WWE All Stars is nothing like the typical wrestling game. The pace is incredibly fast, the wrestlers are built like exaggerated action figures, and the entire experience is wildly over the top. Instead of trying to simulate wrestling like the Smackdown vs. Raw games, this title feels closer to an arcade fighting game. Because of that, it ends up being one of the most genuinely fun WWE games released in years.
The game launches with 30 playable wrestlers, with additional characters available as DLC. The roster is a strong mix of modern WWE Superstars and classic Legends. On the legend side you’ve got names like Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior, The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Mr. Perfect, and plenty more. The modern roster is solid as well, although Drew McIntyre feels a little out of place. Still, you’ll find big names like Triple H, Randy Orton, The Undertaker, and CM Punk. Fans will also enjoy hearing Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler back together on commentary. It does get repetitive after a while, but most of the time you won’t really notice If you want to check out the roster click this to see the roster
Attention to detail
Even though the game exaggerates everything, the smaller details in each wrestler’s personality and movement stand out. The developers clearly spent time making every superstar feel different from the others. Each wrestler has a moveset designed to represent their unique style, which adds variety across the roster. To reinforce this, THQ divides the wrestlers into four different classes: Brawler, Big Man, Acrobat, and Grappler.
These classes actually make a big difference in how each character plays. For instance, Rey Mysterio can bounce around the ring, leap off the ropes, and pull off wild flips almost constantly. Bret Hart focuses more on chaining grapples together into long technical sequences. Brawlers like Stone Cold rely on heavy striking combinations and can charge powerful attacks that eventually become unblockable. The Big Man category is limited to Andre the Giant, The Big Show, and Kane. These wrestlers are tough to knock down and can easily launch opponents into the air with their powerful charged attacks.
Gameplay
What really separates WWE All Stars from the Smackdown vs. Raw series is its gameplay system. Every wrestler has two types of strikes and two types of grapples: quick versions and stronger variations. When you grab an opponent, pressing any of the four face buttons will trigger a different move. Unlike most recent WWE games, grapples are not controlled with the right analog stick. Instead, the stick is used as a secondary mechanic that lets you adjust the hold during grapples or switch targets when fighting multiple opponents.
The combat system is surprisingly deep, thanks to the combo mechanics. By chaining strikes into grapples, players can extend their combos and perform even more moves. It’s a system that takes time to fully understand, but it becomes rewarding once you get the hang of it. During matches you build up energy, which can be spent on signature moves. Some wrestlers have multiple signature options depending on the situation. You might need to be near the ropes, standing beside a turnbuckle, running toward an opponent, or attacking someone lying on the mat.
Finishers can be a bit confusing at first. The simplest way to pull one off is to knock your opponent down, then hold both shoulder buttons at the same time. Doing this causes your opponent to stand up in a dazed state, which smoothly transitions into the finisher (though the opponent can still counter it). If you tap the shoulder buttons instead of holding them, you store the finisher for later use. This approach is riskier because opponents can interrupt you, but in some situations it works better since it isn’t as obvious.
2 button counter system
Thankfully, the classic two-button counter system makes a return. The left shoulder button counters grapples while the right counters strikes. Moves can even be reversed during their animation, and those reversals can themselves be countered by the other player. If you press the counter button at the right time during certain prompts, you can prevent your opponent from reversing your move entirely. In Smackdown vs. Raw 2011, players could simply mash buttons to counter. WWE All Stars requires actual timing, and it might be one of the best counter systems ever used in a wrestling game.
Like traditional fighting games, WWE All Stars uses health bars. Once a wrestler’s health is completely drained, landing a finisher automatically knocks them out. Oddly enough, there’s no option to disable knockouts. If you prefer long, simulation-style wrestling matches, this game probably won’t appeal to you. Submissions mostly function as regular damage moves, and although pinfalls exist, they’re largely pointless since finishers guarantee victory. It would have been nice to have the option to turn off knockouts.
A.I.
The AI is a noticeable improvement over previous WWE titles. Opponents are aggressive and often counter moves effectively without becoming overly frustrating. Some matches can turn into genuinely exciting back-and-forth battles. However, there are moments where the AI behaves strangely, either standing around doing nothing or constantly spamming aerial attacks from the turnbuckle. Triple threat matches can also be frustrating because human players tend to become the main target. Since wrestlers often “no sell” attacks in this arcade-style game, dealing with two opponents at once can be tough.
