WWE Raw 2

Last updated
WWE Raw 2
WWE Raw 2 Coverart.png
NTSC cover art, featuring Triple H, Goldberg, and Scott Steiner.
Developer(s) Anchor Inc.
Publisher(s) THQ
Director(s) Kentaro Arai
Designer(s) Kentaro Arai
Platform(s) Xbox
Release
  • NA: September 16, 2003
  • PAL: October 10, 2003
Genre(s) Sports
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

WWE Raw 2 is a professional wrestling video game released for the Xbox console by THQ in 2003, and developed by Tokyo-based company Anchor Inc. It is the sequel to the WWF Raw game that was released in 2002. WWE Raw 2 is the last Raw video game to be released on the Xbox and was succeeded by WWE WrestleMania 21 .

Contents

Gameplay

For the first time in the series, a season mode is included in the game. It allows players to set up wrestlers, call others out from the locker room, form alliances, and hire managers.

In Create a Superstar mode, users have the ability to choose their character's alignment type and whether he or she is to be a face or heel. The alignments determine who the character's friends and enemies are in the career mode.

Raw 2 also allows players to edit WWE's wrestlers into the way they want them to look similar to the N64 games WWF WrestleMania 2000 and WWF No Mercy . In season mode, alignment cannot be changed, but players can change who likes or dislikes their wrestler through various options. Changing between face and heel can also be done through the options.

The game features several arenas that WWE held events in during 2002 and 2003. There are also arenas based upon each WWE television show.

New match stipulations are included in the game: Hell in a Cell, TLC and Royal Rumble matches are available in Raw 2. The Create an Entrance feature allows the player to use custom music tracks that have been ripped onto their Xbox's hard disk (although this feature is inaccessible when playing the game on the Xbox 360), synchronize two sets of pyrotechnics with taunts or poses, and create an entrance video featuring the player's character performing various wrestling moves. Upon its release, the game was praised for an improved and more current roster. A select few of these abilities returned for WWE '12 and '13 .

The game also features Raw and SmackDown referees in the game that the player can choose.

Rules

If the player is competing in a title match, the belt can be won via disqualification, going against the usual WWE rules. This means that if two superstars are competing for a championship and somebody interferes and causes a disqualification, the winner will become the champion. Divas are able to win heavyweight titles. This is a reflection of WWE programming in that Stephanie McMahon competed for the Undisputed WWF Championship in a triple threat match on Raw in 2002. [1] In the Royal Rumble Match, the rule that a wrestler can exit the ring on their own terms and still not be eliminated, as was seen numerous times in the 2003 event, is recognised in the game. However, under rules that the Royal Rumble is over-the-top-rope, this would only be legal as long as they do not flip over, jump over or step over the top rope. The player would be eliminated if they stayed outside the ring for too long.

Season mode

To successfully complete a season, it is required to play through 12 months of Raw and SmackDown shows, as well as Pay-per-view events, and finish the season with either the WWE Championship, or the World Heavyweight Championship. Successful seasons earn points, which can be seen in the "Hall of Fame" section of the main menu of the game, which in turn unlocks items of clothing and entrance videos which can later be used in the creation or modification of characters. These items can also be unlocked using the "Steal" action during events in Season Mode. Unlike season modes from the SmackDown series, Raw 2 has no voice overs or text. The odds of receiving title shots, and of successfully completing the various available actions in season mode, are mostly based on the popularity of the character in use. Other factors, such as a character's level of friendliness towards other characters, such as Surprise Attacks, Encouragement, or the use of repetitive call-outs can also affect the odds.

Reception

The game received "average" reviews according to video game review aggregator Metacritic. [2] Many praised the creation modes, but criticized the gameplay.

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>WWE 2K</i> Video game series

WWE 2K, formerly released as WWF SmackDown!, WWE SmackDown!, WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw, WWE, and Exciting Pro Wrestling in Japan, is a series of professional wrestling sports simulation video games that launched in 2000. The premise of the series is to emulate professional wrestling, specifically that of WWE, formerly known as the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). The series began with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and has continued as an annual release. It was originally exclusive to PlayStation platforms until 2006's WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, which expanded the series to other platforms. In 2013, the series was rebranded as WWE 2K, beginning with WWE 2K14.

<i>WWF WrestleMania X8</i> (video game) 2002 video game

WWF WrestleMania X8 is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and released on the GameCube by THQ in June 2002.

