I love Pro Wrestling for the same reason I love Kung Fu movies. It’s stylistic, over-the-top action with simple yet compelling stories. For fans of the WWE and for Pro Wrestling in general, the yearly release of Smackdown vs. Raw from THQ is the equivalent of a Madden football game. Typically, we’re lucky if we even get a trailer of the upcoming Smackdown release at E3; but this year THQ is striking early and has shown off actual gameplay of not just Smackdown vs. Raw 2011, but also for an all new pro wrestling game titled: WWE All Stars.

The demo of Smackdown vs. Raw 2011 shows off a new dynamic physics engine that will allow for objects within the game to react much as they would in real life. THQ’s focus in the E3 demo was the TLC match (tables, ladders and chairs) which shows off how tables will splinter differently each and every time depending on how you drive your opponents through. What this means is that (in essence) you’ll never see the same animation twice and unlike old SVR games the tables won’t simply split down the middle.

Game Info

Publisher: THQ Developer: YUKES Co Genre Wrestling Players: NA Rating: RP Realse Date: Sept 26,2010

Ladders also react more realistically, twisting as you bash your them into your opponent. You can also set up ladders outside the ring against the ropes, run up the ladder and attempt to dive onto your opponent. Chairs will also bend as you bash them upside your opponents skull, producing a sickening thud. Even better, you can now THROW the chair at your opponent ala Sabu. Tables and ladders can also be stacked on top of one another making for some truly sick moments. Yuke’s and THQ are aiming to give players more control over the mayhem. When you grab your opponent and prepare to slam him through the wood of a table onto the canvas below you will be able to adjust mid-air to the exact spot you powerbomb your opponent.

 

Character models will look improved as well with “muscle flex” technology. So now muscles will flex and tense in a more realistic manner. Yuke’s goal is to make wrestlers look more life-like rather than like action-figures. This of course brings up the question–how realistic do we really want these sweaty men in tights to get? The demo of Smackdown vs. Raw 2011 will feature four playable character: Chris Jericho, The Undertaker, The Miz and Randy Orton.

Screenshots

 

Also announced is WWE All Stars. Smackdown vs. Raw is more of a realistic wrestling simulator but WWE All Stars is taking a different approach with a crazy over-the-top fighting game style much like Midway’s classic WrestleMania arcade game of old. The character models look ridicules–almost comic book like (because wrestlers aren’t jacked up enough already right?) with massive builds. The demo shows off The Rock vs. John Cena. Various combos were performed, one where Cena powerbombed the Rock and then quickly grabbed him as he bounced off the mat and hit a mid-air Stunner. Little is known about how the game controls but it certainly looks fluid and exciting. At the end of the demo an exaggerated version of Cena’s F’U (Attitude Adjuster in this weird PG-era of WWE) was performed where Cena picked The Rock up over his shoulders, jumped HIGH into the air and drove his opponent down to the unforgiving canvas causing a shockwave (no… I’m NOT making this up!).

 

THQ has stated that both live demos for Smackdown vs. Raw 2011 and WWE All Stars will be running E3 next week. WWE All Stars will be released early 2011 and WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2011 will hit shelves October 26th of this year.

 

-Jason Glasco