19 replies to this topic

[RIOT!]

September 15, 2008 - Last week, IGN brought you the news that WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009's story mode, Road to WrestleMania, would feature seven Superstars in six storylines. Once that information was out, the Internet exploded. "I Hate This," one IGN reader wrote. "Where The F&*& Is Orton," another chimed in. "WTF u got to be kiding me," someone else said. The comments went on like this.

The sentiment wasn't unexpected -- we're wrestling fans, so change scares us and our first reaction is to lash out at it -- but I for one wasn't expecting it to be so strong. Personally, I thought the last year's 24/7 Mode, which forced every wrestler into the same vanilla tale, sucked. Road to WrestleMania is packing character-specific storylines crafted by the guys behind WWE programming. I think it sounds exciting and the vocal fans are getting bent out of shape before they get all the facts.

WWE Diva Maria -- who will be making her first playable appearance in SVR 09 -- agrees with me.

"No offense, but it's our writers," Maria told me when we were talking about the fan reaction to RTW. "The players get to play actual WWE Storylines."

On the heels of the RTW announcement, THQ swung by the IGN office recently to give me a look at Maria and -- more importantly -- Road to WrestleMania. Both are looking pretty sweet.

If your just joining us, Road to WrestleMania lets you control Undertaker, CM Punk, Chris Jericho, Triple H, John Cena, or Rey Mysterio and Batista on each Superstar's path to the biggest spectacle in Sports Entertainment. This is a drastic change from the be-anyone-you-want 24/7 Mode SVR featured last year, which put everyones Superstar into the same tale and left a lot of bigger names feeling out of place and acting uncharacteristically. Road to WrestleMania replaces that garbage with character-specific fables featuring full-fledged voice acting, alternate endings, and scores of unlockables.

"It was a tough decision, but you get a lot more bang for your buck," THQ Creative Manager Bryan Williams said.

For my demo, THQ showed me the Undertaker storyline. Beginning with 79 days until WrestleMania, the story pit the big guy against Santino for his first feud, but it was the little stuff that caught my attention. Each week, the show you're on will start with its traditional fireworks and crowd-scanning shots before cutting to the announce table to hear what the week's biggest story is. So, in Taker's case, we're spun around the SmackDown arena before settling in on the Coach and Michael Cole dishing on the day. Now, no offense to JR, King, THQ, or whoever else might get all cranky with me, but commentary's never been a strongpoint of the SVR franchise. The game tries, but generally it's a few moves behind and a bit too general. However, because there's a focus to each RTW tale, commentary is actually thought-out, story-specific, and worth listening to. During the Undertaker matches I saw, Cole and Coach talked about the feud that was developing, why it was happening, and any other story point that made sense. It was actually like watching the show -- a point driven home by the cutscenes dropped in all over the place and the WWE copyright logo popping up at the end of the show as Cole and Coach freak out.

Before you head to the ring, you'll be booted back to your locker room where you can save and adjust options, but more importantly, this is where you'll get optional objectives. During the Undertaker storyline, a note in the Deadman's locker informed me that if Undertaker could put away Finlay -- a cutscene showed a run-in between the man who loves to fight, Santino, and Undertaker -- quicker than it took to beat Santino, Taker'd be handsomely rewarded. I can't tell you what became available when Undertaker won, but I can tell you it was totally worth it. The objectives will unlock environments, characters, match types, and more.

I've seen a lot of people asking what RTW keeps from 24/7 mode, and the answer is "Not much." This isn't really the same thing as 24/7; here, you're participating in a specific story that has different paths and alternate endings. There are no injuries to worry about, and no training activities to participate in during your off days. You're in your locker room the day of your match and can look at messages or goals, then it's into the ring or to view a cutscene, and then you watch as the days on a calendar will scroll by as the shows you're not on. Yes, you'll appear on PPVs and win titles and so on, but all of those choices are story elements and not something you'd go out and seek on your own.

