Not bad...
Graphics:
SMVR07 was a pretty game , it had the new "sweat system" , some new blood stuff , and improved cut-scenes(some ppl can say that the cut-scenes itself were bad..) any way,this years the games graphics looks even more good in HD , the intros looks awesome (fireworks etc), my personal taste is that the models are a bit to much "ripped" , especially guys like Carlito , Orton , Undertaker but overall its just a way to give the fans more "precision" to it.... i dont take this as a big problem.
Sound:
I can't leave any feedback for sound since I'm deaf soo.
Gameplay:
Well , SVR08 gave us "Styles" for new things up , but besides some cool hardcore moves (and thank god 2-3 more animations) , most of the styles just ruined the gameplay with some bad downgrading movelists ,finishers, and having only 2 slots for moves (even though in the wwe most of the wrestlers dont use more than 5 moves but still , it was a nice feature in smvr07) and 2 ucms moves (ultimate control moves that were brought from 2007 when it debuted).
overall the gameplay is somewhere not what it supposed to be , SMVR08 could have been alot better if THQ and WWE didn't cut lot of wrestlers from the years roster , downgraded the movelist , some bad calls in the "styles" and overall very linear and short STORY MODE , even though it was awesome for the first time (with caw) , the second and the third time is getting repetitive and boring after a while , even the GM mode from last year is here, but overall it seems like its the same old thing with some small improvements and some decent fun.
HOF MODE-this mode gives some decent time spending playing the game , u will need to unlock more events and areas through some challenges like defeating DX (HHH ,HBK) in a tag team match , winning MITB match , finishing GM MODE in 100% (getting GM of the year) and some direct challenges , even though its fun and giving some replay value , its not the same as the SMVR07 big and hard list of challenges.
Conclusion:
SMVR08 is a very good game for wrestling fans and party game (4 players),it has a new match (ECW extreme rules which have awesome new weapons) and some reanimated finishers (2 new RKO'S (standing and from the rope) , Tombstone piledrivers , Kane chokeslam, Batista Spinebuster, HBK Sweetchinmusic got no pin SCM and new Pin finisher with the new laying ending which is nice and overall some good reanimated stuff , too bad they downgraded the amount of moves.