Xbox 360 Critic Reviews

WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 is the best wrestling game to come out in years and easily the best wrestling game available on console at the moment.

To all the SmackDown haters out there: If you're going to jump back in the ring, this is the year to do it. Both of these exciting new additions, along with the aforementioned improvements -- and the upcoming downloadable content -- make SVR09 this year's grapple-game champ.

SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 is a solid entry into the genre filled with so many features it will have WWE fans playing for months. The multiplayer modes and creation tools are very good and offer a lot of variety and increased replay value.

Everything from last year from graphics to gameplay has been polished and upgraded.

WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2009 has the single best story mode I have ever played in a sports game, mainly because it features interactive storylines and well written dialogue and superstar match-ups with an exciting climactic ending.

A clear improvement over "SvR 2008" but a lot of it's still very familiar. [Dec 2008, p.54]

As a complete package, SVR 09 never fails to impress.

Its flaws are overshadowed by crisp controls and the same unbridled fun that has made this the best wrestling series for years. [Dec 2008, p.86]

Yuke’s really stepped it up for WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009, with the pay off being the finest wrestling game for the HD systems to date. There are a few base gameplay anomalies that keep WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 from being a true champion, but the sheer quantity and quality of SmackDown vs. Raw 2009’s content, not to mention its WWE-perfect grandeur, makes the decision to grant the title belt to Yuke’s latest effort an easy one.

WWE Smackdown vs. RAW 2009 is a nice addition to the franchise, with some solid new game modes. While the core game hasn’t changed, there are still enough new features to keep fans interested.