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WWE SmackDown!: Here Comes The Pain |
| Developer(s) |
YUKE's Future Media Creators |
| Publisher(s) |
THQ |
| Release date(s) |
October 28, 2003 |
| Brand(s) |
WWE |
| Rating(s) |
T for Teen |
| Platform(s) |
Playstation 2
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| WG Review Date |
9/21/07 |
| WG.com Average Rating |
4.5/5 Stars |
| Game Navigation |
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Preview
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Review
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Match Types
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Backstage Areas
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Roster
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Media
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Cheats
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Created Wrestlers
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Review
Since the release of WWF Smackdown for the Playstation in 2000, the Smackdown Series has progressed in quality, putting out a new installment on an annual basis. With the fifth installment of the Smackdown Series, THQ and Yukes present WWE Smackdown! Here Comes the Pain.
Game Play
After an amazingly put together gameplay in the previous installment, THQ and Yuke’s bring back the basic mechanics for WWE Smackdown! Here Comes the Pain. With that being said, this game has everything last year’s game should have had. The Grapple System is definitely the biggest change from the previous titles. Instead of being able to randomly mash buttons and slaughter a super heavyweight with a cruiserweight, THQ and Yuke’s present the first ever two-staged grapple. This gives us a wider variety of moves that we can select to perform. We now get to select between four different types of grapples with different selections of moves to match. Instead of having four grapple moves, we now are allowed to pick between “Power Grapple,” which would perform power moves (obviously); “Submission Grapple,” do I have to explain this again; etc. It does, however, have a few minor bugs, but overall the system is definitely something to be pleased with.
In addition to that, the submission system has now been tweaked for realism. Have you ever seen someone scramble in desperation to get out of the Figure Four Leg Lock? Well, now the gameplay allows this as well. When you find yourself on the wrong end of a submission hold, mashing buttons frantically – as if you were actually trying to get out of the hold – will aid your superstar in finding his way to the ropes, or breaking the hold. The same principle applies when you’re giving a hard submission move. When you really are striving to get that title and are cranking down on the pressure, you mash the buttons and your superstar will accordingly crank down with the pain.
Audio
What’s there to say on this? There isn’t much to be honest with you. After the sloppily done cutting and pasting of voices in the previous installment, it’s not a bad thing that commentating was botched from this year’s edition. With that being said, there is a massive amount of cheers and jeers that the audience comes to life with – adding a good bit of realism to this title. The only gripe I really have is a commentator would have been nice with a bit of effort on the pasting of his voice, but hey – every game has it’s downfall.
Season/Career Mode
Again, a GREAT increase from the previous title. The basic repetitiveness of mindlessly wandering around in hopes of your boredom being subsided by the occasionally clunky dialogued conversation with another superstar is gone! You no longer have to walk around and put up with Triple H telling you the reasons he’s better than you. The Season Mode has been greatly simplified which proves to be a great thing. You now have six things to do, rather than numerous empty rooms: Backstage (Talk to a GM, or hunt done a tag partner when needed), Shopzone (buying unlockables), Match (Duh?), Attributes (Displays your skill points), Profile (Champion List), and Stable (Displays Heel/Face Status).
You go through a full year’s worth of action packed storylines, going from post-Wrestlemania to the following year’s Wrestlemania. You can now demand a title shot when you want, ask to jump ship (switch brands) when you feel the need, and check your SP. Rather than having to hunt down a wrestler, you will be given to option to go talk to him in the area of the building he’s in if needed. Hoorah for them getting rid of the First Person View!
Graphics
A fair bit of work was put into the overall appearance of Smackdown: Here Comes the Pain. At a first glance, you’d wonder if you were tuned in to Raw. However, if you were to watch a match, you’d see the downfall. A bit of sweeping under the rug went on towards the end. There’s nothing like Triple H setting up for a pedigree and BAM! His arms go straight through his opponent’s back. Lovely.
Aside from that minor error due to a lack of final polish, the graphics have been significantly improved. In addition to this, entrances have been shortened so you don’t have to watch Kane’s slow descent down to the ring. If you are like me and took that time to go get a snack, don’t – you will lose your title by the time you get back. The graphics could still use a bit of work, but it’s not significant enough to bring down the game.
Creation Mode
A bi expanded from previous titles in the series, Smackdown: Here Comes the Pain allows you to not only create wrestlers, but animations, stables, and movesets as well. The greatest addition in this aspect of the game is the layer feature – this works well for when you want your guy to wear shades coming out, but not in the match. What goes up, must come down, and, unfortunately, this is true for the Creation Mode. Although you have the option to set both entrance and match attires, your selection of what your star will wear is fairly limited. Another realism improvement comes in when you find out that your superstar’s mouth isn’t just a pink blotch below his nose – he now has teeth as well. For those of you that seek realism, you should be well please – I am!
The moveset addition is just like last year’s in the sense that you can edit your moves for both CAWs and Default stars. However, this is where the new 16-grapple move feature comes in quite nicely. On the same token, Create-a-stable was still a let down. What stable that we actually care about has three members??? Regardless of that, it’s nothing new – Smackdown: Just Bring It all over again.
| Score Board |
Game Play
4.5/5 Stars |
Audio
3/5 Stars |
Graphics
3.5/5 Stars |
Story Mode
4.5/5 Stars |
Creation
3.5/5 Stars |
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OVERALL SCORE:
4.5/5 Stars |
| Final Thought |
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"Overall, it’s apparent that THQ and Yuke’s actually read all the hate-mail that filled their e-mail boxes and mail-boxes. With each section of the game at least seeing a minor revamping, their attempts at perfection of a wrestling video game come that much closer. While not reaching their goal of perfection, they do manage to successfully please the gamers that invest their money in this installment of the Smackdown Series." |
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Released: TBA
Dvlpr: YUKE's Future Media Creators
Publisher: THQ
System(s):
Nintendo Wii, Playstation 2, Playstation 3, X-Box 360
0/5 Stars |
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