All the greats come together for a raw experience…
We’ve had games before where wrestlers of different eras have fought each other, like WWE Legends but now we have the latest in the series…WWE All-Stars which is a deeper and more enjoyable game than past WWE games, but is it enough to improve the franchise?
Now as you know, I’m not a wrestling fan…I’m not particularly good at the games, but with All-Stars I was able to finally be considered half-decent. It’s a game that’s finally more accessible to newcomers as the control scheme is easier to get to grips with, plus you get special finishing moves that are damn impressive and devastating to your opponent.
You get the standard exhibition and online modes that you would expect from a WWE game, as well as being able to create your own wrestler. There are fantasy modes where you get pitted against WWE icons and another mode called Path of Champions which is a career-esque mode and there is plenty of cheesy dialogue that is typical of WWE. I can’t claim to enjoy it, but fans will no doubt have a field day with the introductions.
It’s more of an arcade-type fighter than the usual yearly updates of Smackdown vs. Raw, which is a nice improvement in my eyes. Each fighter has their own unique moves, not to mention unique finishing moves.
There aren’t quite as many modes to choose from as in SVR, but All-Stars does a good job with what it’s got on offer. It’s more fast-paced than the stamina draining wrestling games out there, so it’s a nice change. All-Stars also has a nice selection of fighters from 2 generations of WWE. There are some noticeable missing fighters that may enter the fray as post-DLC, which is unfortunate…but not unexpected. I hope it’s not the case, but wouldn’t be surprised in the least.
The visual style is unique to WWE, but a welcome one. It has an arcade look to it that fits well within the new style of combat, its not the greatest looking game and hit detection still isn’t 100%, but it’s new look is charming and works quite well. Voice-acting is cheesy as I’ve already said and the music intro’s will only appeal to the true WWE fans.
The Verdict
WWE All-Stars is a nice change from the same old Smackdown vs. Raw games. It mixes things up with a different style of combat, but it’s sadly a bit light on content when compared to the big boys of the arena. It’s worth a look for newcomers who want a good introduction into WWE, but veterans will find combat perhaps too simplistic when compared with SVR…
