Article Index
Attributes - It's time to make the attributes more realistic and true to each individual, all the wrestlers/divas need to feel one of a kind. All the strengths/weaknesses should be determined by the attributes and how it governs the gameplay will affect the fashion in which we play a game. All the characteristics of each wrestler/diva has to be taken into account, whether we use a powerhouse, technical wrestler, masked luchador, submission expert, extreme weapon user, high flyer athlete, mixed martial artist, boxer, amateur wrestler, and/or street fight brawler with a combination of assault tactics. You need to grasp how each of these levels affect gameplay and they vary from each wrestler/diva. We all have different backgrounds, it needs to be addressed, implemented, and assessed accurately within a video game.
Body & Limb Damage - For many years, it didn't make sense to have both arms/legs damaged if an opponent is attacking only body part one at a time. Split the body parts into more sections, let players to have the options of targeting individual arm or leg or both limbs. If a move doesn't affect other body parts during a single grapple/hit then what's the use of playing a game that doesn't follow certain rules? There is simple cause and effect. We can all make strides to becoming more efficient at targeting an opponent while defending ourselves also! Look at a classic muscle chart, you'll see many separations within groups that form together, a single move cannot damage all the groups simultaneously and with equal force, observe the severity behind a move and evaluate how the attack is landed on a particular body part i.e. a flush hit vs. a glancing blow on an opponent's head will drastically affect the degree of damage whereas the animations will simulate the after effects also. A scoop slam shouldn't hurt an entire torso, this move lifts the opponent upside down from a vertical base and lands the opponent on his back--not his chest, obliques, abdominals, ribcage, etc. However, the move affects the entire torso regardless with a varying degree of effectiveness.
Game Speed - The pace of a match can drastically affect the ebb and flow, it takes time to adjust a perfectly balanced game that doesn't operate too fast or too slow. In a WWE match, things are often done within increments and then the pace quickens then follows a rhythm of beats before a winner is declared. In many video game matches, the action seemingly never ends until a winner is decided. There are almost no breaks except the occasional taunting, waiting, running around, and horseplay. We have to test where this game should range between a number scale of 1 - 10 (where one is the lowest and ten is the highest). The animations themselves will appear too mechanical and unrealistic if the game is too fast. Otherwise, if the game is too slow, the action drags on endlessly and tediously, until players get frustrated and consider playing something else if this can't be fixed.
Reversals - A game should be competitive, if not, it won't challenge you. Reversals play a key role for players and CPUs to engage together and use their defenses to counter all the combat strikes/grapples. A good countering system involves stringing together the best animations, motion capturing can do wonders--when you're almost finished---countering a finisher/signature move can make the difference of winning and losing a risk between timing and control configuration. The game needs to measure your responses with immediate precision. A second too slow or a second too fast will determine if you win/lose and the game needs to make this fun and challenging for all players that want to master it. Good reversals will result in unique strings of animations, however, if you're sloppy or too slow, the game itself will outmatch your skills with timing and textbook style counters that can surprise the best of veterans! Reversals can add a great mix of back-and-forth action if it's done correctly, but it has to meet the standards of rigorous testing and thorough examination of trials and errors!
Submission System - This outdated, overused, and unchanged gameplay submission mechanics needs a serious overhaul for players to recreate their playing style. This perspective will redefine a submission system, it will translate into memorable matches that will play a key part professional wrestling games. There is no skill in reversing a submission hold, there used to be greater countering systems back in the Smackdown! Here Comes The Pain video game but then again...there was a much better reversal system that used two buttons to counter grapples and attacks separately. That older game used two styles of submission holds: Type A and Type B. There was also a third type that wouldn't tap the opponent out or use either system, it merely caused regular damage. I can't wait to see a major revival of this feature, the drama of WWE matches doesn't reflect in the video games whatsoever and the ability to pull a wrestler away from the ropes was a good addition to the gameplay in years past. There are many great submission wrestlers but the format that video games use won't encourage submission holds---it drives people away---no skills and no innovation to want to reap the rewards of what would be an epic win via submission.
In conclusion, we're all waiting to see what's next to come of professional wrestling games. Will it be like a reality show come true? I'll let WWE 2K15 decide, meanwhile, sit back and watch another episode of this show:
