Gaming Target - Xbox: WWF Raw

Written by Ryan Smotherman on October 30, 2001

First Impressions: The "War" is gone, but this somebitch is still Raw.

I'm not ashamed. I'm a big wrestling fan. Though my love for the УsportФ has not been long, only about two years, it has been joyous. I swear, if you would have asked me what I thought about wrestling before I began to watch it two years ago, you might hear something like this Ц Уfake ass crapФ, Уred-neck sportФ, Уonly hicks watch itФ. But once I put all those stereotypes aside and gave it a chance, like many - I was hooked. It's not necessarily the high-octane action or the hot woman that have me tuning in twice a week either. No, it's the story. I admit it can sometimes be cheesy, and drawn out, but when they do it right, they do it right. It's full of scandal, betrayal, and a good deal of sexuality. Wrestling truly is the man's soap opera.

Like me there are literally УmillionsЕ and millionsФ of WWF fans out there. Why do I say WWF and not wrestling? Well, if you're not aware of this, the only other wrestling organization other than the WWF, the WCW, was sold to the WWF and now they are sort of a combined entity. It kind of odd, but it works. However, don't expect to see any of the WCW stars in this, the Xbox's first and very promising wrestling title. Being developed by Anchor, who are of course known for the highly realistic Ultimate Fighting Championship on the Dreamcast, Raw looks to be what all us Xbox owning WWF fans have been hoping for -- an absolutely gorgeous, realistic interpretation of Уsports entertainmentФ.

If you happened to play a lot of No Mercy for the Nintendo 64, Raw will probably have you feeling right at home. Instead of the arcadey fighting system found in the Smackdown titles, expect a more realistic based wrestling engine where grappling is the norm. But I'll have to actually play they game to get into more details here, so we'll just leave it at that.

It's kind of strange if you think about it. The best part of wrestling, the story, is almost impossible to recreate in a videogame. So what makes wrestling games such top-sellers? Why being able to control your favorite superstars of course. And this game is going to be filled to the brim with them, over 35 to be exact. From all your favorite superstars Ц Triple H, Stone Cold, Undertaker, The Rock, and Chris Jericho Ц to your favorite tag teams Ц The Hardy Boys (with Lita), Edge and Christian, and those УdamnФ Dudleys. And just like every wrestler before this, each character will be set with their own unique moves that resemble their real-life counterparts. So expect УRock BottomsФ and УStone Cold StunnersФ to be a plenty.

Continuing the authentic nature of the game. Each wrestler will also have their modern day introductions. Complete with a video playing on the TitanTron, the official music, and those amazing pyrotechnic effects. Each character will also strut to the ring in individual fashion. For example, Triple H will carry his water bottle, from which he pours water on himself and then spits it everywhere, while the The Rock will walk down to the ring, step on the rope and do his special УI'm a badassФ pose. Even though these intros will probably grow tiresome after awhile, they are a very nice addition to the game. Let's just hope we don't have to hear that God-awful УRollingФ song from Limp Bizkit. The Undertaker really needs new music.

Of course, it wouldn't be a wrestling game without the huge variety of match situations. Aside from your standard Championship and Tag Team fair, THQ is promising a lot in this category. There's the Triple Threat, Fatal Four-Way, Hardcore, King of the Ring, and Royal Rumble matches just to name a few. I'd also expect to see some of the more exciting situations, like the TLC (Tables, Ladders, and ChairsЕ oh my) and Hell in a Cell matches. For you all who like to use lethal weapons to your advantage, over 150 items will be making the cut. Expect to see fire extinguishers, trash cans, the rings stairs, and kendo sticks all with the afore mentioned table, ladders, and chairs. Also, just as in the show, not all matches will take place in the ring. Expect to take the fights backstage, to the boiler room, and even in the crowds. In all there will be over 10 different places to duke it out.

The ability to create your own unique character has pretty much become a staple in wrestling titles over the past few years. And by the looks of things, Raw is going to up the ante on this feature. With countless ways to alter your soon to be super wrestler. Including things like being able to determine the actual thickness and length of each individual limb. Now that's detailed.

WWF: Raw is no different than most every other Xbox title in one way. In that it is jaw-droppingly beautiful. Everything about the game is a work of art, from the super detailed characters to the realistic audience. It really is amazing just how lifelike the characters are Ц muscles flex, eyes shift, and they all have extremely realistic facial expressions and movements. The developer combined the use of motion capture with some good old fashioned programming and have created the most state of the art wrestler ever. Yes, even more so than the PS2's Smackdown 3: Just Bring It. If you don't believe me, just check out the pics and go find yourself some movies of it in action.

As far as the sound goes, I kind of have mixed feeling about it. For one I expect it to be great, especially the crowd noises. However, I'm a little disappointed that the game won't feature play-by-play of all the in-ring action, such as in Smackdown 3. What they should have done was hired J.R. and Paul Hayman to lend their voice talents to the title. Seeing as the Smackdown announcers, Tazz and Michael Cole, lent theirs, you'd think the same would happen for the Raw commentators. It is also said that the wrestlers themselves will not talk. O well, can't win Сem all I guess.