Smackdown vs Raw 2011

[The Brian J]

Ok, quick question for everyone...

I haven't played a Smackdown vs Raw game since SvR 2006. All the hype behind this game has made me really want to pick it up for the 360, which I will probably be doing later today.

My question is, how similarly does it play to old SvR games? Is it something where I'll have to be learning an entirely new control scheme, or is it still fairly close to the older SvR formula of gameplay?

[DJ Ice]

I like that after every PPV title match, Cole says "if that happens this sunday, we could have a new champion"

It's like he's living a week behind everyone.

I've only had this on week before the PPV

Anyone else playing week-by-week? I find this easily the best way to play

[Timmoru Suzuki]

Played this with a mate for about eight hours yesterday.

Gripes

* I don't mind only being able to have title matches on PPV, but not being able to pick who is in them and the type of match stinks.

* Create-a-Finisher needs more options and for different animation segments too look more fluid when put together, but I appreciate that may not actually be possible.

* We made created wrestlers and put them in a team. We booked one match to make our debuts, which we won. The CPU booked us in another match, and again we won. Then the CPU started booking one of us in singles matches or with a different parter, ignoring the other CAW entirely, then ran an angle where one CAW turned on the other and disbanded the team and deleted then team from the game. Don't tell me it's "My moment," and boast about the customisation options if I can't even have the damn stable I want. We of course, just went went into My WWE's team options and reformed the team.

* The same dire commentary we've been listening to for the past five years.

* THE GAME NEEDS PATCHING, STAT.

- On 4/5 occasions the game randomly started playing someone's entrance music during a match, loudly, drowning out everything else. Once it tried to play two themes at once in the post match celebration scenes.

- We saw the silliest bug I think I've ever seen. I was in the ring, holding the steel ring steps. R-Truth is at ringside, by the announce table. I threw the ring-steps at him. They hit him, bounced back off his head, flew back over the top rope into he ring and hit me, then flew back out of the ring and landed next to R-Truth. We had to pause the game, as we were laughing too much.

- In one match, CM Punk interfeered, then as he tried to leave he kept walking against the side of a table that was in his way. He spent a good ten minutes casually strolling into the side of the table until we moved it. Apparently walking AROUND the table was just too much hastle.

- The game has an obsession with tag team tables matches. Using the two CAW's we made, one or both of us was in a tag team tables match in 9 out of 10 shows at one point.

- Also, the rankings need work. Twice we moved someone into the number one contender spot, only for the game to book a Number One Contenders match between two different wrestlers. Fuck off. I don't know why they couldn't just use the exact same ranking system from Smackdown 2! which worked brilliantly, but it's like THQ to release a game that's inferior in one respect or another to something they released nine years ago.

- Some of the interferences are good, some are just shit, seemingly happening because interferences CAN happen, not because there is any other reason.

But

It was still the most fun I've had with a Smackdown game on it's release day for years. I have my own copy now, will play tonight or tomorrow, and while I have no doubt I'll bore of it relatively soon, I fully expect it to keep me interested longer than a Smackdown game has in 5+ years. They've done a lot right, and some of it's problems add to it's charm in a strange way. DFF observed the game and said it looked "Half shit, half amazing," and I think he's right.

[DJ Ice]

Played this with a mate for about eight hours yesterday.

Gripes

* I don't mind only being able to have title matches on PPV, but not being able to pick who is in them and the type of match stinks.

* Create-a-Finisher needs more options and for different animation segments too look more fluid when put together, but I appreciate that may not actually be possible.

* We made created wrestlers and put them in a team. We booked one match to make our debuts, which we won. The CPU booked us in another match, and again we won. Then the CPU started booking one of us in singles matches or with a different parter, ignoring the other CAW entirely, then ran an angle where one CAW turned on the other and disbanded the team and deleted then team from the game. Don't tell me it's "My moment," and boast about the customisation options if I can't even have the damn stable I want. We of course, just went went into My WWE's team options and reformed the team.

* The same dire commentary we've been listening to for the past five years.

* THE GAME NEEDS PATCHING, STAT.

