Review: WWE All Stars

 All Stars is an over-the-top, arcade-style beat-down featuring the WWE's past and present superstars of the ring. WWE All Stars delivers one of the greatest rosters ever assembled in a wrestling-centric videogame. 

Release Date: March 29, 2011
MSRP: $49.99
Also on: Xbox 360, PS3, PSP
T for Teen
Genre: Wrestling 
Publisher: THQ
Developer: THQ San Diego

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The Review:
In contrast to the more simulation based WWE SmackDown vs. Raw series, WWE All Stars features arcade-style gameplay along with over-the-top animation and wrestlers bearing a more exaggerated look. The game is a combination of a fighting game and a wrestling game, with combos playing a major factor in gameplay, both on the ground and mid-air. Characters will perform exaggerated moves, such as John Cena's Attitude Adjustment, in which he dives high into the air, Triple H's Pedigree with shock waves running across the ring and Bret Hart's Sharpshooter with a slow motion smile and finger pointed towards the crowd for a few seconds, prior to the same. 

The game will feature present WWE wrestlers such as Kofi Kingston, Randy Orton, and John Cena and past WWE wrestlers such as The Ultimate Warrior, Hulk Hogan, and the "Macho Man" Randy Savage, as well as commentary from Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler.

WWE All Stars also has a great concept for gameplay, but I think the control scheme trips it up. This game is supposed to be a pick up and play, arcade experience. There are strike and grapple buttons, health bars, finishing move meters and a bunch of other stuff that's simple for a player to look at and understand. 

There are three "Path of Champions," but these are just ten matches where you take a wrestler and work your way to fighting Orton, Undertaker or DX. There's a cutscene here or there, but it's just the guy you're fighting your way to talking into the camera. 

Outside of that, you're left with a simple create-a-wrestler, exhibition matches -- cage match, extreme rules match, elimination, tag match, etc.

Final Thoughts
WWE All Stars is fun -- I enjoy the cartoony colors, crazy moves and ability to just jump in and play -- but it has plenty to improve on for next time. A detailed tutorial is needed, the modes and matches tend to all feel the same, and online should be more responsive. 

Rating: 3.5 = Average
Reccomendation: A Least Buy