WWE Smack Down Vs. Raw 2010 - Reception

Reception

WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 has received generally favorable reviews from numerous video game publications. The PlayStation 3 version received average scores of 81.59% and 83 out of 100 from review aggregators Game Rankings and Metacritic respectively. Meanwhile, the Xbox 360 version received average scores of 82.59% and 80 out of 100 from Game Rankings and Metacritic respectively.

The majority of reviews were for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions. GamesMaster magazine rated the Xbox 360 version with 90%, giving it the publication's GamesMaster Gold Award, calling it a "true return to form for the evergreen series". Oliver Hurley from the PlayStation Official Magazine rated the PS3 version an 8 out of 10, mentioning that while gameplay was "much the same as ever" and that it lacked the "punching power" seen in UFC 2009 Undisputed (also produced by THQ and Yuke's), the game's create modes "makes this the deepest, most playable WWE game yet." IGN reviewer Greg Miller rated both the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions an 8.5 out of 10, mentioning that while the game "still stumbles" in areas and that it "might not be the greatest wrestling game of all time", the improvement in gameplay, presentation and create modes makes this wrestling game "the best the world's seen in years." Both 1Up.com and VideoGamer.com declared WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 the best game in the series to date, with the former calling it "ultimate wrestling gamer's sandbox".

The game has also received some criticism. Game Revolution's Nick Tan questioned the game's tagline with restrictions in the Story Designer and create-a-superstar modes, and instead declared it as "Your World Now. Some Restrictions Apply." The UK version of Official Xbox Magazine was heavily critical of the game, rating it 6 out of 10 and criticizing the lack of any progress made towards the game's engine as well as the loading times.

As well as the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, IGN also reviewed the PS2, PSP, Wii and Nintendo DS versions. Greg Miller gave the PS2 and Wii versions an 8.0 out 10, praising the gameplay and additional content featured in the PS2 version as well as calling the Wii version the best game of the series on that console. However, Miller criticized the lack of online support on the Wii and commented that the tweaks to the game didn't "play as well on the PSP as they played on the PS3" and that the "whole experience still feels stiff". Reviewer Mark Bozon also commented on the Wii version, calling the switch to buttons a "win/lose situation", with the sacrifice of the Wii-exclusive features in the previous two games has helped the core game get stronger, of which he approved. On the Nintendo DS version, Bozon mentioned that while the game was sluggish in gameplay and that superstars movesets were lacking in areas, the switch to button controls "paid off" and it was "closer to the No Mercy system than ever before".