So what does this mean for your created Superstars or Superstars not in the RTW six-pack? Well, there was an interview from a few months ago where THQ Senior Creative Manager Cory Ledesma said there would be something for Superstars to do, and I made sure to ask him all about it during the THQ visit. However, to hear what Ledesma, Williams, and Maria had to say about that mode and everything else SVR related, you'll need to tune in to my interview on Podcast Beyond -- the IGN PlayStation Team show -- this Thursday. If listening isn't your thing, Thursday will also bring your first look at Maria's in-game character when the Diva picks up the controller and faces off against Gruesome Greggy in an IGN Championship/WWE Woman's Championship unification match on IGN.

[phoenixsplash630]

:no: I don't want to read the whole thing. I stopped at the thing that says Maria is in. What else is the good parts?

[RIOT!]

Maria is in, on the Jericho videos Cody Rhodes and Hardcore Holly are confiremd as Tag Team champions and Lance Cade is in.

RTW is not the same as 24/7

[phoenixsplash630]

Holly is in? Sweet! That means Dibiase probably isn't in though

[drcat125]

.X.Straight.X.Edge.X., on Sep 15 2008, 06:49 PM, said:

Maria is in, on the Jericho videos Cody Rhodes and Hardcore Holly are confiremd as Tag Team champions and Lance Cade is in.

RTW is not the same as 24/7

I know that for about 6 months now

they said pretty much that RTW is bacially HOF mode with story. not exact quote but same thing

[DoubleAgent74]

Bob Holly?! I thought he fled the country to join the Benedictine Monks or something. Seriously, how long has it been since he's been on the tube?

[phoenixsplash630]

Not his fault he is misused.

[Ollie The Magic Bum]

He's in rehab now, actually.

And the RTW thing is bullshit. I don't want to pick any of those guys.

[phoenixsplash630]

Wait up, when did Holly go to rehab? And for what?

[glennsoe]

pill addiction..

Apperantly he was stealing pills from other wrestlers, I read that somewhere...

[phoenixsplash630]

I doubt this, because, well, I haven't heard it. At least not from a credible source.

[Sharpshooter93]

Why waste a roster spot on Holly? You have so many other people to pick from, *sighs* I guess he could be a jobber in GM mode.

[Tommy]

^ there is no GM mode this year

Maria, awesome

[Sharpshooter93]

Then Holly is very useless.

[DLT]

Im so sick of maineventing for the WWE/World heavyweight title in season mode. Its so much more fun to fued for Intercontinental or United States, or even Tag championships and not have to be the whole next big thing thing. Then have it possible to get into the WWE title picture.

And since when did Undertaker care how quickly he beats someone or what rewards he'd get? Superstar specific is never what its meant to be. From what we've seen so far its just 6 storylines as opposed to one, that'll probably use the same other superstars to fill in slots. (Like, Finlay being the guy who put the tape in on Jerichos, and the guy in Takers where you have to beat him vast.)

I don't play SvR to play WWE storylines, I watch WWE for that, I play SvR to play with WWE superstars in the way I want, not the way they think I want.

[Tommy]

Sigh
Your another person who isnt getting a christmas card. Just register next time

They said they would limit superstars in RTWM so that Undertaker ISNT flirting with girls or looking stupid after missing a punch aimed fro Shane - O - Mac and getting clotheslined by Chris Masters (Bye bye).

Dancing, could be possible in stable entrances hint hint
And to be honset, I dont spend 20 seconds making my caws, I'd rather not wear "WWE Specialties"

[DLT]

You might aswell just let this guests posting thing go, Tornado, it isn't gonna change so you're just working yourself up over nothing.
And when it comes to RTWM, I agree that its good to have specific storylines, but they're not that specific, and if all they can make in a year is six they should hold this feature off until next year and make more. Though some superstars didn't fit in generic stories, more than 6 did, so its more limited really.

[Tommy]

Quote

You might aswell just let this guests postig thing go, Tornado, it isn't gonna change so you're just working yourself up over nothing.

NEVER

It is limited, but we'll see how good THQ have done it this time. Although, its all Faces
Taker, HHH, Punk, Jericho (at time was still face), Cena and Bat / Rey

[Sharpshooter93]

I loved it in HCTP, when I defended Torrie with Kane against Tajiri, then I got some action in the shower with her lol.