[Rating:3/5]

By Steven Smith

To those who have played the previous W.W.E. (World Wrestling Entertainment) games, then you know how the basic story line can be, if you even bother with it. Well I have some news… it has gotten worse.

Ever since the invention of the story creator, the storyline in the game has gone down. In W.W.E 2011 there are five story lines, and since I don’t want to ruin it for you, I will tell you a little about one. In this story line, you try to break The Undertakers Wrestlemania win streak. Let that stew for a bit…Now besides the pure impossibility of the task, they have turned it into a closed world adventure. With a side of wrestling, as in your exploring the backstage area looking for what ever they tell you to. I remember when the plot revolved around wrestling, getting a manager, and winning the gold belt.

In W.W.E 2011 you just try to break The Undertaker’s win streak at Wrestlemania. They even make the character who goes after The Undertaker go insane, mainly by bringing back the dead and retired wrestlers that the undertaker has already beaten. Yes they had some hocus-pocus in previous games, but they explained it as your wrestler being knocked unconscious.

The graphics of this game are about the same as the 2010 version, if not worse. Inside the ring it’s the same as ever. Then again when does the player pay attention to the graphic when there’s a three hundred pound man running at the player. Backstage you can’t see the graphics because of the camera control. When you advance to the next stage you see a style of picture that I haven’t seen since the Super Nintendo. It’s like the back drop you see in a Super Nintendo game, but with better graphics, though not much better.

The creation system is more advanced, giving you more options to customize your character. Add this in with the create-your-own-story and you can fabricate an interesting turnout. However, with more options we have a more complex system, any mistake can ruin everything. Thirty minutes of hard work can be destroyed by a simple mistake.

Actual fighting in the game is varied, but it’s often way too easy to win, and there is no indicator to show how much damage you have done to the body. Some opponents will move when you hit them, but the second you pin them, they are down. I remember a time when every second of the fight was tough, and pinning was impossible. Now the fight is varied, and pinning is the easiest part

Overall, the graphics haven’t improved. The music isn’t my cup of tea, but most people might have one or two songs they like; definitely not enough to justify buying the game. The controls are the same, the story line is short, and the fights are simple. With a lot in the easy department I cannot in good conscious recommend this game to anyone. But since I’m not everyone and I am positive that someone out there will like it, then I must persist, rent before you buy.