WWE 13 Game Review
Ratings
Summary: A typical style wrestling game that fell incredibly short. A new roster and some nostalgia is all you will find here.
2.3
Mediocre
With all the DLC finally released for the latest World Wrestling Entertainment video game it is time to view it in its entirety and believe me there is plenty to look at. With its large roster of superstars from the modern and Attitude eras, the full customization, and the multitude of match types, this game is difficult to summerize. Here goes nothing.
Foley stumbles, Austin is pleased.
Attitude Era
The return of the attitude era is exactly that. Not a re-imagining, not a new story, just a literal replay of the attitude era’s highlights where you as the player takes control of the superstars. There are interesting dynamics included in this idea, the greatest being the historical accuracy bonuses. If the player can mimic highlights that happened in the actual match, more unlockables become available. If you are familiar with the Attitude era, then the nostalgia factor is smile worthy. If you are familiar with the Attitude era and are sick of repetition, do yourself a favour and forget. Go ahead. Count how many times you say “yeah, I know”. Any gamer looking for a creative original storyline made for this title is left dry.
Sound is strange factor in Attitude Era mode as it does not follow suit with the rest of the game. The audio for the cut scenes were taken straight from the events themselves and recycled into the game. This is a neat little idea ruined by it’s lack of care. When the match is over and the scene begins, the audio of the commentary nearly doubles as if J.R. and King are not only “in your house” but elbow-dropping your eardrums. The real audio also takes away from the consistency of the game’s sound. The animated scene and the audio do not compliment each other and the mash-up makes both seem cheap.
Cat fight!
WWE Universe
Oh boy. Here we go. WWE Universe mode is where the creative storyline comes into play. Following a superstar or your created superstar through their WWE career, or following an entire brand through their wars. Your own brands, your own Pay-per-views, your own rivalries all sound so exciting. Until nothing happens. Occasionally, a rival will sit in on your match, or a heel will slap your hand away if you try to congratulate them, but nothing thrilling. After searching countless menus, hidden away in the unlockables is WWE Universe Feuds 1 and 2 both of which only becoming available after Attitude Era is entirely completed. This makes the game a chore. To unlock one of the most important aspects of Universe mode, we as gamers must play through the entirety of the Attitude Era. It takes the enjoyment out of the Attitude Era and replaces it with a countdown to it ending, drying the game up quickly.
Fast forward a solid day of gameplay, the Feuds have been unlocked and we are given to much longed for reward of… nothing. Maybe a couple new things happen, a couple sneak attacks on the way to the ring, a rival in the front row of the crowd doing not much of anything. These are still rare occurrences. The backbone of WWE 13′s advertisement (aside the Attitude Era) was the new, improved Universe mode. This promised a new way to play involving branching storylines in which the player got to choose the outcome (for example: to turn on a partner or not). This will not be included in this review as, in all of my countless full days of gameplay, I have never had this happen. That should say something.
Become the Champ.
WWE Creations
There isn’t much that can be said about the creations option in WWE 13 that is different from it’s predecessor, WWE 12. There are a few new moves and options, typical of a next generation WWE game. Creating your own superstar, move-set, entrance, finisher, logo, arena or story is all the same as the previous game with a little more flare. The option to create your own title belt, recycled from the early Smackdown vs. Raw games, has be placed into the game (which is oddly only accessible through the My WWE option) though only the plate’s base and colour are customizable. It hardly compares.
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WWE 13 is exactly what is usually expected in a wrestling game what with its roster and variety of matches, but for those who dig deeper the game falls short. Very short. They slap a T rating on it and promise attitude but treat its audience like children, slapping two large black censors on Steve Austin that offend more than his signature middle fingers ever would have.
My overall, final opinion: Own it if only to make Mick Foley vs. Mick Foley vs. Mick Foley. Other than that, stick to WWE 12.
