Final Glimpse: How do they fit all those wrestlers inside one tiny GameCube disk?
Wrestling fans from around the world are in for a treat as THQ will be releasing the highly anticipated WWE Day of Reckoning 2 at the end of August. Even though the next-generation consoles aren’t too far off, developer Yuke’s isn’t taking the easy way out and is about to deliver the GameCube’s finest wrestling game. Let’s see what Yuke’s and THQ is cookin’.
With an all-star cast featuring more than 40 of the most acclaimed wrestlers in WWE, Day of Reckoning 2 is sure to appeal to everyone. All of the favorites such as Chris Jericho, Triple H, Batista, Kane and Chris Benoit will be there, along with some classics. Legends such as Stone Cold Steve Austin, Mankind, Hulk Hogan, The Rock and even The Ultimate Warrior will be there, ready to please. Not only will there be more wrestlers than ever before, they will look better too. Yuke’s is going all out and increasing the polygon count by 30%, making the faces and bodies of the wrestlers look as real as ever. Even the crowd is getting a makeover, as Day of Reckoning 2 will have a realistic looking three-dimensional crowd. You can also expect dozens of new animations, depicting all of the new moves that the game has to offer – along with the body damage and blood.
One of the best features from the original Day of Reckoning was the story mode, which will be making a return in the sequel. After having created a new wrestler, the story will continue where it was left off last year. This year, there will be various twists that you must handle if you want to be the one holding the WWE championship belt. Choices must be made by you, usually having a direct effect on who your opponents will be. With a story created by the writers of WWE SmackDown, it’s sure to be one hell of a ride. After your fights, you will get to spend your experience points on upgrading your wrestler’s statistics and the money that you have earned can be spent at the shop to customize your wrestler in any desirable fashion. Even your entrance sequences can be customized to fit your style.
What’s even more important with Day of Reckoning 2is that the gameplay is being altered dramatically, allowing you to pull off more moves than ever before. Special moves will be more exciting than ever, as there are now three degrees of special moves that can be pulled off, depending on how many taunts and moves you have managed to perform over the course of a match. The submission system is being changed completely, too. When your character has the opponent pinned, you will now control your course of action with the control stick (allowing you to submit, rest, drain or taunt). The system is being further elaborated as your opponent can use their control stick to guess what you are doing, and if they guess correctly then your hold will be broken. Counters, reverses and momentum-shifters will make a return, but they won’t be any easier to perform this time around.
