WWE All Stars (PS2)

My brother bought WWE All Stars for my birthday. To my surprise it was not the PS3 version of the game but the PS2 one. In case you are wondering why he bought the PS2 version instead, it’s because felt it was too expensive spending full price for a game like WWE All Stars.

Although I think my brother should have gotten me something better (like Marvel vs. Capcom 3) I thought the PS2 version of WWE All Stars would still be okay. A few days ago I downloaded the PS3 demo for WWE All Stars and was quite impressed by the game’s gameplay and visuals. The same could not be said for the PS2 version of WWE All Stars however…

To compare to how the two versions played, I immediately chose to be Rey Mysterio vs. The Ultimate Warrior. When I saw both their entrances, I surprised by how it looked. The PS2 version may have lower textures but the visuals weren’t all that bad – that is until the match actually started.

As good as the entrances looked; the same visual flair could not be replicated in the game itself. The graphics looked very rough and not very detailed. I will go onto say that they look worse than 2003’s “Here Comes The Pain”!

What’s even worse is that the gameplay is miles slower to that of the PS3 version. Not to mention it has no camera angles and the total lack of the meaty sound effects prevalent with the PS3 version. When you execute your finisher on the PS3 version, the screen goes black and white and you are treated with some cool looking slow motion effects.

Nothing of that happens when you play the PS2 version. All you are treated with is the same camera angle you play throughout the entire game and a cheap slow motion effect without any bone crunching sound effects. It’s a tad disappointing to note this since the aforementioned “Here Come The Pain” had many great camera angles and special effects while you used your finishing move.

Visually, the game isn’t all that bad. The staging areas of Summerslam and the old Smackdown stage are presented nicely in their former glory. Even with the PS2 edition the arenas look vibrant and full of energy – much like a real live WWE event. The only downside to the visuals is some of the character models.

The Undertaker has small beady eyes the first time I laid eyes on him. He looks like a scared little boy more than he does a tough 7 foot giant. Likewise, Randy Orton’s face looks like it’s been squashed and deformed like it was made of playdough…

Not all the Superstars and Legends in this game look hideous though. People covered in mask like Rey Mysterio, Ultimate Warrior and Kane resemble their real life counter parts. You can also unlock several other ring attires for each of the 30 wrestlers included in the game. I thought this was a decent feature since the more recent Smackdown vs. Raw games only have one costume for each wrester.

Speaking of wrestlers, there is a nice selection of both current and past WWE Superstars that will please both old and new school WWE fans. The inclusion of legends like Macho Man Randy Savage, The Ultimate Warrior, The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin mixed with the likes of The Undertaker, CM Punk Kane and John Cena is sure to make fans drool in excitement. You can now make your dream matches all come true. There’s even an entire mode called “Fantasy Warfare” where you there are several dream matches for you to play out. All of them are introduced by some neat video highlight packages.

The gameplay is different from the slow pace of the Smackdown vs. RAW games. It plays similarly to Midway’s TNA game that was released back in 2008. Highflyers can bounce off the ropes and grapples and strikes are hit more frequently. Not only that but for the first time in a wrestling game, you can even juggle your opponents in mid-air! Each wrestler also has four signature moves and a cool looking finisher. 

WWE All Stars on PS2 may not be the best conversion ever made, but it can still be a fun game. The great selection of old and new wrestlers will put a smile onto any hardcore wrestling fan. Despite the graphics taking a dip in quality and the slower pace in gameplay, WWE All Stars on PS2 can still pack quite a punch.

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