Just like the big-name pay-per-view events that regularly punctuate the WWE's show schedule, Smackdown vs. RAW is back for another year. The latest entry in the long-running series picks up where last year's game left off, continuing to focus on user creation and true-to-TV action. The biggest new additions this year are on the user creation side, but the action itself also benefits from some refinements. There are a lot of little touches that make matches feel more like those you see on TV, injecting some dynamic excitement into the proceedings. Yet what spices a match up can also make it last far too long and feel like a grind. The game also suffers from many perennial problems, such as weak sound effects, imperfect online play, and nagging animation issues. While this year's Smackdown vs. RAW is definitely better than last year's entry, it's more of an incremental improvement than a substantial upgrade.
The action feels more fluid this year and characters generally respond better to each other's positions, so your high-flying attack off the turnbuckle is less likely to go wrong. There are fewer animation hang-ups and things tend to flow more realistically.
Yet, there are still noticeable problems, especially when multiple characters are in the ring and you still have to endure your fair share of moves gone awry because of interrupted timing or awkward positioning. Though the mechanics have been refined, they haven't received a significant overhaul. Thus, the action has been improved, but it still relies on the same underlying system from previous years and suffers from the same inherent flaws.Fortunately, the game knows its strengths and once again delivers a lot of content. From Superstar Careers to the Road to Wrestlemania, there are many hours of fights and melodrama to enjoy. Of the six Road to Wrestlemania paths, perhaps the most entertaining is the one you take with your created wrestler, which contains a good amount of humor and some clever gimmicks, as well as a lot of interesting match situations. Unfortunately, some of your matches have goals that are poorly stated, and it can sometimes be tough to know what you need to do to progress. In one early match, you can beat on your opponents all you want, but unless you destroy Vince McMahon's office in the process, you'll never progress. Though this lack of clarity can be frustrating, it's still a lot of fun to guide your superstar to WWE prominence.
Smackdown vs. RAW 2010 offers a lot of subtle improvements over last year's game and includes a lot of new, diverse content. The story designer allows anyone to script their own road to Wrestlemania and could conceivably provide new storylines for as long as players embrace it. The game is still plagued by some lingering problems, however, and one has to wonder how much mileage this series can continue to get out of its current model before there isn't enough new stuff to entice players to make another purchase. Whether or not next year brings a significant overhaul remains to be seen, but until then, wrestling fans are sure to enjoy this well-rounded and entertaining product.
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