WWE Day of Reckoning

[Professor S]

I know many of us might be disenfranchised when it comes to wrestling games, as most of the modern games released have ranged from average to poor. If you're anything like me, everytime you pick up a wrestling game, part of of you longs for the old days of No Mercy and the N64 grapplers that we grew up knowing and loving.

Well I just took a look at the interview with the Day of Reckoning devopers, and there might be hope for us afterall:


IGN: What play style does the game employ? How does the grappling system work?

Kendall Boyd: This is a simulation wrestling experience. Smackdown vs. Raw is the quicker paced game, while we are trying to capture the feel of the N64 days. I've heard so many people pick this up and say, "This is like a modern day No Mercy or WrestleMania 2000."

What? A wrestling simulation? Just like every GOOD wrestling game has ever been? Wow, what a monumental idea!!!!

Truthfully, this game is looking to be great. Yukes has always been great at making incredibly deep CAW engines (including the most important area: tons of moves), and now we can only hope that they go through with the simulation experience that they are promising.

*keeps his fingers crossed*

[BreakABone]

You know I avoided posting on this game for that reason.

They made that same promise several times over with both WrestleMania X8 and WrestleMania XIX and while I personally believe that XIX was a step in the right direction, many including yourself if I'm not mistaken didn't really like it.

The game looks failry interesting, but for some odd reason not anticipating it as much as I did the other two, maybe the rule of dimishing returns, who knows.

[fingersman]

I agrees with BAB, they say this every singles time they make a wrestlings game for cube and then the game doesn't evens end up remotely close to No Mercy or WrestleMania 2000, so I'ms really not exciting about a news wrestling game for cube

[Typhoid]

Thats because you guys are expecting a game like No Mercy, which was the best one to date, i think, and i still play it too.

They are going to try and make it the best they can by their views, for some reson they barely factor in consumers.

[BreakABone]

Thats because you guys are expecting a game like No Mercy, which was the best one to date, i think, and i still play it too.

They are going to try and make it the best they can by their views, for some reson they barely factor in consumers.
I'm not expecting the next No Mercy, I take each game for it's own merit.

It's just that they've said that every game so far would play just like No Mercy, and thus far not many have agreed. So I'm not getting my hopes up that it will be. I'm a fan of XIX

[Jonbo298]

I don't understand the need for 3 seperate wrestling games for 3 consoles but I guess its to milk more money every few months. But I don't expect much from this. Gamecube's WWE games have been meh. Plus, WMx8 put a bad taste in my mouth because of its horrible CAW and just about everything else. I know XIX improved, but its no where near what the Smackdown/Raw brands are on the opposing consoles.

[Blix]

Yukes has always been great at making incredibly deep CAW engines (including the most important area: tons of moves), and now we can only hope that they go through with the simulation experience that they are promising.
At least that is good to know. I so far have liked "Here comes the Pain." I'm waiting for this game, if it is better than HCTP, I'm buying it. Else the PS2 game should be cheaper by that time. XIX left a bad taste in my mouth and I didn't give the other one a try. Now I feel I need a wrestling game and I hope this one is good when it comes out.

[BreakABone]

Well after reading GameSpot's new preview, it really gets me hyped for the game. The most important thing to me is it seems that the Story Mode has a branching plot since you are able to pick things for your character to say/


Day of Reckoning's gameplay style hearkens back quite a bit to the days when Aki Corporation-developed wrestlers ruled the N64 ring. In last year's WrestleMania XIX, developer Yuke's debuted an interpretation of the Aki wrestling engine that, while a big improvement over the first WrestleMania game, didn't quite make for a fully successful mesh between that style of wrestling and the more traditional Yuke's style. In Day of Reckoning, the pacing of the action has shifted even further toward the more methodical, sim-based Aki style, making better use of the control scheme and ultimately making the game more fun to play.
Hmm if methodical is anything like JR means, that just means slower...

You'll still be able to perform weak and strong grapples and strikes by tapping or holding down the proper buttons, but in Day of Reckoning, it seems as though the basic flow of the game caters much better to this style of control. The countering system won't be changing, so you will still have to time hits of the right and left triggers to counter strikes and grapples respectively.
I hope the reversing isn't as "loose" as it is in the WrestleMania games since you can basically just tap the buttons for the entire match and probably pull out a win.

Though not many other major changes seem to have been made to the gameplay, there is one other notable addition. Day of Reckoning will feature an all-new weight-balancing system to help make matches between wrestlers of significant size differences closer to the realm of WWE TV. Even though it's highly unreasonable to expect a little guy like Rey Mysterio Jr. to be able to lift a behemoth like the Big Show, it is, in WWE terms, possible. Anyone remember John Cena lifting that monolithic Big Show a couple of times a Pay-Per-View or two ago?


