WWF RAW Review

When Bill Gates unveiled the Xbox at the CES 2001 he was joined by The Rock, so youâd expect the first WWF title to be something special. THQâs WWF RAW has been in development over at Japanese development house Anchor, previously responsible for the Dreamcast grapple-fest Ultimate Fighting Championship.



This fact alone is immediately apparent as the grapples are more pronounced and feel more realistic then in any other WWF title. Whereas previous WWF titles have required very little skill, WWF RAW requires a fair amount to actually win, ok itâs no Virtua Fighter but it makes a change from the usual button bashing antics. 

Your moves are all dependent on how much stamina you have, so rather then having a weak and strong grapple itâs up to you to get to know your wrestler and the moves available to him/her. As youâd expect simple moves such as a slap or a stomp require less stamina then a stalling brainbuster or a tombstone. This is a great addition to the WWF genre, adding a much-needed sense of tactics to the usual chaotic button bashing tricks.



Another neat addition is the voltage meter; this shows how much of the crowd support you have and is implemented superbly. Repeatedly stomping on opponents when their on the floor will see your support dwindle, whilst climbing to the top of the turnbuckle pulling of a taunt and launching into a devastating diving elbow will see the crowd go euphoric. The voltage meter allows you to pull of each characterâs special move, by building up enough support until the bar is flashing, you then get into a grapple with a dazed opponent press A+B and watch as your wrestler pulls of his signature move. Each wrestler is different, so itâll be harder to win the support when youâre playing against charismatic crowd favourites such as The Rock or Stone Cold Steve Austin.



The item collection is another neat introduction, over 120 items are hidden in the game and itâs up to you to collect them during fights pokemon style. Familiar items such as the ladder and chair can all be used as weapons, but itâs finding such treasures as the Undertakers shades and putting them on that makes it so cool. Items that you can collect are all stored and can then be used in the extensive Create-A-Wrestler mode. 



This mode is the most extensive Iâve seen in a WWF game, of course the standard elements such as faces, genders and body parts are all there to mess about with. However all of those items that youâve collected can be used to totally customise your wrestlers appearance, umbrellas, shades, hats, Kurt Angleâs Medals can all be found and added to your wrestler. When you win a belt in the games different modes, that is then saved and you have the option of including that to your wrestler. In total you can add an item to the wrestlers head, face, neck, shoulders, waist and hands.

It wouldnât be a WWF game without the show stopping entrances, and these are all faithfully recreated in all their pyrotechnic glory. They help to set the atmosphere superbly, and of course you can interfere with any that are going on just that little bit too long, but donât expect the crowd to like you if you do so. 



There arenât a lot of game modes to WWF RAW, but those that are featured are done well. Under Exhibition youâre given the chance to take place in a Single Match, Tag Team Match, Tornado Match, Triple-Threat, Fatal 4-Way. Battle Royal and Handicap Match. Whilst the Title matches let you take place in the WWF Championship, Intercontinental, European, Hardcore, Light Heavyweight and Womenâs Championship. That may seem like a lot of modes, but thereâs little variety, where are the cage and ladder matches? Also the game sorely misses a story driven career mode, each mode requires just winning a number of fights, after the antics of the Smackdown series this game is crying out for that type of mode.

The visuals in WWF Raw are superb; far better then the disappointing Smackdown of the PS2. Every character has been faithfully recreated right down to the smallest detail, Chris Benoitâs jagged tooth, the Undertakers tatooâs, Kain looks as freaky as in real life, itâs all there and will please any WWF fan.



The camera work helps to recreate that WWF feel, the standard view is switched to close upâs for pins and special grapples, itâs all done seamlessly and causes very little hassle with actually playing the game.



However itâs the stunning animation that makes you really believe that you are in control of your chosen superstar. Little things such as punches look different for each character, the way they walk right down to their facial animations. Each animation blends smoothly into the other helping to blur the lines between videogame and reality.



The sound during the entrances are all superb and help to get you going for the oncoming fight, much like in real life. The music during the game is less memorable but does the job, whilst the games sound effects are all realistic, chairs hit across heads with the thud that youâd expect, slaps sound like slaps and the crowd all keep in time with the voltage meter. There are no commentators, which after SmackDown on the PS2 may be a good thing, whilst the lack of adding your own music is a strange omission especially when you want to add it to your own custom wrestler.

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