As someone who’s bought every Smackdown vs RAW video game from 2006-present I was extremely excited when I heard about the new WWE Universe mode in 2011. The computer builds cards for you to play and/or simulates based on past matches, settings. But than I thought about past years games and realized, that for every feature they added they took two away. Now anyone can pickup a demo or rent 2010 and see there’s a lot good in the game but more seems to be missing from past games.
Whats missing?
Six player: In past PS2 versions the game had the option to play with six players via a controller splitter of sorts. But in the Xbox 360 version instead of expanding to 10, 16 or even more players online, were stuck with 4 player online and local. I’m almost tempted to dig out my old PS2 along with Here Comes The Pain and have one last 6 player tag with my buddies.
Backstage: Unlike Here Comes The Pain there is no riding motorcycles or going to a new area of the backstage area or even back to the ring. It was among my favourite video game experiences ever. One summer my sister and I were at the WWE store in Niagara Falls, Ontario and we did this on the big screen in front of everyone shopping there to a pretty funny response and a long line growing behind us to do the same.
Storyline customization: In you guessed it… Here Comes The Pain you were able to cast your own faction members and even the name of said group. Granted there is no voice acting but that doesn’t excuse completely scrapping a cool interactive element of a video game. After all video games are SUPPOSED to be as interactive as possible.
Solutions
- Put the game on two discs: See Mass Effect 2 on the Xbox 360. Its not rocket science put the story-line’s on one disc along with online and then place all the exhibition aspects on the other disc. Sure its a little more work for users but it means more bang for your buck. A bigger roster, more match types (like the long lost special referees mode). I don’t know about you but once I’m done the story and have been lagged out on a dozen Xbox Live matches I’m generally done with that half of the game anyways.
- Stop spin off games: For those of you who played Legends of Wrestling it was horrible as a video game. Granted as an interactive DVD of sorts it has some value but compared to other games in the market its flat. If THQ was to make it clear this was the only WWE project more resources, down-loadable content would be out there for the Smackdown series. Better yet do a Legends DLC rather than a full game.
- Push back the launch date: the game general beats the holiday rush but coming out in October or early November rather than early December. But much like Gears of War 3 if they made an effort to push it back several months (even expanding their production window to 13 months per game) they could beta test and finally fix their online gameplay.
Anyways that’s my 2 cents, express your opinion below or email me @ [email protected] I’m a Blackberry user so I’ll make sure to reply.
Till next week,
Your either Wrestling-Edge or against us!
