by
Ted Kritsonis
Faze
Video Game Editor
It seems like every year THQ comes just a
little bit closer to achieving the wrestling game they’ve
always meant to release, but falls way short of doing so.
I do give credit to THQ for trying to create an identity for
each console’s WWE game, but each one has also had its
own unique problems over the last few years.
In the case of the GameCube, WWE: Day of Reckoning
is supposed to be a big improvement over last year’s
mediocre Wrestlemania XIX, where security guards stole the
show as the toughest guys in the game. While the graphics
engine didn’t go through an overhaul, a lot of minor
things have changed in terms of the gameplay and presentation
that make it a very different game from last year.
The
most obvious addition that the guys will love is the Bra and
Panties match. Now, most WWE fans know what this match is,
but for those who don’t, the idea is to strip your opponent
down to her bra and panties in order to win. Ring entrances
are also a bit of an improvement and the character models
don’t look as stiff as they used to.
But for the first time, WWE fans with a GameCube
can take solace in knowing that this year, Yuke’s and
THQ got it right on the story mode. Last year’s disaster,
thanks to the borderline invincibility given to the security
guards, becomes a distant memory when you can appreciate what
Yuke’s tried to do here.
You create a wrestler and then toil at house
shows wrestling against jobbers vying for a spot in the big
time. From there, you can move on to dark matches on Heat,
or even on T.V., until you earn a shot to appear on Raw or
Smackdown. It is a bit on the linear side, as there isn’t
much room for unexpected events, but going through it all
can feel pretty gratifying nonetheless. Now, whether you’d
want to play through it again after finishing it is another
story.
Although the single player is better this year, the multiplayer
is still as great as it always was. There’s no online
play, but all the gimmick matches and the gameplay’s
short learning curve make Day of Reckoning an easy one to
enjoy for just about anyone. Every move is fairly easy to
pull off and you won’t get too confused when playing
a match with three other gamers like in years past. Throw
in some unlockable characters that will be more than recognizable,
along with all the gimmicks and minor improvements, and you’ve
got a pretty solid effort by THQ.
It would be far-fetched to suggest that this
game is going to win any awards or accolades, and the question
of how it compares to PS2’s Smackdown and Xbox’s
Raw is a tough one to really debate. But with all that said,
THQ and Yuke’s deserve some props for putting together
a very respectable WWE game that sets a great tone for what
we may see in the future.
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