Rating: PG
Release date: Out now
Players: 1-4
The WWE has been around for awhile now (and by awhile I mean at least 50 years) but nothing has really changed. Each year a new game comes out with up to date rosters and events. There are slight changes and andvances each year but the core gameplay has remained. So when THQ release a game called WWE All stars no one thinks that much differently about it. I’m pretty sure most people who haven’t seen or played the game think it is just another wrestling game. WWE All stars is definitely not just another wrestling game. The first thing you have to do is disregard everything you know about wrestling before you continue reading. WWE All stars is a multi-platform game developed by THQ San Diego. It is nothing like any WWE game that has been released. The moves are exadurated and the wrestlers have been given an build that makes them look like action figures. This isn’t a bad thing though. The moves that the wrestlers pull off are exadurated but amazing to watch. For example, while playing the trial I had access to only 2 of the 31 superstars in the game (there will be several downloadable wrestlers too). I watched in amazement as Rey Mysterio jumped from the floor to a turn buckle and then jumped about 10 meters in the air before slamming into me and knocking me to the ground. The impacts are huge and the small shockwaves that occur when the wrestlers hit the ground after being hurled across the ring help to give you a feel of how powerful the moves are. The moves are definitely key reason why this game is so fun.
The gameplay is much faster than other Wrestling games aswell. The first time I got knocked down I was expecting a some what long wait before I got back up. But my wrestler got straight up like nothing had happened. As I continued through the match my character took more damage and stayed down for a slight bit longer but this was still quicker than normal. There is no ref in the ring so you can’t get disqualified by accidentally hitting him (or purposely hitting him). And to get disqualified normally you actually have to do 3 illegal things. This means you can grab a chair and hit your opponent a couple of times and not be disqualified. The same game types from older games have been kept. This shouldn’t disappoint though because the added craziness of this game will always keep you coming back. There is also a game mode called ‘Path of Champions’. This is practically the story mode of the game. There are 3 stories to complete; Undertaker, Randy Orton and D-Generation X. I won’t go into much detail on them because I don’t want to spoil the story. The cut scenes look spectacular. There is also create a superstar and another mode called ’Fantasy Warfare’. I’m not sure what this mode is but I think you relive some classic matches from the WWE.
Those who are familiar with WWE rules don’t have an advantage in this game because most of them don’t exist. You can keep your opponent in the corner for as long as you want (I even had my opponent hanging upside down), there are no rope brakes and no count out. Another different feature in this game is the health bar. Now I bet you’re thinking “A health bar in a wrestling game?” Yes, there is a health bar. The health bar is there because it is possible to win most matches by K.O. OR pin. A warning does come up on the screen when you are in danger of being knocked out. There are also plenty of reversal opportunities. One minute you have your opponent in a grapple and are about to slam him to the ground, the next he has reversed it and you are the one being slammed. You can even reverse a move at certain points throughout the move. Which means sometimes you can get a reversal just before you get slammed. There are also 3 levels of difficulty to play on and 6 Arenas to unleash hell in. The gameplay in WWE All stars is a welcome change to a very repetitive series.
The controls in WWE All stars are very simple. The face buttons are used from strikes and grapples. The triggers and bumpers for sprinting and reversals. The Left trigger is a key button in this game as it is used to pin, climb turnbuckles, get out of the ring and get weapons. This can be very annoying when you are standing next to the ring trying to grab a weapon from under the stage. It took me countless tries to grab the weapon because I kept getting into the ring instead of searching for a weapon. Other than that problem the control scheme is great. It is similar to the original controls of the older games. One of the things that most people don’t think makes a difference in video games is the music and sounds. The music and sounds of a video game make the game seem realistic and in most cases, better to play. The only music you really hear in WWE All stars is the entrance music for the superstars. This isn’t a bad thing though. Who doesn’t love listening to their favourite WWE superstar’s entrance music while cruising the menus? The sounds and commentary in this game are very accurate aswell. What I mean by accurate is the fact that when you get slammed into something, like a turnbuckle, it makes the sound you would expect it to make. And the crowd reacts perfectly to what is happening in the ring. The commentary is brilliant and the voices of Jerry “The King” Lawler and Jim Ross call the match precisely.
Final Comments:
You can get a demo from the X-box live marketplace if you want to test the game out first (it might be in the Playstation store aswell). WWE All stars is great fun for wrestling fans and non wrestling fans alike. It is a much needed change to the WWE video game series. The high powered, out of this world moves gives this game a sense of creativity and really introduce the ‘anything is possible’ saying into WWE. WWE All stars will provide hours of great fun and entertainment for you and your friends.
Rating: 8.5/10
Sources:
-http://www.wweallstars.com/
-http://photobucket.com/
-http://au.ign.com/
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