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THQ have finally confirmed what is - and isn't - going to be included in WWE SmackDown! Here Comes
The Pain, the fifth in their series of PlayStation grapplers. And, at last, the game will have blood it.
SmackDown!'s
producer, Nick Wlodyka, unveiled the title at a press conference at the Sports Cafe in central London last week, and spoke
about the key areas in which the game would improve over its predecessor, Shut Your Mouth.
The Season mode, like that
of SYM, will feature real WWE storylines but will now also have a number of 'virtual' plots written specifically for the game,
which should blend in seamlessly with the gameplay itself. A new money system gives you greater rewards for wins over higher
profile opponents. Garner enough cash and you'll be able to head to the Shopzone where you can splash out on new characters,
additional moves and more environments.
Of course, all the usual SmackDown! modes and match types are there, as are
a handful of new ones. The major additions are the Elimination Chamber (based on the match in the huge cage that took place
at last year's Survivor Series) and Bra & Panties matches, in which WWE 'divas' have to tear the clothes off one another.
Ahem.
Perhaps of more interest though - and it certainly will be if violence is on your agenda - is the inclusion
of blood for the first time ever in a game in the SmackDown! series. At long last, it appears as if the people who wield 'creative
approval' over at WWE Towers have relented and allowed SmackDown! developers Yuke's to feature claret. As well as making an
appearance in your standard matches, you'll also be able to get involved with First Blood affairs - not exactly a WWE staple,
admittedly, but it's always good to see new speciality matches cropping up for the first time.
Presentation-wise,
this is easily the best looking SmackDown! game yet and, at last, that awful cardboard-cutout crowd has been replaced by proper
3D audience members. Meanwhile, tighter in-ring camera angles help show off the facial expressions of each character mid-scrap.
As well as the arena-based action, there will be the usual selection of five large backstage environments, including a gym
(where you'll be able to whack one another with barbells) and a loading bay set on multiple levels.
Wlodyka admits
that the control system was a weakness of previous games in the series, offering little in the way of depth or strategy. This
time, there's a vastly improved grapple system based around four different situations, each of which then has four possible
moves: power grapple (these are specific to each character), submission moves, signature grapples and quick moves. On the
defensive side, the counter-attack system now utilises two buttons - one for blocking strikes and one for reversing grapples.
The differences between the characters themselves now plays a far more prominent role with the strengths
and weaknesses of each coming into play. So Rey Mysterio has to rely on his speed and stamina - it's easier to take him down
to the mat but more difficult to pin him. The opposite would be true of a larger grappler such as Brock Lesnar. A new weight
detection system means that someone such as Stacy Keibler, for example, won't be able to bodyslam the Big Show. Which, let's
face it, does kinda make sense.
Also new is a submission system based around how much damage wrestlers have taken
to certain body parts (indicated by silhouettes representing each character in the corner of the screen). So it's only really
worth attempting to execute, say, a figure-four leglock if you've first done enough damage to your opponent's legs. Once you
do lock on a submission hold, a tug-of-war-like mini-game comes into play, with the end result either being a submission or
the wrestlehead on the receiving end of the move managing to reach the ropes, hence forcing the hold to be broken.
Even
if you don't manage to force a submission, you'll still get the satisfaction of having inflicted even more damage on your
opponent, plus you'll actually get to see them selling the virtual pain by limping or whatever. THQ also promise that the
gameplay will be more 'organic': storylines will consistently evolve, heel characters will cheat more, backstage environments
will be far more interactive.
While the roster has still to be finalised, we do know that a number of new characters
will be featured, including the aforementioned Rey Mysterio and Goldberg. A range of '80s legends will also be playable in
the game, although it's yet to be decided whether they'll be included Season mode or not. Names confirmed thus far are the
Ultimate Warrior, Ted DiBiase, the Road Warriors and - erm - Nikolai Volkoff, officially the least popular wrestler of all
time. Don't be surprised to see a number of characters who have featured in Acclaim's Legends of Wrestling games to also pop
up in Here Comes The Pain.
Overall, the game's looking far smoother and, yes, more sophisticated than earlier titles
in the series. Indeed, some characters appear to be able to pull of loads more moves in the game than they ever manage in
real life. That said, however much of a sheen is put on things, it is still, essentially, more of the same. While it had been
rumoured that this would be the first game in the series to go online, this definitely won't be the case and it looks as if
we'll have to hang on for SmackDown! 6 before you'll be able to grapple over the global interweb.
WWE SmackDown! Here
Comes The Pain is due to be released for PS2 at the end of October. Keep an eye out for screenshots over the next couple of
days.
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