Gameplay
When it comes to game modes, there isn’t a lot of variety. The exhibition options include standard one-on-one matches, triple threat, fatal four way, handicap, tornado tag, steel cage, extreme rules, and elimination matches. That’s about it. Most of these match types play very similarly, with the steel cage being the main exception. Title defenses are also missing almost entirely from the game. Outside of exhibition matches, the main modes are Path of Champions and Fantasy Warfare.
Path of Champions
Path of Champions is essentially a ten-match gauntlet that leads to a final showdown with either The Undertaker, Randy Orton, or D-Generation X. Between matches there are short promo segments with decent voice acting from WWE Superstars, but the mode itself is fairly simple. Completing a path with a specific wrestler unlocks alternate costumes, and some characters have multiple outfits to earn.
Fantasy warfare
Fantasy Warfare is where the game matches legends against modern WWE stars in one-on-one dream fights. There are 15 total matchups, including battles like Eddie Guerrero vs Rey Mysterio, Mr. Perfect vs The Miz, Jake “The Snake” Roberts vs Randy Orton, and Shawn Michaels vs The Undertaker. Finishing these scenarios unlocks new characters for exhibition mode. The standout feature here is the promo videos that hype each dream match. They’re extremely well done, and honestly the game could have used more of them.
Create a superstar
There is also a create-a-superstar mode, although it’s extremely limited. Players can’t edit the movesets of the existing roster, and created characters are forced to use movesets that already belong to someone else in the game. The only customizable element is the finisher. The design options are also very basic, making it difficult to create a wrestler that actually looks good.
The lack of additional modes feels like a missed opportunity. Matches like Hell in a Cell or Ladder matches would have fit perfectly with the game’s exaggerated style. THQ could have even created completely ridiculous match types just for this game. Imagine fighting backstage and hitting someone with a Pedigree off the top of a skyscraper. That kind of insanity would have fit right in.
Online play
Online multiplayer is where players will probably spend most of their time. You can compete in player matches, ranked matches, or private games with friends. Every match type available offline can also be played online. Lag wasn’t much of a problem during one-on-one matches, and counters still worked properly if you timed them correctly. Even four-player matches were mostly playable, though they occasionally had small input delays. It wasn’t game breaking, but it did happen from time to time. Even with those minor issues, the online experience is far better than anything in the Smackdown vs. Raw series.
The online interface, however, could definitely be improved. You only see your opponent’s name right before the match begins. After that, you won’t know who you’re playing against. PS3 users can’t even rely on the Players Met list to check afterward. If you have a great match and want a rematch, you’ll have to remember the player’s name yourself. Disconnect handling is an even bigger problem. For example, in a fatal four way elimination match, the entire game ends the moment one player disconnects. You can’t see who left the match either, meaning there’s no way to report them.
Frame rate issues
Another issue appears during offline fatal four way matches, where random frame rate drops sometimes occur. Since this review was based on the PS3 version, it’s unclear whether the same issue appears on other platforms. WWE All Stars also requires 366 MB of hard drive space and already has a patch available. Oddly enough, the game still caches data to the hard drive every time it starts up, even if it has already been installed.
Pros
- Easy to pick up and play, but still takes time to master
- A diverse roster where every wrestler feels different
- Fantasy Warfare promos are extremely entertaining
- Online multiplayer actually works well
Cons
- Limited variety in gameplay modes
- Entrances are unnecessarily short
- Knockouts cannot be turned off
- Create-a-Superstar is extremely restricted
WWE All Stars is a difficult game to score. In many ways it’s a barebones package with several clear flaws, but the gameplay itself is excellent. With its outrageous moves and complete disregard for realism, every match turns into a spectacle. This is easily the best WWE game THQ has released in quite some time. If you’re tired of the Smackdown series with its glitches, sluggish gameplay, and unreliable online modes, WWE All Stars will feel like a breath of fresh air. Just don’t expect a realistic wrestling simulator. Instead, what you get is a competitive, over-the-top fighting game that’s genuinely rewarding to play.
Score: 8/10