<i>WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw</i> 2004 professional wrestling video game

WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by THQ for the PlayStation 2 on November 2, 2004 in North America. It is the sixth installment of professional wrestling promotion World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)'s video game series, the sequel to 2003's WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain, and the first game to be released under the SmackDown! vs. Raw title. The game series was rebranded after the introduction of the brand extension which divided WWE's roster into two brands, the latter brand in the game's title being named after WWE's weekly Monday Night Raw program.

<i>WWF Raw</i> (2002 video game) 2002 video game

WWF Raw is a professional wrestling video game released on the Xbox and Microsoft Windows by THQ in 2002. It is based on the television series of the same name. It was the first WWF game released on the Xbox and also the last WWF game released on PC until the release of WWE 2K15 12 years later in 2014. It is also the last game released under the WWF name as the World Wrestling Federation changed its name to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in May of that year.

<i>WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006</i> 2005 professional wrestling video game

WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 is a professional wrestling video game and developed by Yuke's that was released on the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable by THQ in 2005. It is part of the WWE SmackDown vs. Raw video game series based on the professional wrestling promotion World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), and is the successor to the 2004 game of the same name. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was also the first game in the series to be released on PlayStation Portable and the last game in the SmackDown!/SmackDown! vs. Raw series that was PlayStation exclusive.

<i>WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain</i> 2003 professional wrestling video game

WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by THQ for PlayStation 2 in North America on October 27, 2003. It is the sequel to WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth, the fifth and last game in the WWE SmackDown! series based on World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

<i>WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth</i> 2002 professional wrestling video game

WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth is a professional wrestling video game released on the PlayStation 2 console by THQ and developed by Yuke's. It is the fourth game in the WWE SmackDown! video game series, based on the professional wrestling promotion World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), and the sequel to WWF SmackDown! Just Bring It. It is also the first game in the series to be released under the "WWE" banner.

<i>WWF SmackDown! Just Bring It</i> 2001 professional wrestling video game

WWF SmackDown! Just Bring It, known in Japan as Exciting Pro Wrestling 3, is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's, and published by THQ for PlayStation 2, and was released in November 2001. It is the third game in the WWF SmackDown! series, based on the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) professional wrestling promotion, the sequel to WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role, the first game in the series to be released on the PlayStation 2 console, and the last game in the series to be released under the "WWF" name.

<i>WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role</i> 2000 professional wrestling video game

WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role, known in Japan as Exciting Pro Wrestling 2, is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's released in November 2000 on the PlayStation by THQ. It is the sequel to WWF SmackDown!, and the second game in the SmackDown series, itself based on the World Wrestling Federation professional wrestling promotion.

<i>WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007</i> 2006 professional wrestling video game

WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007 is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by THQ in 2006. It is the third game under the WWE SmackDown vs Raw name, the eighth game overall in the video game series based on the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) professional wrestling promotion, and is the successor to 2005's WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006. The game was released worldwide in November 2006 for PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360, and a month later for PlayStation Portable. The Xbox 360 version was the first game in the series to be published on a seventh generation video game console. A PlayStation 3 version was also planned as a launch title but was later canceled.

<i>WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008</i> 2007 professional wrestling video game

WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 is a professional wrestling video game published by THQ in November 2007, and developed by Yuke's for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, and PlayStation Portable video game consoles, with Amaze Entertainment overseeing development for the Nintendo DS version.

<i>WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009</i> 2008 professional wrestling video game

WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by THQ for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Wii, and Xbox 360 video game consoles, with TOSE overseeing development for the Nintendo DS version. The game was first released on November 9, 2008, in North America. It is the tenth overall installment in the video game series based on the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) promotion, and the fifth game under the SmackDown vs. Raw name, named after the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brands. It is the sequel to 2007's SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 and the second game to feature the promotion's ECW brand.

<i>WWE Legends of WrestleMania</i> 2009 video game

WWE Legends of WrestleMania is a professional wrestling video game featuring legends of the professional wrestling promotion, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), who have appeared at WrestleManias 1 to XV in the 1980s and 1990s; during that time, WWE was known as the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). The game was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in March 2009 to coincide with WrestleMania 25. The game was developed by Yuke's and published by THQ, the same developer and publisher for the WWE SmackDown vs. Raw video game series. The retro WWE logo featured in the game was a slight modification of the 1980s and early 1990s WWF logo to match the letter design of the current logo. Unlike all other WWE Smackdown vs. Raw games released, this game was not ported over to the PlayStation 2 or Wii.

