Admit it. You've tuned into an episode of WWE: Smackdown before, and you've been entirely lost. You've noticed how the storylines made absolutely no sense, wondered why the police never arrest the guy wielding the sledgehammer, wondered when Shawn Michaels would update his outfit.
Think you can do better than WWE's creative staff? vs. Raw 2010" invites you to do just that. The latest wrestling game to hit the market, "SvR" is all about customization. The game isn't without flaws, but it's a solid experience. The characters look and mimic their flesh-and-blood selves: The Big Show moves with his lumbering gait; Rey Mysterio bounces all over the place; and John Cena and Triple H move around the ring with just the right amount of weight.
Arenas look great, and every pay-per-view site and set has been recreated. You'll appreciate this when you battle through the game's career mode. It's gratifying to see your wrestler get greeted by a large crowd and notice the familiar Summerslam digs. Road to Wrestlemania mode returns, allowing you to play through set storylines as your favorite wrestlers. Each is well-crafted and the mode's presentation does a great job of imitating a real episode. Still, all that quickly gets boring.
The career mode is solid, but fighting match after match grows dull. Road to Wrestlemania puts you in the shoes of a pro, but "SvR"'s weak AI means plenty of easy victories. Thankfully, "SvR" includes robust player and story creators. There are plenty of wrestlers, but the player creator lets you infinitely add to that. It's easy to recreate greats like Hulk Hogan and fun to make dream characters like Green Lantern.
The story creator lets you one-up WWE's staff and craft your own arc. It takes just moments to change faces to heels, create new tag-teams, and USB keyboard support makes it a snap to type lines for your wrestlers. Creative juices not flowing? Download other people's storylines and wrestlers from a thriving online community. It's a shame WWE isn't utilizing this feature itself, providing updated rosters and storylines to "SvR" owners. In the ring, "SvR" falls short. It's never been easier to pull off highlight moves, and the opening training mode gives you a chance to practice.
But autotargeting is a mess, meaning you'll often knock out a ref instead of your opponent. Don't be surprised when you run into the rope instead of climbing the turnbuckle, either. And when a wrestler is in an animation, don't attack; it won't work. Additionally, some in-ring occurrences just don't make sense. Suplexing the Big Show should be next to impossible, but press the right button in the right position and it happens. Divas, who struggle to lift ladders on real WWE shows, pick them up with ease in "SvR."