- On 4/5 occasions the game randomly started playing someone's entrance music during a match, loudly, drowning out everything else. Once it tried to play two themes at once in the post match celebration scenes.

- We saw the silliest bug I think I've ever seen. I was in the ring, holding the steel ring steps. R-Truth is at ringside, by the announce table. I threw the ring-steps at him. They hit him, bounced back off his head, flew back over the top rope into he ring and hit me, then flew back out of the ring and landed next to R-Truth. We had to pause the game, as we were laughing too much.

- In one match, CM Punk interfeered, then as he tried to leave he kept walking against the side of a table that was in his way. He spent a good ten minutes casually strolling into the side of the table until we moved it. Apparently walking AROUND the table was just too much hastle.

- The game has an obsession with tag team tables matches. Using the two CAW's we made, one or both of us was in a tag team tables match in 9 out of 10 shows at one point.

- Also, the rankings need work. Twice we moved someone into the number one contender spot, only for the game to book a Number One Contenders match between two different wrestlers. Fuck off. I don't know why they couldn't just use the exact same ranking system from Smackdown 2! which worked brilliantly, but it's like THQ to release a game that's inferior in one respect or another to something they released nine years ago.

- Some of the interferences are good, some are just shit, seemingly happening because interferences CAN happen, not because there is any other reason.

But

It was still the most fun I've had with a Smackdown game on it's release day for years. I have my own copy now, will play tonight or tomorrow, and while I have no doubt I'll bore of it relatively soon, I fully expect it to keep me interested longer than a Smackdown game has in 5+ years. They've done a lot right, and some of it's problems add to it's charm in a strange way. DFF observed the game and said it looked "Half shit, half amazing," and I think he's right.

I noticed this as well. I had CM Punk in the No. 1 Contenders position. BUT he was already No. 1 Contender for the Tag Titles before this match so I don't know if that has anything to do with it?

[TKz]

Nope, can't be, I've had Jericho challenge for the Tag Titles, WWE and World Championship on one PPV.

Overall, it's a good game, improvement on last years, but as usual it's a case of 'maybe next year'. It seems like every year they introduce something, it's just the groundwork for whatever new mode they're introducing. It's by no means broken and is definitely more fun that I've had on SD in a long while, but Universe mode is in dire need of more animations and just some general logic. It's great that stuff like matches being restarted under new rules can happen, or interference and so on... but it's just a bit annoying when it keeps happening for no reason. I beat Alberto Del Rio fair and square in a singles #1 contender match... only for it to get restarted as a Falls Count Anywhere match. Okay, if I had beaten up the ref and cheated to win, or someone had interfered, I'd be fine with that... but it made no sense at that time.

The rankings need some sorting out as well. The game is pretty much incapable of elevating new wrestlers over/close to existing stars. Sheamus has been stuck in the US scene for about... 4 years now because John Cena and Randy Orton hold a monopoly over the title scene, whilst on SmackDown (where the only top stars are Punk, Edge and Mysterio because I've removed a lot of people) Chris Masters, Alberto Del Rio and more have all held the title for months at a time.

What Universe mode needs is a little more of the old GM mode implemented into it. If there was something as simple as being able to select two superstars and set them to 'feuding', that'd be awesome. If you play their matches, they might attack one another afterwards or before or interfere in each others matches... but if they're not set to feuding, then nothing happens. Then select a PPV to end the feud on. Maybe some kind of 'push' feature, or 'momentum'. Set someones momentum high and they'll start getting shots against the big stars and in the title scene, set it low and they'll be facing the Zack Ryders of the WWE. Then allow momentum to rise as well. If Dolph Ziggler keeps getting wins, eventually he'll get higher momentum and be allowed to wrestle higher members of the card.

And most of all, the ability to keep people in one set of rankings. Miz keeps challenging for the IC, World and Tag titles, when I'm trying to push him to World... but it's impossible because he just keeps getting #1 Contender matches for the IC.

[theburninator77]

Cody Rhodes = WHC. Beat Taker and Edge at the Royal Rumble.