<i>WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010</i> 2009 professional wrestling video game

WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by THQ for PlayStation 2 (PS2), PlayStation 3 (PS3), PlayStation Portable (PSP), Wii, Nintendo DS, Xbox 360, and iOS. It was released worldwide in October 2009, with the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions for Japan in January 2010. TOSE oversaw the development for the Nintendo DS version, which was the last installment to be released for the handheld. 2010 was also the first installment to be released as an iPhone app, launching on App Store on December 23 the same year.

<i>WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011</i> 2010 professional wrestling video game

WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011 is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by THQ for PlayStation 2 (PS2), PlayStation 3 (PS3), PlayStation Portable (PSP), Xbox 360, and Wii systems. The game was released worldwide in October 2010, with the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions for Japan in February 2011.

<i>WWE All Stars</i> 2011 professional wrestling video game

WWE All Stars is a professional wrestling video game published by THQ and developed by THQ San Diego for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 systems and Subdued Software for the PlayStation Portable, Wii, Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation 2 systems. The game features current and former WWE wrestlers competing in fast-paced wrestling matches. It was released on March 29, 2011 in North America and April 1, 2011 in Europe. It is also the only WWE video game to be available for the Nintendo 3DS and the last WWE video game to be released on the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable.

<i>WWE 2K15</i> 2014 video game

WWE 2K15 is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by 2K for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and Microsoft Windows. It is the sequel to WWE 2K14, and was succeeded by WWE 2K16. It was released on October 28, 2014, in North America and on October 31, 2014, in Europe for last generation consoles and released on November 18, 2014, in North America and on November 21, 2014, in Europe for current generation consoles. It was released for Microsoft Windows on April 28, 2015, and was the first WWE game to be released on the platform since WWE Raw, which was released in 2002. It is the first game in the series to use the new WWE logo since it was introduced earlier in 2014, which was originally used as the logo of the WWE Network.

<i>WWE 2K18</i> 2017 video game

WWE 2K18 is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by 2K. It is the nineteenth instalment in the WWE game series and a follow-up to WWE 2K17. It was released worldwide on October 17, 2017, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. With its release, WWE 2K18 became the first in the series to be exclusively released on eighth generation hardware and also the first in the series to be released for PC and consoles simultaneously. A Nintendo Switch version followed on December 6, 2017, the only release of the series for the Switch and the first WWE game to be released for a Nintendo platform since WWE '13.

References

  1. ↑ "Raw is War". pWw--Everything Wrestling. March 25, 2002. Archived from the original on March 15, 2008. Retrieved March 2, 2008.
  2. 1 2 "WWE Raw 2 for Xbox Reviews". Metacritic . Archived from the original on November 29, 2015. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
  3. ↑ EGM staff (December 2003). "WWE Raw 2". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 173. p. 224.
  4. ↑ Leeper, Justin (November 2003). "WWE Raw 2". Game Informer . No. 127. p. 162. Archived from the original on September 27, 2008. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
  5. ↑ The D-Pad Destroyer (September 22, 2003). "WWE Raw 2 Review for Xbox on GamePro.com". GamePro . Archived from the original on February 9, 2005. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
  6. ↑ Navarro, Alex (September 18, 2003). "WWE Raw 2 Review". GameSpot . Archived from the original on September 17, 2018. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
  7. ↑ Freeman, Matthew (October 19, 2003). "GameSpy: WWE Raw 2". GameSpy. Archived from the original on December 18, 2005. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
  8. ↑ Valentino, Nick (October 11, 2003). "WWE Raw 2 - XB - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on October 6, 2008. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
  9. ↑ Boulding, Aaron (September 16, 2003). "WWE Raw 2 Review". IGN . Archived from the original on April 3, 2015. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
  10. ↑ "WWE Raw 2". Official Xbox Magazine . December 2003. p. 120.
  11. ↑ Bush, Eric (September 19, 2003). "WWE Raw 2: Ruthless Aggression Review (Xbox)". TeamXbox. Archived from the original on January 12, 2011. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
  12. ↑ Villoria, Gerald (November 12, 2003). "'WWE Raw 2' (Xbox) Review". X-Play. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
  13. ↑ "WWE Raw 2". Playboy : 33. September 2003.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.