WWE Day of Reckoning 2 [GC]

Into the Ring
The WWE is all about glitz and glamour. It's a chance for the various superstars to strut their stuff and show one another up. So of course, wrestler entrances play a big part. Developer Yuke's has spared no expense to ensure that DoR 2 captures the style and spirit of each character's unique walk down to the wrestling ring. To that end, the team spent a lot more polygons to ensure that its models look like their real-life counterparts. The plastic-like sheen that highlighted wrestlers in the first game and their frames are more rounded and lifelike. But the majority of those polygons went to the heads of the wrestlers, literally -- or to be more specific, their faces. As a result, the faces of these formidable guys and gals look almost photo-realistic. Noses protrude outward, eyes blink, and mouths animate, revealing everything from teeth to tongues. Meanwhile, because textures have seen improvements, all of this details holds up, even when the camera is directly in front of an athlete. It also doesn't hurt that the wrestlers now move fluidly with full motion-captured animation.

Complementing the improved character models are loads of visual extras, from a noticeably more developed particle system to advanced lighting effects. Pyrotechnics, which are commonplace in wrestling, are impressively displayed in Day of Reckoning 2. As the characters make their entrances, fire and smoke as well as sparks and flames blast into the air and look fabulous. Meanwhile, lighting effects cast different colors onto the models as they make their way closer to the stage. Players who picked up last year's title will also notice that DoR 2 has replaced the old crowd with a fully 3D version and for dramatic results. The people in the stands look almost real during intro sequences and when the fights are going strong.

Yuke's has also added some in-fight visual extras. Blood will apparently play a big part in this year's game, with multiple levels of differing detail. Relentless players will eventually draw more blood from their opponents, according to THQ. This feature is still being tweaked. We played a particular nasty Hardcore Match where we used every weapon in the book to bloody our opponent, and to no avail.

Gameplay
Day of Reckoning 2 plays like an extension of the first game, which is exactly what it is, of course. Fights are fast and revolve around the grapple system, as before. In our experience, the action seems to move a bit quicker than before, which is preferred. Although strong and weak grapples, mixed with a variety of punches and kicks, still make up the majority of the bouts, Yuke's has introduced a new submission system that injects a layer of strategy into the brutal action. When a submission hold is activated, players can try to guess what type of hold their opponent is going for and if they guess correctly, they'll immediately break from the potentially match-ending grasp. If, on the other hand, they choose incorrectly, they'll remain stuck in the hold. The system has come a long way since we first saw signs of it months ago and now feels like an intuitive addition to matches.

The stamina system is the other big factor and it ties in directly with submissions. Stamina can be gained or lost depending on whether players guess their opponents submission move. Meanwhile, gamers will constantly need to watch an on-screen stamina bar in order to avoid wearing their superstar out. Also of note, this time around, gamers can charge up a meter to perform three degrees of finishing moves. The more the meter is charged, the more rewarding the finisher.

Readers are asked to note that Yuke's is still finishing the finisher move effects. Therefore, the polarized finisher sequence from the first game will not yet be seen in the videos we've provided in our media section.

This year's game seems to be on the right track. Whether or not it will totally demolish the original title remains to be seen. But one thing is for certain: we had fun playing it, and we can already tell we prefer it to its predecessor.

Download new screenshots and videos, including six new wrestler entrances, in our media section below.

©2005, IGN Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved