WWE Day of Reckoning 2 [GC]

Seeing a new WWE franchise every year is not much of a surprise. After all, allegiances change and wrestlers come and go. But with WWE: Day of Reckoning 2, THQ has put together a direct sequel to last year's game.

At the end of Day of Reckoning, you emerged from the ring a champion, but the ensuing months have not been as kind. Whether it was treachery, betrayal, or just general bad luck, you lost the title of World Heavyweight Champion and are simply a mere challenger once again. Now it is time to take back the gold, but the path won't be easy. You are no longer an unknown rising through the ranks. Enemies abound and back-stabbing is not out of the question. Trust no one as you navigate your way back to the top.

Co-written with the official Smackdown show writers, the story in Day of Reckoning 2 features a number of branching paths allowing for a custom experience every time you play. The choices you make can affect a single match, or a whole series of matches, depending on who you decide is friend or foe.

Because WWE: Day of Reckoning 2 has an overarching story that takes place within the WWE as a whole -- as opposed to just one type of competition such as Raw or Smackdown -- it promises to have one of the largest wrestling rosters available. Not only do you have your choice of current wrestling superstars, but the game also features high profile WWE legends such as Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior, Mankind, and more.

As you build your custom superstar, you need to choose a specialization. Each specialization has one super move that is specific to that style. For example, if you decide to be an aerialist, your character will level up his aerial moves faster and he will perform them better than other moves in his repertoire. He can also unlock an aerial super move. Other characters will be able to master aerial attacks, but they will not be able to learn the super move.

Built upon the core of the original game, WWE: Day of Reckoning 2 features an upgraded graphics engine and a streamlined user interface. Character models have approximately 25 to 30 percent more polygons than those in the first game, while all of the skins and texture maps were redrawn in order to give the superstars an excellent level of visual detail. The crowd was also updated to feature 3D fans as opposed to flat cardboard cutouts as seen in many games.

Extra work was put into the facial models in order to showcase your character's reaction to each hit -- if your superstar takes a beating, you're going to know it hurts. Crowd emotions will be similarly telegraphed as the fans respond to the action in the ring. All of the body animation was motion captured this time around, as opposed to being modeled, and the result is noticeable. Superstar movement looks natural instead of forced.

The new stamina system forces players to keep an eye towards strategy instead of trying to button mash their way to victory. Every movement, be it taking a punch or delivering one to your opponent, will decrease your stamina. If it drops below a certain level, your superstar will become fatigued. A fatigued wrestler will move slower and won't hit as hard, so it is something to avoid. You can minimize stamina loss by controlling your movements and conserving your strength for key moments.

Submission moves have been revamped in order to give players more gameplay options. To execute a submission move you must wear down your opponent and then close in for the attack when they are weakened. During a submission you can attempt one of four options by using the C-stick: try to force your opponent to tap out, keep your opponent pinned while you rest up and recover stamina, perform a humiliation move, or execute a showoff move and have the crowd cheering for you. Adding an extra layer of uncertainty is the fact that your opponent has a chance to block all of your submission attempts. If you try for a tap out and your opponent predicts the move, then the attempt won't work.

The shelf-life of the GameCube may be coming to an end, but the little system that could isn't ready to tap out just yet. We'll be watching WWE: Day of Reckoning 2 over the coming few months, and will report back on our next bout.