GRAPHICS- The graphics for the most are a bit better than LOW, they don�t seem to have that exaggerated over the top look as much and they fit well within this environment.
GAMEPLAY- Some Love it, some hate it. It�s different and I for one liked the LOW engine. This time around they added the ability to counter/reverse ready moves which is a plus that leads to some nice chain Wrestling, but Acclaim totally dropped the ball on other Game Play aspects.
BEST FEATURE-
*Nice selection of Wrestlers
*The intros are nicely done, much better than LOW 1.
*Innovative Ladder match. One can�t just dizzy their opponent and go for the belt early in the match; the belt or whatever, is hoisted high above the ladder and lowers at increments as the match progresses, nice feature.
*Innovative cage match. Like the ladder match, one cannot just dizzy their opponent in the beginning of the match and escape the cage. In order to escape, you must first break the door that has it�s own meter/gauge and from that point one can escape through the door or climb over the top and down. But still as you attempt this, you must press square rapidly like the dizzy meter to accomplish your goal before your opponent can recover.
*Wrestler Interviews�which is a nice touch of class added to the package.
*There is a new soundtrack that taken from actual bands that sounds much better than the in game music.
*The double team moves are much easier to perform.
*They have added something everyone has wanted, 4 outfits per Wrestler.
WORST FEATURE-
*When playing as the Ref, you have no control over the outside Referee count; it goes into an automatic cadence.
*No robes for your CAL�s
*One isn�t able to adjust the size of individual parts for their CAL.
*Something that is a bit frustrating, with 8 Wrestlers on screen, you have to completely cycle through to focus, there should be a button to focus on the person closest to you.
*Something that all Acclaim games have had, terrible collision detection.
*There doesn�t seem to any wearing of any Titles once they have been won, very lazy on Acclaim�s part.
*Tag teams come out separately, what the hell is up with that, oh yeah, laziness.
*Many moves have been removed from the CAL, and many move situations have been removed like, the tree of woe, lower corner moves, the ability to drag your opponent, so on and so forth.
*No weight detection at all, maybe one day.
*This is being nit picky, but if you look close enough, you�ll notice that only the crowd in the first set of rows are animated and the rest of the crowd are flat cardboard drawings like in WCW mayhem. For some this isn�t a problem since it has nothing to do with game play, but in the first LOW, the first few rows we�re almost 3D and even up in the cheap seats, there was some type of animation or movement. Nothing special, but I do see everything.
*There is absolutely no Wrestler individuality, everyone wrestles the same.
*Double team moves seem to be random, nothing really team specific.
*What else, you can�t preview CAL entrances; it�s more trial and error.
*Another nitpick, but the ring apron doesn�t move when getting a weapon, I know, nit picky as hell.
*You can now hit the ringside manager, but why, he doesn�t fight back at all, again lazy programming.
*Stupid Stable feature. Why include stables when you can only choose default Wrestlers and not your CAL�s, beyond me.
IN A NUTSHELL- For all of the advances Acclaim made in this game, they also took as many steps backwards. I can honestly say LOW 1 is a better game simply because there was effort in that game. It seems Acclaim added a few new features just to cash in. Why take from the great features you have in place, instead of adding on to. I can�t recommend anyone paying $50.00 for this game, maybe $19.99, but not 50 especially when the first has more of what counts, Game Play.
SCORE: 7.8 out of 10