WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 (Xbox 360, 2008)

I am a big fan of the SvR series of games & also of wrestling. I've played every Smackdown game. And this game doesn't disapoint. There are nice new moves & wrestlers. And the online play is very fun, if you play with the right people.

The CAW mode, as always, is top notch. As you can create virtually anybody you like.

The Road to Wresltmania mode is fun. But it doesn't take that long to complete each wrestler's story and there isn't much replay value unless you missed an unlockable. Each Wrestlers story takes about 1-3 hours.

The career mode is fun at first but quickly gets boring & repeative. This mode just has you fight superstars teirs for titles to build CAW stats. This is the only way to build you're CAW's stats & abilites.

The new Create-A-Finsher mode is nice touch. There aren't that many possibles but it is fun to fool around and see what you can make. Hopefully next year more moves will be added, but it's a nice feature. It is also abused in online play as alot people create finshers that look ridiculous but have very high damage rates.

This is the first SvR game to include a roster editor, which means you can finally change what brand a wrestler appears on the select screen. Which is nice when a the superstar changes brands on WWE TV & you like to keep things updated. You can also change the WWE championships around.

If you are a fan of WWE, at least give this a rental. You won't be disapointed.

Smackdown vs. Raw is back, and it is in the 2009 form. This games feels just like the other Smackdown vs. RAW games from 2007 on. I really didn't find too much improvement from the previous years models. The story modes that were included on the game were better than years prior, seeing that you were able to have a more of a feel for your character. The storyline's were focused on the characters that were predetermined. You can be John Cena, The Undertaker, Triple H, Chris Jericho, Rey Mysterio/Batista, CM Punk. This is in Road to Wrestlemania mode. A mode where you only play for the few months that lead up to Wrestlemania. If you want to be a wrestler not listed above, you will have to wrestle in exhibition matches, or in Career Mode, a mode with no superstar voice over, a mode that basically feels like a lot of matches. The plus to the mode is that you can build up your created superstar, challenge for titles and gain attributes. The character models aren't bad, the graphics look great. Their are a few flaws, for instance, no matter how long your match is, at the end your wrestler will be sweating. The commentators do more play-by-play this year. While it was a good idea, it needs some fixing, the announcers need to call the match better. Sometimes there are moments of silence, that aren't capitalized on until you do a move, where that announcers will call it. They don't call all of their moves by names, sometimes they just say generic stuff like- Oh, what a move. Overall the game is a great wrestling games that looks amazing. One mode to check out is the Highlight Reel, where you can take clips from your matches, and make a WWE DVD out of it. You actually edit the match with loads of effects, and you create the DVD case and DVD cover, then you can show it off to friends or on the internet via Xbox Live. Their is one last thing that I feel I need to point out. The default difficulty mode for the game is Normal. However, it seems like to is to easy on this mode. When you change the difficulty to hard, it gets ridiculous. Your opponents will reverse every other move, and it becomes a very challenging and annoying game. I just think it needs a little work, and a huge improvement for next year! It may not sound like it, but I love this game and all of it predecessors.

If you're a wrestling fan this is a must have. On the 360 the game doesnt drag when you play the battle royal, money in the bank, royal rumble and fatal 4 way modes like it does on the PS2. Create a wrestler option is alot of fun. There are downloads available for the game as weel. You can update the roster via downloads. The best thing of all though is that you can import the roster of SvR 2009 to the Legends of Wrestlemania game. On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the best I give this game an 8. Thank you for the opportunity to review this game, & thank you for reading.

We used to compare games based on four factors. These factors being graphics, sound, game play, and story. Now, unless the graphics and sound suck, we rarely get excited about them. Since the Nineties, THQ has dominated the wrestling franchise market when it comes to the four factors. With WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2009 there is no exception.
The graphics and sound in this game are on key. The characters and their intros are true to the WWE franchise. Women characters could use some work. An example is when Nick James character smiles in this game. It almost looks like a smile from Marvel's Venom. Other than some minor detail to detail, graphics and sound are top notch. Game play and movement is on par. Unfortunately, executing holds and special moves in Smackdown vs. Raw 2009 is way too easy. A player does not have to really work at it. Because of this, the game play becomes empty over time and lacking. The story is true to the WWE franchise. A plus is integrating rosters from both WWE Legends and WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2009. One can play the legends with the new cast. This becomes a must. WWE Legends is a far better game when comparing challenge, subtle fluid movement(movement regarding character physics), and the ring in game camera angles. With all the options and features in WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2009, it seems incomplete by itself. When paired with WWE Legends, it becomes a better game.

Fun game. Lets you play with all your favorite wrestlers against your friends. Its xbox live cabable and its a lot of fun once you get into it. Didnt give it 5 stars because it will be frustrating to get use to for the first couple of weeks. But once you get down all the possible moves you can make it will be worth while!