Smackdown VS Raw 2010 previews

WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 (PS2) Also On: DS, PS3, PSP, Wii, 360 Release Date: 10/20/2009 ESRB Rating: Teen Genre: Wrestling Publisher: THQ Developer: Yuke's

The 1UP Network previews games with the philosophy that people want to hear our honest opinions on titles before they are released. If a game looks really promising, we'll pass on our excitement. But if a game needs work, we'll let you know. Here are our WWE 2010 PS2 previews.

Previews

THQ amps up the customization options in their upcoming, community-focused WWE game.

Fans of THQ's annual series SmackDown vs. Raw can look forward to plenty of new features for the upcomingSVR 2010 edition. It's hard not to get excited by an updated roster of more than 60 wrestlers (including WWE Hall of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin -- an exclusive download for those who pre-order the game at Gamestop), six new Road to Wrestlemania character storylines, and a completely overhauled creation/customization system. From their previous games, THQ learned that that SVR players use their own created wrestlers "three times more" than the default roster," so they want to give you the tools to create your own unique game experiences in SmackDown vs. Raw 2010, and, at the same time, build a community to share videos, custom Superstars, and more.

THQ, working with developer Yukes Yokohama, rebuilt the Create-A-Superstar mode to make player-created wrestlers look as good as the real ones. This means better quality body textures, a larger selection of attire and accessories, and the development of "free-flowing parts" (no more jackets or ties that look like they were painted on characters' bodies). You'll find over 1000 parts to help create your wrestlers. There is also a new Paint Tool mode, which allows you to design art for logos, tattoos, or on the wrestlers' clothing. For the fan wondering if "Green Lantern" could beat Triple H, that dream is oh so much closer.

Click the image above to check out all WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 screens.

Within Create-A-Superstar, THQ beefed up the Create-A-Finisher mode by adding the ability to customize top-turnbuckle jumps by stringing together a set of up to 10 actions, similar to the custom grapple finisher introduced in last year's game. The mode allows for some over-the-top superhuman moves -- imagine a Shooting Star Press, now imagine your wrestler flipping through the air five times before landing on his opponent. That would be, like, five times the damage! Not really, it's probably the same amount of hurt, but it sure does look flashy.

Another first for the SvR series is Superstar Threads. This allows you to customize the outfits of any WWE Superstar on the game's roster. Are you tired of the Undertaker's drab look? Brighten him up by sending him to the ring in an all-pink outfit, but prepare for the 'Taker to frown a little as he reacts to his wardrobe change.

But THQ's most ambitious addition to SVR 2010 is the new WWE Story Designer, which lets you create your own storylines. You can customize pretty much anything, from an episode of Monday Night RAW to up to two years worth of WWE events. For each show you plan the matches, create cut-scenes, script dialogue for backstage confrontations, and you can even have your created wrestlers interact with the WWE roster. The story designer is so detailed, that if you want to rig a car to explode backstage as John Cena walks by it, YOU CAN. Boom, indeed, goes the dynamite. And if Cena has a steel cage match later in the episode, you can even set his attribute levels to reflect the injuries he sustained as a result of that sensational plot twist.

Other things you can do in Story Designer include changing the difficulty levels of wrestling matches, choosing backgrounds (garage, office, hallway) for cut-scenes, adding emotions to make your characters smile or scowl, allowing wrestlers to interfere with matches, and much more. The near-daunting amount of customization will keep even the most hardcore fans producing their own shows and storylines for hours.

You can share all of this content -- from custom wrestlers to your self-booked events -- online. Spending all that time creating your own wrestling universe wouldn't be fun if you couldn't show it off to your fellow SVR fans, so 2010 supports uploading and downloading content through the game's Community Creations option. Downloading content uses a keyword search function to find user-created items. For example, if you want to find a custom Andre the Giant you can type his name in the search field and then preview the results before choosing your favorite version of the Eighth Wonder of the World.

For those players who'd rather stick to using the game's own Superstars, THQ is working closely with WWE writers to develop six new Road to Wrestlemania storylines; including, for the first time, a Divas story (so step into some sexy boots and try to win the title). Each story branches off, based not only on whether you win or lose matches, but also on decisions you make in different cut-scenes. With six different storylines that each contain multiple ways to play, players have plenty of rasslin' to keep them busy.

With SVR 2010, it looks like THQ is bringing back the smooth game play of last year's edition, but adding an amped-up-on-steroids creation mode. Let's face it, WWE fans have seen more than a few groan-inducing storylines in their time (Necrophiliac Kane? Ugh.), but now you have the opportunity to produce your own shows to share with the world.