Score
Gameplay:	7
Graphics:	9
Sound:	5
FunFactor:	8
PlasmaFactor:	7
Overall:	7.2

WWE Day of Reckoning Review
November 22, 2004 by Adam Gainer

by Adam - September 22, 2004

Let me start this review with a clause. Wrestling games have more than often bored me to tears. That�s why playing THQ�s newest wrestling game, WWE Day of Reckoning, was a breath of fresh air for a gamer such as myself. DoR is a title that will live up to be one of the greats and a must own for any serious wrestling fan.

Show me your moves

DoR is to the WWE as Tony Hawk�s Underground is to skateboarding. Trying to make a game that gives players goals and various �missions� is either hit or miss. DoR has a very linear story, you play a young rookie trying to earn his keep in the WWE. Trying to prove your mettle becomes a difficult tasks when different stipulations are thrown your way for each match. From being forced to end a match in under 5 minutes to countering your opponents aerial assaults. Which requires you to master the move which feel at home on a Game Cube controller. The challenges lay before you require you to master the moves sets you character knows. Winning matches lets you win money which let�s you buy new moves, stadiums, outfits, and weapons.

Shiny happy people

DoR is graphically a very solid game. All the characters look very lifelike and move very lifelike. Entrance videos and event videos are really impressive and seem like they are coming off of T.V. An interview with Vince McMahon looks like you're talking to the man himself. An aspect that interested me about this game was that depending on certain attacks and how badly you are beating your opponent they�ll exhibit physical abnormalities. When you break a characters nose his face becomes bloodied and is naturally weaker. However there are a few disappointments in this otherwise graphically great game. During certain scenes clipping is slightly buggy and off. One other visual problem is that the in game characters look like copies of plastic figurines

Fight Music

Sound is one category DofR receives low scores on. The soundtrack overall is great with a a good mix of rock and rap music. Unfortunately between execution of the game and the games soundtrack is poor. Also there is no spoken dialogue in the game. Any video where characters talk becomes boring and trivial quickly. Music during these videos is off making the cut scenes difficult to watch. The music pumps you up during the fighting.

Tag your in

I stated earlier I am not a big wrestling game fan. However this game was a lot of fun to play. The single player mode is challenging and let�s you exhibit your moves and work out your technique. Single player is fun and worth your time to unlock new parts of the game. The meat and potatoes of any wrestling game is in the multiplayer. DofR�s multiplayer will leave you coming back for more. It has all the usual multiplayer modes of any wrestling game.

It�s the little things

There are a few points of this game that I want to bring into here on why I like this game. These are the points that really won it for me. On composition of your first character you can make anyone I went with a home spun Spider-Man the ability to change virtually every physical aspect of your character put you in control. Also another great aspect of this game is the best multiplayer mode ever created, Bra and Panties match. Even in losing such a match everyone wins.

 

Final Thoughts

At first I was afraid that DoR would be another boring wrestling game. After spending many hours playing the game I must say I am impressed by the game overall. The encompassing graphics, story controls, and multiplayer fun give this game appeal to anyone who enjoys a new multiplayer. Fans of the genre will find this an instant classic. For us other casual gamers it�s a good game maybe worth a second thought. DofR has a few shortcomings outweighed by a lot of plusses, giving this game a solid 7 out of 10.