Video game review: WWE All Stars

By Darragh|Video Game Writing, Writing|Be the first to comment!

WWE All Stars

Did a review of WWE All Stars for Rave Magazine. Quick summary – it’s OK. Text below.

WWE ALL STARS [PG]
Developer: THQ
Platform: PS3/PS2/360/Wii

Do you smell what The Rock is cooking?

I doubt there is a male alive who hasn’t considered professional wrestling as a legitimate career choice at some point in their existence. Unfortunately for the vast majority, experiencing the sport via gaming console may be the closest we get to this noble profession. Ironically, playing such games may actually be more authentic than watching on TV. THQ’s addition to the sometimes ho-hum genre of wrestling video games is WWE All Stars, which seeks to marry wrestling’s glory days with its modern incarnation, resurrecting a rich cast of past icons who have graced this ridiculously popular ‘sport’.
The premise of the game should be obvious. WWE supports over 30 different wrestlers from the past 30 or so years, giving gamers the chance to play as Hulk Hogan, The Rock, Andre the Giant and even The Ultimate Warrior (my favourite) in a variety of different game modes. These include an exhibition mode, which permits one-on-one bouts, all-in elimination battles and even high-intensity cage matches. There’s also a loose campaign mode called Path of Champions where players fight a series of bouts against both modern and past legends, gradually working their way up to a marquee battle against personalities like The Undertaker. Fantasy Warfare pits a contemporary titleholder against past greats, breaking up the bouts with video montages detailing wrestling history. Most of these modes are fun; there’s nothing quite like decking two-time world champion Sheamus using the Ultimate Warrior’s running shoulder slam or smacking Sgt. Slaughter in the face with a chair placed curiously close to the ring. Furthermore, THQ has done a brilliant job creating authentic visuals. The wrestlers, in all their steroid-bloated glory, are stunningly rendered, each one coming complete with their own grandiose entrance theme and a variety of signature moves. WWE All Stars is a stylish experience and the game’s most exhilarating moments come when you manage to pull off a finishing move and everything slows down for a second, your wrestler elegantly soaring across the arena to pummel the opposition into unconsciousness. The ability to create your own wrestling character also proves a winner.
However, despite pretty visuals and a great cast of characters, WWE All Stars still falls prey to the blight that seems to undermine so many other wrestling games – the lack of a polished control system and engaging game modes to keep players turning on their consoles. With no tutorial or training mode, it can be difficult to figure out how to perform basic moves. While designed to be an arcade-like experience, it would be helpful to feel that you have some control over what’s happening on screen, rather than just bashing buttons like a lunatic. The game modes all play like variations of the exhibition mode and lack depth, meaning long-term appeal will be difficult to achieve. It’s a great multiplayer experience, but not brilliant for those with no friends. Overly long load times are also frustrating and detract from the overall appeal of WWE All Stars. You could brew a pot of tea while waiting for the PS3 version to boot up.
WWE All Stars may very well be one of the best wrestling games of the last 10 years, but the lack of polished controls is off-putting, especially to casual gamers who might not necessarily be wrestling fans. Still, those who have taken any interest in the sport over the past three decades will love this, so on that basis alone it’s worthy of some attention.

*** ½
DARRAGH MURRAY