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4.0

WWE Wrestlemania 21

With not that many wrestling games on the market, this is a good chance for lovers of beefy men who sweat too much to get busy with some console action.

It’s just a shame that this title does not live up to the greatness of some of the games that have recently come before on the PS2. There are gross collision problems here, mismatches with damage during competition and a host of other errors that are generally going to affect your enjoyment of this game.

One of the primary complaints that people will have with this title is how the rules have seemed to be thrown to the wind. There is some really dodgy A.I. that simply does not fit in any game and a variety of shonky and repetitive moves that really do not sense and ultimately will be an insult to most gamers that care about having a good experience.

One of the things that is right about the game is the level of graphical detail in it. All the crackers in their suits look like the real thing and another nice part of the game is that there is a ton of voice work carried out by the wrestlers themselves.

Whilst the controls on this game are easy to pick up and play with, it’s the utter unreliability with which you are playing the game that really throws me. Your opponents will try the same move over and over again and even though you know that you’ve performed the proper counter, they still get away with it. Add to that a pitifully small health bar and it’s one messed up game.

Possibly it would have been improved if the match times weren’t so short. I am guessing that it’s an attempt to copy the format of the television show, however it just adds to the frustration. There are prompts that try to help you play a good defensive game by way of an icon flashing up the top of the screen but I still found that the game didn’t respond fast enough to make me a happy camper.

I normally don’t care too much about online play in games that are designed to primarily support single player play, however with all the stuff that was not quite right, I thought I better try to find something that redeemed it! What a bad move that was! It doesn’t work!

Another fault with the game was the constant overcorrection and niggly controls that really got in the way of finishing moves and the like. Grappling was also something that had a lot to be desired and generally made for a poor playing experience.

Personally I’d be giving this game a miss but if you are desperate make sure that you rent this bad boy before committing to the cash. If you’ve found I saved you some dosh, send half to me!