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THQ is intent on taking the EA Sports approach to game development by releasing new iterations of their cash cow titles every year—whether one is needed or not. Instead of sports, of course, THQ is all about the sports entertainment part of the spectrum, otherwise known as WWE wrestling. WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2008 is out and if you’ve played any of the versions from the last couple of years, you know what to expect.

Smack It Down!

As usual, THQ and developer Yukes have added some new features, and the character line-up is a bit different, but this is otherwise the same game as before. New to the brawl are ECW logos, match styles, and characters, and the inclusion of fighting styles. A fighting style designation enables wrestlers to utilize special moves. There are dirty fighters, showmen, submission specialists, brawlers, technical experts, high flyers, and the ever-popular powerhouse fighters.

High flyers can perform surprise pins, but the powerhouse ability to grapple at-will is the most notable (and cheap) of these new abilities. Still, fighting styles don’t exactly revolutionize the overall dynamic of the gameplay. The controls are the same as before, where you use the right analog stick to perform a variety of grapples. A few minor changes here and there streamline things slightly, and Yukes has always had a good handle on surprisingly in-depth, yet playable control schemes.

Hardcore wrestling fans might applaud the additions ECW brings to the series. Redneck violence runs amok with the “outlaws” of wrestling adding their special brand of fake sportsmanship. The weapons are more extreme—barbed wire wrapped 2x4s are a charming addition. Plus, you can set weapons on fire. Still, the inclusion of a third faction doesn’t do much to change the overall game experience.

24/7

In 2008, the single player mode takes a strange backwards step. In lieu of a traditional story mode, we are instead given the 24/7 mode, which essentially combines the story and manager mode of the previous iteration. Most players who just want to brawl will find the clunky manager mode too slow and boring, and the storyline is nearly crippled. Cinematic scenes are generalized, your e-mail and voice mail aren’t a compelling way to move the plot, and the training and marketing tasks you can do are mostly automated.

Adding a level of strategy and planning to the career of your pro seems like a good idea in concept. You can play as either a known WWE star or custom-create a wrestler—yet it’s done so lifelessly that it hardly seems worth the effort. Thankfully, you can still play online. There are standard tournament modes, a hall of fame mode to play classic battles, and practice modes.

Old School Problems

One area where this series desperately needs an upgrade is the presentation. Although the wrestlers look excellent—in a shiny, semi-lifelike doll kind of way—the graphics engine is definitely beginning to show its age. This is especially true in the animation. Clipping problems abound, and the movements look clunky.

The audio commentary is appallingly bad as well. The commentators spend time either insulting each other, or simply making patently stupid comments about the match. The music is the usual mix of top-40 angst metal that the shows thrive on, although the Xbox 360 version enables you to import your own soundtrack tunes which is a nice addition.

A Bit Raw

WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2008 is a difficult choice to justify buying. The core wrestling action is still very solid. The gameplay is excellent and hardcore enough to satisfy fans of the pseudo-sport, and there are plenty of moves and characters to master. On the flipside, if you bought last year’s version, there is not a single reason to buy the ’08 release. If anything, the single player game is a significant minus, none of the flaws that have hounded the series in the past are corrected, and there’s no addition worth $60.

Review by: Jason D'Aprile