Quick Look: WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW 2011

The problem with these games is that they, as Ryan said, want to delve into kayfabe and "treat it like a sport", but they're never focused on that.  They spend more time making a good-looking Triple H model than they do making the gameplay work.  While I'd love to see a BioWare developed wrestling RPG that breaks the facade, you can still make a good wrestling game within the confines of the show's storytelling.  Fire Pro Wrestling has excelled at that, as I've seriously just let the AI battle and it's as good (if not better) than stuff actually on TV.  Here it's just Razor Ramon and Bret Hart exchanging really shitty, broken animations.  Because all Yuke's has to do is put out a Triple H character model and with enough marketing it sells millions.  That's no excuse for it being broken and boring to play.  We could have a great WWE-licensed product solely in kayfabe, or we could have a great WWE-licensed product that entirely breaks all kayfabe, but everyone at THQ would rather be lazy.

"That's not something I can see".
 
Actually, if you chop a dude in the chest a few times it will mark up and turn red.

O god this is horrible. 

I like this game a whole lot. It's fun. The worst part is the backstage wandering in RTWM. But it's still fun to play.

i played too many smackdown games in the past...

Quick Look: WWE SmachDown! vs. RAW 2011 or: Alex and Ryan Awkwardly Fucking Around With Ladders for Thirty Minutes

I want to see a Canadian Genius on a pole match.

" Why bother doing a QL if they know they will hate the game.  They seem to assign Alex to these types of QL's. Or maybe he just hates everything. "

Create-A-Finisher is not new Alex.

They should release Dr. Tracksuit for download. Like now.

I like wrestling games, but goddamn the matches take too long.

" Create-A-Finisher is not new Alex. "

It's been a long time since I wasn't able to continue watching a quick look. Thanks, Smackdown vs Raw 2011.

ryan kayfabes liking wrestling games...

Well this just reminded me how much I hate wrestling games!

wow I don't know who a lot of these guys are

I'm sorry but.... Ryan and Alex seem to be pretty mis-informed about this game overall.    And I dis-agree with the "playing it" being bad.   I've got Fable 3 and Fallout New Vegas sitting on my desk and this is the only thing I've played since Tue. 
 
If your not a wrestling fan... then... yeah you most likely won't enjoy it but  its fun if you are into wrestling.

" The graphics have honestly barely improved since the PS1 era. Especially backstage. Not that the key audience for WWE games will mind, the game will sell no matter. "

" I'm sorry but.... Ryan and Alex seem to be pretty mis-informed about this game overall.    And I dis-agree with the "playing it" being bad.   I've got Fable 3 and Fallout New Vegas sitting on my desk and this is the only thing I've played since Tue.  If your not a wrestling fan... then... yeah you most likely won't enjoy it but  its fun if you are into wrestling. "

This game looks terrible.

" @Demoskinos said:

" I'm sorry but.... Ryan and Alex seem to be pretty mis-informed about this game overall.    And I dis-agree with the "playing it" being bad.   I've got Fable 3 and Fallout New Vegas sitting on my desk and this is the only thing I've played since Tue.  If your not a wrestling fan... then... yeah you most likely won't enjoy it but  its fun if you are into wrestling. "

They ARE wrestling fans. They've even played a lot of the installments. If they don't like it, that's not "misinformed", that's just them not liking playing a game, even if they do like the rest. "

The death penalty is never justified.

They ARE wrestling fans. They've even played a lot of the installments. If they don't like it, that's not "misinformed", that's just them not liking playing a game, even if they do like the rest. "

" @ProfessorEss:   This is probably more accurate. I am a fan of wrestling in concept, not so much in execution these days.  If you think we got specific details about the game wrong, by all means, hit me up via PM with anything you think I've missed out on. I'm still in the process of playing it for review, so by all means, hit me up. But if you're just going to bitch about me not digging the gameplay, then don't bother. Sorry guys, but this here 'rasslin', it ain't much fun. "

Why is the frame rate so awful during matches? I own this game and it is 60fps.

I'm in the same boat as Alex; all the bells and whistles are nice, but the problem comes when you actually have to PLAY the game.  Too bad they didn't try to do an online match and show how horrid the lag is.  They've been doing online for, what, the last 4 years of these games?  Having the amount of lag I came across is inexcusable.

Alex should just join the regular GB crew.

" This looks just as bad as the previous ones did,  They really need to get a new developer to give some new ideas because the series has become worse and worse as time has gone on.   I really wish they would do a current gen version of the N64 WWE games because they were good. "

How do these games get away with being so damn bad?

This game looks horrible.

No offense guys but I'm just going to pretend this was some practice quick look for when Jeff finally does it.
 
Seriously how can you follow up Jeff's awesomeness with 2010 with this somewhat boring/annoying quick look?

Good job, Alex, on making this look as horrible as possible.  
You don't know how to have fun with it, you're just playing it like you're depressed and forced to. You're not familiar with the new additions and how to actually play it. 
I'm not saying you're dissing a masterpiece, I'm saying that you're making a pretty alright game look way shittier than it is.

Ladders should be the new helicopters.

DR. TRACKSUIT!!!

Comments on this video are funny to read. The fact still remains this is the best Smackdown game since Here Comes the Pain. 
 
@StrikerTheLizard said:

" Good job, Alex, on making this look as horrible as possible.  You don't know how to have fun with it, you're just playing it like you're depressed and forced to. You're not familiar with the new additions and how to actually play it. I'm not saying you're dissing a masterpiece, I'm saying that you're making a pretty alright game look way shittier than it is. "

I just realized, Alex totally looks like The Miz.

" @Smiley26 said:

" The graphics have honestly barely improved since the PS1 era. Especially backstage. Not that the key audience for WWE games will mind, the game will sell no matter. "

Go look at the PS1 games again then, because you are terribly wrong. "

Wow, terrible even for a WWE game. Love the backstage fight where you can wail on a dude's head with a fire extinguisher and hit him with the fakey wrestling moves in the same fight, though.

ahhh so bad...love when he is throwing him into the cage and nothing was happening.  THQ....

Learning the controls fail, Alex.

Me and my friends have enjoyed playing these games for years now, despite not actually watching wrestling for a long time.
 
But these games are just embarrassing now.  Like they said, a lot of the surrounding features are pretty cool, the create modes are excellent and the new Universe mode does seem like a lot of fun.  But they badly need to scrap the engine and start again from scratch.  I also don't understand why they keep removing modes or changing features that people like.
 
I'd definitely be interested in a NEW game, but this is basically the same game we had 10 years ago.

What a piece of shit game. Wow. 

That backstage thing looks a bit poo but i'll probably let my girlfriends son buy it and then lend it.  In my opinion the original Smackdown game will still be the one for me.  I don't think the games hold much value for me.  I tried online in 2009 I think and it wouldnt let me join matches, it would get to loading screen and then add to my d/c rate haha.  I know they reconfigured the online this year but I don't think its worth a buy to be honest

Wrestling. Stopped watching that shit when I was in 3rd grade.

When they finally decide to re-do the game engine and work on the AI, I might give this series another chance. For now though, it still looks like the same broken, ugly shit it has been for the last couple of years.