November 3, 2009 - The problem with any long-running video game series is that, after a few years, it risks becoming stagnant; pumping out a new game every twelve months can make it tough for a developer to include everything they want. Change the formula too much, however, and you risk alienating your hardcore fan base. THQ’s wrestling juggernaut, Smackdown vs. RAW, is one such series. With the release of this year’s iteration, the question that has to be asked is, does 2010 hit that sweet spot of change between “not enough” and “too much”? With improved customization, a great new story design mode, and a larger focus on community, WWE Smackdown vs. RAW 2010 isn’t perfect, but it is a great addition to the series.

As soon as you boot up the game, you’ll find yourself in the all-new training facility. Here, you can get the feel of the controls (which are similar to last years) and just mess around with different superstars. At any time, you can press start to bring up the menu, and jump right into the game. The integration of the training facility is seamless, and a truly welcome addition. To newcomers, wrestling games can be intimidating at first. Between grapples, submissions, irish whips, and turnbuckle maneuvers, the controls can get complex. Thus, the training facility introduces a much easier learning curve for new players.

After getting all trained up, it’s time to hop into the action. The two main single player modes are the career mode and the Road to Wrestlemania. The career mode is pretty cut and dry: you pick a superstar, then pick a belt you’d like to go after, and go. Each title has you fighting 3 superstars to become the number 1 contender, and then you fight for the belt. The mode is basically a set of exhibition matches, with no story line or any real motive at all. The only real purpose for the mode is to level up your created superstars, but after that, it’s pretty forgettable. Unless, of course, you just want to get your superstar every belt there is.

The mode that will take up most of your time is the returning Road to Wrestlemania. This is the mode that plays out like an actual WWE television show, featuring plot driven matches on a superstar’s journey to Wrestlemania. There are six separate storylines to complete, including a co-operative story featuring Triple H and John Cena, a diva story featuring Mickie James, and even one dedicated for your own created superstar. The stories range from funny at times, to downright laughable, but are fully voiced by the WWE talent, and are fun to play through. The create-a-superstar story is definitely the most enjoyable, as you get to watch your own creation rise from obscurity to the toast of the WWE.

Playing wrestling games with friends is always a blast. SvR 2010 allows four players to duke it out offline in a variety of match types, ranging from tag team battles, to Hell in a Cell, to the brand new championship scramble. Online, however, doesn’t stand up quite as good. There are some persistent lag issues, which make timing based abilities, like countering, difficult to pull off. It’s a shame, since this year’s focus was all on community, and the online matches just don’t stand up to the offline ones. Hopefully, a patch will be released to fix this up in the near future.

Gameplay has received only a few minor tweaks from last year’s game, something which some may take issue with. Instead of using both triggers to counter like last year, the counter has been switched exclusively to the right trigger. This was done to take out the guess factor that was in SvR 2009, in favor of a more timing based approach. The result isn’t so great, however. Sometimes you’ll pull the trigger when the icon comes up, and your wrestler just won’t counter. Other times, you can just mash the trigger and you’ll counter successfully. The somewhat randomness of the mechanic, especially on harder difficulties where the computer counters everything, can become very frustrating.