Inconsistenly difficult AI, boring gameplay options and repetitive matches. This game could have been so much better.
I'm not saying I didn't enjoy playing it, it's just an awfully lazy job on the developer's part, to release a "Bigger, Badder, Better" game to the public.
First, let's talk about the presentation.
The colors in the menus range from yellow-orange and gray, as well as a creepy fog lurking behind the select screens...along with - what else - an overdramatic monochrome picture of Randy Orton, of course.
Also, Yuke's and THQ rid the game of the "put in a handful of wrestler themes; it counts as a soundtrack" theory and replaced it with two depressing, slow, emo rock instrumentals.
The graphics are out of control. Several times during gameplay (Often in the same match), the camera will randomly zoom out into the crowd's point of view. I still have no idea what triggers this, and the manual says nothing about it.
The new Predator graphic technology used for the game works pretty well, although all they did was reduce sweat and blur on the already-stunning character models - albeit increasing blur on the crowd and just about everything else.
The A.I. is scarily inconsistent, often showing no mercy by pounding me into oblivion in the ring, only to go incredibly easy on me in the next match-up.
As for Road to WrestleMania mode, it's simply horrific.
In the last game, you had these awkward backstage free roam moments in between matches. These segments are still here this time around, but the backstage camera is even worse than before, frequently giving you the point of view of an insect on the ground.
Although this mode is noticeably lackluster, I enjoyed the longer 18-month storylines. Let me assure you that at least the stories are fun to play through. In the last game, you chose from one of five storylines to play. This year, there's only 3, and each one allows you to take the role of a Villian - Sheamus, Outsider - Triple H or Hero - Custom. Which is strange, because I felt that Triple H's story should have been titled "hero" and the custom superstar should've been the "outsider" story.
The character creation mode has been overhauled with depth and customization, making it arguably one of the best creation modes in the series. The new mode, Create-an-Arena, is a simple, yet welcome addition to the series, opening many avenues and possibilities for future improvements and creations.
Giving players the ability to create their own wrestlers, custom logos and tattoos, make highlight reels of their favorite matches, custom arenas and much more (Not to mention the option to put all of it online as well as download other players' content), this game certainly succeeds in the custom content aspect of the game.
I gave this game the final score of 7, based on the replay value.
Without a doubt, I still have great fun playing this game.
Despite the old frustrations from previous series entries, as well as some new peeves, this game is a blast to play, and it doesn't hurt that you can play with any of your buddies in online or local matches to start some 2-to-6-player mayhem.