Xbox and wrestling games have been rather a hit and miss affair and what with many players simply dismissing the Raw series it’s a shame that Xbox cannot really compete with the superior Smack-down series on the PS2 despite being published by the same company (THQ). Well once again and enlisting the help of Studio Gigante, THQ has entered the ring with another wrestling title, namely Wrestlemania 21.

Gameplay:

For those unfamiliar with wrestling then all I can say is the premise is to either KO or pin your opponent to the mat for a 3 count using whatever moves are available to you other than obvious biting and eye gouging etc. There are several variations on this theme but this is the general rule of thumb.

Wrestlmania 21 features 3 modes of play at heart which are broken down into Exhibition, Career and Xbox Live play. Exhibition mode allows players to get right into the action from the offset with a wide variety of match types available including Bra and Panties match (for women wrestlers of course), TLC (tables ladders chairs), Hell in a Cell, Tag matches and a whole lot more to boot. Here players have access to a full roster of male and female wrestling superstars to mess around with (although more women wrestlers would have been nice).

The Career mode is somewhat different this time as players are prompted to create their own wrestler (a standard in wrestling games) and then enter a predetermined storyline which although highly entertaining as you watch your designed hero rise through the ranks by any means necessary is rather limited. For starters you can only create male characters, secondly you cannot choose your allegiances or your enemies as you follow the scripted story; this also means that you cannot lose either and if you do then you simply hit rematch and try again.

The actual game mechanics are rather simplified with strike attacks being performed with a single button press in combination with d-pad directions. There are 2 main grapple buttons which double up offering more powerful moves whether you tap or hold the buttons. These are all context sensitive depending on whether you are facing or behind your opponent for example.

I found that the combat was generally way too easy and even though there are counter moves (the left and right triggers) I found that I could breeze through most opponents with quick strike moves followed by a powerful grapple attack. However I must admit that on some matches it did take several attempts to win (ladders match). The AI is generally ok but nothing special and is known on occasion to make some rather stupid mistakes costing the CPU the match, Oh well I guess it all adds to the fun!

Graphics:

The graphics look great here as all the characters (except player created ones) look highly detailed and resembling their real life counterparts. They are very well animated and although some of the entrance moves still look “stiff” is a massive improvement on previous games. The arenas are as nice as ever and the crowd more life like than before, which is simply great. The inclusion of blood is a nice touch and generally helps to keep the game as realistic looking as possible, so kudos to the dev team for including it this time.

Sound:

Sound has been improved giving the arenas a lot more atmosphere than before. The inclusion of commentary from the real team this time round is a huge plus and for some reason they seem reasonably accurate with their analysis. The career mode features your character being extremely vocal but what is more all of the real life superstars are voiced too by their real life counterparts which is simply great news for fans. If I were to complain about the sound then it would be the fact that the developers focused so much on getting the atmosphere right they forgot to include any grunts and groans from the actual wrestlers during combat (which you only notice when you turn the in game music off).The In game music is very rock influenced but like I said you can turn it off.

Longevity:

Wrestlemania 21 is a long game which should keep fans entertained for some time especially if you want to unlock everything by purchasing stuff at the WWE store with point’s gained by winning matches in career mode. Even though some matches can be over literally in minutes there are so many of them that it’s going to take a while to build the funds especially considering the cost of some of the items. The inclusion of Xbox Live play that actually works with this version of the game (previous discs had to be recalled) means players can duke it out against online adversaries and even create their own championship titles. For those without then multiplayer on one TV is highly possible and enjoyable despite some dreadful camera angles at times.

Overall:

There’s so much more to like about Wrestlemania 21 compared to the previous Raw games on Xbox, yet in the same breath there are many things absent, so its really hard to say if this is an improvement overall. I think despite the shortcomings with this title it does a good job of providing some entertainment and fun and at the end of the day this is what counts. Yes, the combat might be a little simplistic for some and yes it is criminal to not allow player created female wrestlers, yes the story mode is very linear and lacking the choices of Raw2 but if you are a fan then you simply overlook this. I suggest if you are not a wrestling fan then you may as well stay clear of this title although if you’re interested in taking a look then a rental is definitely in order. For those that are fans then I say you can’t do wrong going out on a limb and purchasing this game.