as these. Especially the Versus Undertaker one. It's so hypocritical on so many levels. In fact, EVERY Road to Wrestlemania in this game is pitiful. I can remember when SvR 2006 had storylines so good, they later actually became REAL WWE storylines! (like the ECW angle.) And now, we get cartoonish crap that even the real WWE would call stupid. At least SvR 2010 they had an actual Created Superstar sotryline in it. This game doesn't even have that. (And yes, I'm aware a created superstar CAN challenge The Undertaker, but it's not an original storyline made just for him.)
Overall, this game fails on almost every level to any of those that came before it. A few things, like Ladder Matches and Create A Finisher, have been improved, but as always, it's one step forward and two steps backwards. Of course, THQ can always get away with this, as they'll always have their little kids and handful of adults who'll buy and praise the game, no matter how cheap and lazy a job they did in making it. Kinda like the actual WWE, itself. At least the real WWE is losing fans and supporters for a reason, though. The real WWE ONLY wants to appeal to little kids and no one else, hoping to re-create the 80's or possibly spur the next "Attitude Era" in a few years or so. So at least they have their excuse for what they're doing. Smackdown vs RAW however, has no excuse for a game this lazily made.
I'd have to give this game a (4/10). It's SvR'09, all over again. For every good game we get that introduces Story Designer, we get a two bad ones that gets rid of GM Mode, and then introduces the far-inferior WWE Universe mode. Please, do not spend money on this, and let THQ know that if they want to still keep getting support, they're going to have to do a better job than THIS. Send them a message and tell them that lazily made games won't be tolerated, anymore. Some people will always continue to drink the THQ-aid, but maybe if enough people stopping buying these poorly-made titles, THQ will actually put in an effort to make a GOOD Smackdown vs RAW game. Because "2006" and "2010" are only two out of seven good SvR games, and that's when you clearly know they just don't care anymore, at this point.
THE RIGHT:
New improved countering system
Create-a-Finisher (Front Grapples and Diving)
Match Creator
Fixing the CAW limit in Story Designer (though it still has glitches, like the game confusing created Superstars for Divas, and vice versa)
THE WRONG:
Just about EVERY thing else. Including, but definitely not limited to:
WWE Universe mode
The weak roster
The blatant DLC greed/ripoff to customers
The piss-poor soundtrack (which if you try to mute, will also mute Entrance music as well)
The VERY annoying continued Sexist Gameplay, which is perhaps one of the worst things aout the game. Does THQ/WWE really have zero respect for women?
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Game arrived on time and was well packaged. I would say the play could be better in tag team mode and the controls could be better defined. Overall a fun game.Honest reviews on WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011
I consider this the best wrestling game in the Xbox 360 market right now. It is highly customizable and still much better than all the bugs and gliches in the 2012 edition. I happily sold the 2012 edition to buy back a 2011 edition.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011
Lazy. THQ has gotten overly lazy with their games. Less moves. Less story. Less wrestling. This doesnt even feel like it even relates to the show. Story is such a big part of professional wrestling and THQ cut it down so much I barley see it any more. Sad really. This use to be such a great series.
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