WWE Day of Reckoning 2 Review (GCN)

THQ's SmackDown series on the PlayStation 2 is the benchmark by which all other WWE titles are judged, but developer Yukes has definitely made some strides on the GameCube. Last year's Day of Reckoning is an enjoyable romp around the squared circle and its sequel, aptly titled WWE Day of Reckoning 2 not only builds on that successful formula but also features a significant amount of improvements, making it a must buy for anyone who tunes into Raw on Monday nights, backyard wrestles, and/or rips apart tee-shirts Hulk Hogan style.

Day of Reckoning 2's presentation is its most striking aspect. Yukes has just done a marvelous job not only capturing the wrestlers' likenesses but also nailing down their ring entrances. Some of them aren't exactly accurate since they're missing some pyro and other special effects, but for the most part everything about this game's visuals shine. I don't have any issues with a superstar's face, nor do I have any complaints about the theme music and character animation. Actually, this is probably the first WWE game that I have ever played that features up to date music.

Another wonderful thing about the entrances is they're not cheap. In other words, and unlike in past games, they run for a decent length and there's enough time for the music to really kick in, so Chris Masters will take his sweet time coming down to the ring (as he usually does), and the Undertaker will very slowly make his way down the ramp.

Then there are the little things that seriously boost DoR2's value. Take bleeding, for example. Virtual wrestlers have been getting busted open for years and the same holds true in this game, but there are actually varying levels of damage. When you first cut someone a small trickle of blood will form directly on their forehead, but punch them a few more times and the wound will actually get worse, running into their eyes and even onto their chest. Even better, they'll bleed all over the ring, and how much blood is on their body dictates how much will spill onto the floor, so a wrestler with a light scratch will leave behind very little, but a guy wearing a crimson mask will just gush all over the place and lie in a puddle of the stuff. It eventually vanishes (only to replaced by more), but it's just a cool feature.

I'm also impressed that the developers managed to include the commentators. No, they're not actually calling the matches. Instead, they're just sitting at their tables and will get up if you bring the fight to them. I'm a little bummed that you cannot beat up JR and the King (especially since the ref can be targeted), but I'm happy they're in attendance.

Lastly, there's the ring announcer, who will actually run down the rules of each match. Again, that's never been done before. Usually he'll just introduce the wrestlers, but in Day of Reckoning 2, he'll explain the rules (how to win a ladder match, for example), then go into the wrestlers' names.

Gameplay has been given a huge face lift over the previous title, allowing the action to flow a bit more like a normal match and four additions make this possible: the submission system, stamina, spirit, and momentum shifts.

Whenever you put someone in a submission hold (the dreaded Master Lock being one of them), the following four options will pop up for both wrestlers, the one applying the move as well as the poor sap on the receiving end: Submit (drains actual strength), Drain (depletes stamina), Taunt (saps a wrestler's spirit), and Rest (regains some of the aggressor's stamina). Each is designated by a direction on the controller's c-stick, and the object is for the wrestler who is in the hold to guess what his or her attacker is going to do. With that being said, if someone applies a Sharpshooter and selects Submit by pressing up on the stick and the other player also selects Submit the hold will be broken. Naturally, if you fail to guess what your opponent will do, you'll be trapped in that maneuver for quite some time and risk losing energy.

Stamina is another important feature. Located directly next to your wrestler's spirit bar, stamina dictates how much gas your superstar's got in their tank. If you immediately go for big moves and fail to capitalize it'll get run down very quickly and as a result you'll huff and puff while on your feet (and do what appears to be quite a funky dance) or stay on the mat for a ridiculous amount of time. Therefore, you'll need to map out a strategy for how you want to fight. Going for the quick win is a surefire way to be sucking wind later on in the contest.

As for the Spirit meter, it rises and falls depending on how well you're doing. If it's going crazy you'll get an energy boost and become a little more difficult to defeat, but if it's flashing "Danger" you can be easily pinned.

Lastly there's momentum shifts, and these can really turn the tide of a match. If you experience one of these (hopefully in your favor), you can reverse your fortunes, regain your stamina and in theory put the boots to your unlucky opponent.

All of the aforementioned features are important but you don't need to stress over them, meaning you can punch, kick, and pile drive your way to victory without giving them much thought providing you don't care about winning with style. There's a plethora of moves in the game, especially from the grappling position, and through experimentation you'll be able to bust out all sorts of devastating maneuvers. Plus, the reversal system (Left trigger for grapples, Right trigger for striking moves) is a great way to throw a wrench into your adversaries' schemes.

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