SvR 2011 Hands On Impressions

THQ recently invited TotallyGN to take a look at the next iteration of one of their most popular franchises, Smackdown vs Raw 2011.  One of the challenges for any annual title is how to keep things fresh so that fans will keep coming back year after year.  THQ has done a good job of this over the past few years and the 2011 version of Smackdown vs Raw is no different.

Within Smackdown vs Raw 2011 you will find 60-70 different match types.  There is also a new Match Creator options that gives you complete control over what will take place in your match.  You can toggle entrances, post match replays and the momentum bar charge speed.  You also get the option to pick the victory stipulations, what type of match it is and various things of that nature.  Within those choices you have a First Blood match, flaming tables, a finisher match (first one to hit their finisher wins), Last Man Standing and things of that nature.

In addition, Smackdown vs Raw 2011 also has an all new physics system.  This allows the action to flow a lot more naturally and the animations are a lot more realistic.  In addition to that there have been some subtle changes made to the control scheme to make it easier to pull off the move you want.  In Smackdown vs Raw 2011 there is no grapple modifier.  You just move the right stick to grapple an opponent and  you will do different moves depending on what direction you pushed the right stick in.  To engage in strong grapples you do the same exact thing with a groggy opponent.  When your opponent is laying on the mat you hit up on the right stick to pick him up.  The controls are much more intuitive and they function the way you think they should.

There are also contextual strikes in this year’s version.  Throw your opponent into the corner and you have a couple of different options.  If you hit up on the right stick you will pick up your opponent and sit him on the top rope, setting him up for a power move off of the top rope.  If you hit down on the stick when they are in the corner you will put your opponent in the tree of woe and you can do Dreamer’s running drop kick with a chair, as an example.  As you are grappling with your opponent you can also control the direction that you throw them in.  You control that by utilizing the left stick.

One of the big things in the WWE games, and in the WWE itself, is the finishing moves that are typically used to end a match.  In previous titles there were a couple of conditions that you had to meet to be able to pull off these moves. These conditions were typically standing in a specific spot or only being able to do it when your opponent was groggy. With the 2011 version of Smackdown vs Raw these requirements have gone out the window.  Once you earn the ability to hit a finishing move you can do it at any time.  Your opponent no longer has to be groggy for you to perform your finisher and you don’t have to stand in a specific place.  You can initiate a finisher by standing in front of your opponent, running towards them or whatever.

Some other parts of the game have received tweaks as well.  The Hell In a Cell match has been changed so that it is a bit easier to break out of it if you want to take the fight outside the cage.  Simply throw someone into one of the walls and, if you do it enough, the cage wall will fall down and you can exit the cage.  This will allow you to climb to the top of the Hell In A Cell so you can either try and recreate some of the biggest moments in WWE history or create some of your own moments.  The example that we were given was seeing Undertaking giving someone the “Last Ride” finisher and throwing him off the top of the cage through a table.

One of the big new additions this year is the new WWE Universe mode.  The WWE Universe mode is essentially the exhibition mode with story telling elements.  The game watches how you play and will set up feuds accordingly among other things.  You also aren’t locked into just one wrestler.  If you have been playing with Randy Orton a bunch you can play other wrestlers at any time as well.  You have control over everything.  The WWE Universe mode is replacing the career mode that was in previous titles.  You get to have have say on the matches, look at schedules, check out rankings, read about the current events that are taking place as well as set up options how you see fit.  The rankings will show who the #1 contender is at any given time along with the people who are right behind him waiting to steal that #1 contender position.

The Road to WrestleMania mode returns this year with some brand new storylines.  The superstars featured this year include Christian, John Cena, Rey Mysterio, Chris Jericho and the Undertaker.  The Undertaker has a unique storyline this year as you will get to choose from a couple of different options for the wrestlers you want involved.  There have been some changes made to Road to WrestleMania this year.  In addition to the in ring action you will also have some action taking place backstage.  The backstage area is now a free roaming location that you can explore in between matches.  You can visit trainers, explore the locker room, go to the GM’s office, play some mini games or whatever you want.    The backstage area has a small mini map similar to what you would find in rpgs.  Your actions in this area will have consequences so you will have to be careful what you do.  You will see WWE superstars walking around the backstage area and you can decide how you want to interact with them.  You can go up and talk to someone like John Cena or you can go up to Edge and shove him around.  If you shove him enough then a brawl will start right then and there between the two of you.  It is a good way to get you more immersed in the story.

The story designer makes a return from last year with some improvements from last year.  You can now have up to 15 wrestlers created and you can use them an unlimited number of times throughout your story.  There are approximately 75 new scenes for you to fool around with to make the story that you want to tell.  One addition that people are going to enjoy is the branching stories.  You can now have a story branch off a couple of different ways depending on what happens.  If Orton ends up winning the match then your story can go one way and if he ends up losing then the story can go another way.  It’s another way of giving the players control over their own story and I’m excited to see what people do with it once the game hits store shelves.

Finally, THQ has added a feature that gamers have been requesting for quite a while.  In Smackdown! vs Raw 2011 you can now participate in an online Royal Rumble.  You can have up to 12 twelve players participate in a Royal Rumble with six wrestlers on the screen at a time and the other six watching until it is their turn to enter the fray.  If you get eliminated from the Royal Rumble you can re-enter with a different wrestler that is randomly selected for you until all thirty wrestlers have entered the Rumble.  Playing this mode with friends during the preview time I had was a lot of fun and I expect it to be even more fun when you are playing on XBox Live or the Playstation Network against a group of your friends.

So far Smackdown vs Raw 2011 looks like it is going to be a fantastic title.  THQ has made enough changes to satisfy the hardcore while at the same time making things more intuitive so that anyone can jump right in and have fun playing as their favorite WWE Superstar.  Be sure to check back with us in a few weeks when we post our full review for Smackdown vs Raw 2011.