Fans of THQ's old-school Nintendo 64 wrestling games will find a lot to like about WWE Day of Reckoning.
To make this a reality in the game, the developers have added a new pickup meter that comes into play when smaller wrestlers try to pick up the bigger ones. By tapping the A button repeatedly, you'll see the meter go up, and if you get it high enough, you'll be able to slam a big guy. This also plays into your wrestler's statistic in the category of strength, so if you've got a stringy-armed guy, he also will have some trouble lifting the larger fellows.
Well, I think this is a bit similar to No Mercy's system, where you couldn't really pick up a guy like Andre, but the closer you got to your special, the easier it is for you to pick him up. I like this system, I mean it doesn't give little guys a distinct disadvadvantage, but they also have to work a bit more to win. I hope it's pulled off well.

While last year's WrestleMania XIX was ultimately a good game, it was held back significantly by one of the least pleasurable story modes we've ever had the misfortune to experience. The good news is that Day of Reckoning seems primed to correct that mistake with a brand-new story mode that is actually enjoyable to play. Essentially, the story mode follows the path of an up-and-coming rookie wrestler looking to make it in the big leagues of the WWE. You create this green recruit by using the game's create-a-wrestler mode (or by using one of the default, generic schlubs already in the game), and then once he or she is created, you have your first meeting with Vincent K. McMahon. Vinnie Mac tells you that he's heard good things about you and that he's willing to give you a chance to make it in the WWE, but before he'll put you on TV, you'll have to earn your shot in the bush leagues of WWE Developmental.

Your first series of matches will be against no-name rookies in the developmental league. As you begin to work your way through the ranks of generic plebes, Jonathan Coachman (aka "The Coach") acts as your trainer. Rather than train you with typical mat technique or weight lifting, however, he will instead send you out night after night with specific objectives to achieve during your matches. One night, for instance, he will ask you to perform a certain number of counters to your opponent's grapple moves. Another night, he may ask you to win without ever performing a special move.



The new story mode puts you in the role of a wannabe WWE superstar.
Once you have managed to prove yourself, you'll earn a spot on Sunday Night Heat and eventually gain a contract with either the Raw or SmackDown roster. However, as with any rise to success, your character will encounter a lot of opposition and backstabbing once within the ranks of the WWE elite, which will eventually lead you to a number of feuds with the WWE's finest.

I actually like the idea of the story mode, reminds me somewhat of the one in SmackDown: Shut Your Mouth I think it is. When you create a character, he starts from the bottom then works his way up.

I like the "development" system challenges as it gives more purposes to a match, and gives you ideas on how to get over in the game.

I also like that you are forced to go through with a CAW, though it would be fun to do it with a normal wrestler, I always go through with a CAW eventually, atleast now there is a reason.

And a whole lot more believeable then Triple H starting on Heat or something...

And news that may be great to some of you people...

A few of the classic names we saw included Rowdy Roddy Piper, Andre the Giant, and Bret "The Hitman" Hart.


Roddy Piper and Bret Hart, how did they pull that one off? :D

[Professor S]

Hmm if methodical is anything like JR means, that just means slower...

Slower is a GOOD thing. Modern games speed up games to the point they don't even resemble a wrestling match. AKI got it down right, I hope yukes does too.

[Typhoid]

Woo.

I love Bret Hart, and rowdy roddy piper.

I might pick it up when it comes out, im not into wrestling, but wrestling games are fun.


*Curses Vince for screwing Bret*

[BreakABone]

Slower is a GOOD thing. Modern games speed up games to the point they don't even resemble a wrestling match. AKI got it down right, I hope yukes does too.


I'm not saying that slow is bad, but usually when JR says a match has a "methodical pace" or a wrestler is "methodical" usually means that they are slow and big.

I do like the speed of current games as well, as long as they really tone it down from the original SmackDown games.

Also there are some videos over at gamespot, it shows some cool gameplay stuff.

First, there are Taker and Cena's entrance. Taker's entrance hasn't been changed from the one at IGN, but now it has his official music and it just works, it's so freaky. Cena's on the other hand has changed from the one over at IGN, the one on IGN seemed like a clone of the one from XIX. But the new one is a whole lot smoother and has a lot more personality for Cena, and just works.

Also they show the Tombstone which looks deadly, and Taker has his classic RIP pin as a special after the Tombstone, even sticks out his tongue.

[Typhoid]

I just looked at the movie. Good game.


Here are some screens. ( hopefully the right game:p)


Gee, i wonder where i got these screens from..


http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2004/reviews/920076_20040722_screen023.jpg
http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2004/screen0/920076_20040716_screen002.jpg
http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2004/screen0/920076_20040604_screen007.jpg
http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2004/screen0/920076_20040302_screen008.jpg

Hooray for blood.

[BreakABone]

Well, if anyone is still interested in this game, you should head over to www.gamingring.com , even though you have to register to view the forums, they have tons of coverage going on with the game.

They show aspects of CAW, Story Mode and normal matches. I'm sure some would be excited to know thay they have pre-made movesets including some Puro ones (however you spell it), also gameplay seems to improve and reversing isn't as easy or button mashing as in the previous 2 games.

Also and of most interest to me, is the story mode actually looks pretty decent, and there is proof of branching storylines so it's replayable.