[Bryan Blade]

So far im only 3 weeks in and I've had Sting turn heel, David Otunga turn on Wade Barret and Tyson Kidd turn on DH Smith too and there still Tag champs awkward

[DJ Ice]

So were THQ lying when they said over 100 cutscenes in Universe mode? I've only came across 5/6 at the most

[TheBoss]

A question: Can somebody please direct me to a list of modifications that need to be done to have real finishers for WWE SuperStars? Some are really messed up, like Jericho having Walls of Jericho as a signature, 2 CodeBreakers as finishers, no LionSault anywhere... There are more, maybe someone knows who else needs a change?

[TKz]

...or just do it yourself instead of asking other people to do your work. :/

[the gurn]

anyone else having trouble unlocking the rock, ive unlocked him twice now and hes still not on my game this is after doing all the other matches to get the rock at the end before you face undertaker, anyone got any idea what to do as i have had it confirmed he was unlocked then when i go to play as him hes gone?

Edited October 30, 2010 by the gurn

[VerbalPuke]

I haven't unlocked any legends so I don't know, but is there a separate spot for legends?

A few of my own observations and comments as I've played for a bit longer now:

I unlocked William Regal, but it was even more awesome because I happened to do it playing as Finlay. The ensuing match was a hard hitting brawl with many reversals, and ended with both men having red chests.

Interference sucks in this game. It would be great, but they made it so that the ref's AI is incredibly retarded. I understand that in real life the ref will always get distracted by the guy on the apron, but something is wrong when the ref is desperately trying to run passed my pin attempt just so he can go to the apron where the interferer is. It's just flat out stupid.

CM Punk winning the world title in an inferno match against Jack Swagger at Summerslam was a cool visual. Punk standing in the middle of a flaming ring triumphant with his newly won world title looked awesome.

Evan Bourne is on a roll as the U.S. champ. I aim to keep it that way.

Edited October 30, 2010 by VerbalPuke

[Bryan Blade]

I really like this game but whats with half of the current stars being missing NXT, Daniel Bryan Del rio, Surely there coming as DLC?

[King.]

I really like this game but whats with half of the current stars being missing NXT, Daniel Bryan Del rio, Surely there coming as DLC?

I also hear the FCW Champions are coming out as DLC too. THQ took a guess about what their characters are going to be when called up. Can't wait.

[zero]

I really like this game but whats with half of the current stars being missing NXT, Daniel Bryan Del rio, Surely there coming as DLC?

Barrett, Otunga and Gabriel are going to be DLC, but why would you expect Del Rio, who just debuted in late August? Daniel Bryan won't be in the game either since he got fired and missed the DLC cut-off date.

WrestleMania is usually the cut-off date, has been for several years now.

[Baddar]

Surely there's amazing CAW's out there, anyway? There was last year, and the fact you can edit them this year as well, including theme music, is a huge bonus.

I haven't bought this yet - still undecided. I got the game on release last year for £25 in Tesco, so I told myself if it was between 25 and 30 quid, I'd get it this time too, but it's like £38 in there. I know the going price for games is around £40 these days, but I KNOW I won't play it much, so I don't really want to fork out close to £40 for it. I got bored of playing against the frustrating AI in 2010, so didn't even finish all of the RTWM's and didn't do much else outside of that - I skipped 2009, and in the 2008 game I played it about twice, and that was with mates. So yeah. :/

[The Brian J]

Is anybody else having problems playing online?

Both times I've tried to play online, I get a match selection list. I go to the one I want to play and hit A....and the game freezes. No music, no movement, can't even quit back to the XBox menu. This happening for anyone else?

[Rocky]

It's happened to me once during a Royal Rumble. I put it down to my gf playing WoW at the same time

[The Brian J]

It's happened to me once during a Royal Rumble. I put it down to my gf playing WoW at the same time

I'm not talking about during a match, I'm talking about just on the Match Session List. When I hit A to even select any match, the game immediately crashes.

[Sousa]

I really like this game but whats with half of the current stars being missing NXT, Daniel Bryan Del rio, Surely there coming as DLC?

This is your first time playing a Smackdown vs. Raw game, isn't it.