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WWE ALLSTARS XBOX 360 REVIEW |
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THQ is
famous for producing the popular Smackdown
series. It is one of the most realistic
translations of WWE to date! However, gamers are
starting to feel a sense of "been there, done
that" disposition as the Smackdown vs Raw's
legacy is in the last leg of its championship
reign. You might wonder how long can Smackdown
keep up its potentials before it runs out of
room to grow, especially as UFC gains ground.
After all, the series has had a successful
campaign for the last four years and might have
reached its peak. Not that we are counting THQ
out but we are very pleased with its latest
offering called WWE Allstars. If you thought
wrestling couldn't get any more interesting,
think again! THQ is giving players a whole new
way of pounding and slamming your favorite
superstars down on the mat. WWE Allstars an
over-the-top melee that both old school and new
generation of wrestling will love.
The game can be best described as a toned down
version of Smackdown vs Raw. It runs along the
line of the 80's smash hits Saturday Night Slam
Masters and Royal Rumble that we used to play at
the arcades. The characters are huge and the
action is epic! One of the most fulfilling
experiences in the game is being able to relive
those dramatic moves that made legends like Jake
"The Snake" Roberts, Jimmy "Super Fly" Snuka"
and several other wrestlers a Hollywood name.
The controls are simple and the presentation is
superb in a corky way. The sequences on the
screen have a lot of depth thanks to the game's
sleek mechanics, which include chaining
grapples, charged attacks, etc. The animation is
spot on but what is great about the gameplay is
that each character has retained his iconic
signatures and finishers, from Macho Man Randy
Savage's super elbow drop to Undertaker's
infamous tombstone pile-driver. |
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PRODUCT
OVERALL RATING: 8.0 OUT OF 10 |
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Typical
wrestling moves such as body slams and
backbreakers are easy to pull-off and it's fun
to link them at the end of a combo. Setting up
these different types of attacks give players a
sense of beat-them-up arcade antics like Sega's
Streets of Rage, where there is a lot of
button-smashing and less on tactical assault.
This is a wrestling game after all. We expect
plenty of fast-paced, exciting actions, and THQ
has delivered that message exceedingly. The only
time the game even hints a strategy is when you
perform counters, which can be challenging in
many occasions. Speaking of challenges, WWE
Allstars is not an easy task. Computer opponents
are cheap at the default difficulty level and it
gets worse as you go up a notch. The match
suddenly becomes "a game of reversals" when the
computer is in its last bar of health. You can
just imagine how frustrating it is to finish off
an opponent with a finisher when you are always
getting countered.
Both signature moves and finishers involve
two-button pressing. Don't get us wrong, the
controls are quite responsive with respect to
the traditional beat downs. However, you cannot
always count on getting the super moves executed
on time as pressing two buttons at once don't
often register accurately. It's even more
complicated when you try to employ a finishing
move because wrestlers go through a
"showboating" phase before unleashing the
knockout blow. If you get hit during the
showboating, you will lose your hard-earned
finisher right away. So make sure you have
plenty of time and space to gather your
finishing move. It would be nice if THQ could
map the special maneuvers to the right analog
stick, and combine the showboating and finishing
move into one sequence instead of forcing gamers
to charge their finishers first.
In the graphics department, the game is visually
appealing. There are a number of elaborate
fireworks that make the action in the ring come
alive. For example, each time you perform a
signature move, your character go into matrix
sequence and catches rage to commit the ultimate
and most devastating slam on your opponent. In
addition, the game features impressive
demonstration of WWE's famous icons, complete
with their signature outfits, exaggerated
physique, and uncanny attitude. Thanks to the
sleek animation and great audio piece, punches,
kicks, and slams deliver a punishing blow. You
can feel the smacks and heavy combat of the
screen right to your face. THQ captures the
glory of the old WWE days and the excitement of
today's dynamic wrestling. WWE Allstars is a
great action brawler overall. It's engaging,
nostalgic, and the ability to team up with
another player provides hours of entertainment
value. A must have for WWE fans! |
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