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Being a fan of WWE games, I was often disappointed that such games never found there way to the PC. However, my recent acquisition of a PlayStation Portable allowed me to try out WWE: Smackdown Vs Raw 2008. The game do has a few flaws but still it manages to provide some fun and entertainment along the way.

The game has 55 superstars from RAW, Smackdown and ECW franchise and also features some legendary players like Bret hart, The Rock, Stone Cold, Rowdy Piper etc. The objective of the game is to beat up your opponent using a variety of moves until you can pin them or make them submit. There are other variety of matches such as Table Match, Ladder match where the winning conditions are different. One of the best features of these WWE games have been there 24X7 or Season mode, but unfortunately the 24X7 mode of Smackdown Vs Raw 2008 is a bit boring and repetitive. You will select a player and choose the brand with which you want to start. The game will then continue in the Storyline mode where each weak you will face the opponent decided by your GM. One weak aspect of the game is that the story doesn’t get much affected by your outcome. Sometime you will beat the hell out of your opponent and after the game, it will be shown how close the match was and how you injured your leg. So these things can become quite disappointing in the long run. The season will continue till Wrestlemania and after that the new season will have the same old storyline whether you play on Raw or Smackdown.

Nevertheless you will be part of some matches which you will really enjoy and can be entertaining sometimes. In between your matches, you can also do training to increase your stats or increase your popularity by having an autograph session with the fans. Such things are nice addition but tend to get boring after a while. You can also invade and interfere in other matches being played. The outcome of the season is to become the No1 contender and win the championship. The money earned in this mode can be used to unlock the legendry stars and purchase some collectibles. You can also get injured in between and this will effect you performance but you will get no vacation from the WWE even though the Doctor recommends it. Such things spoil what could have been a great experience. The “Create A Superstar” mode allows you to create your very own superstar. You can change the appearance, style, fighting moves. You can also create an entrance for your superstar. You can also create a stable and train them to increase there team work or Create a Championship and increase it value.

Apart from the season mode, the Exhibition mode has a lot game types to keep you entertained and occupied. There is Buried Alive match, Submission Match, Cage Match, Hell in Cell with upto 6 players, Triple Threat Match, Royal Rumble Match, Money in a Bank match, Elimination Chamber Match, Parking Lot Brawl. The ECW extreme rules match is a new addition in which you get upto 8 weapons to beat your opponent. You can even set the barbed wire on fire. Ladder matches can be extremely fun as you will se bodies falling down, getting hurt everywhere. Each superstar is classified as either a Powerhouse, Hardcore, technical, Showman, Brawler etc and this impacts there abilities and gives each there unique abilities. You can even use a lot of environment against your opponent such as throwing him against the ring post or even fighting in the crowd.

The controls are a bit strange but you can get used to it. The movement is controlled by the D pad while Analog controller is used for advanced grapple and submission shots. So constantly switching between the two can be a pain. The graphics of the game are ok and most of the superstars look like there real life counter parts and have there genuine entrance. Give a superstar a good beating and you will even see the blood coming out. You also get to play some legendary matches like that of Bret and Steve Austin, Hell in a cell match between Undertaker and Mankind, Ironman match between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels. Winning the matches will unlock the players and allow you to purchase them and will even get you closer to the hall of fame status.

The AI of the game can be a bit dumb or boring even in the legend difficulty. But if you are a WWE fans and are ready to ignore these flaws, then you will definitely find the game a lot entertaining. Playing the game in Multiplayer mode with your friends is quite fun actually. So better try the game before you buy it.

Ratings

• Graphics : 3 / 5
• Gameplay : 3.5 / 5
• Sound : 3 / 5
• Overall : 3 / 5

Even though the game is not perfect, it will keep you entertained with a wide variety of matches and superstars that it contains.

Popularity: 45% [?]