At a glance...

Reviewer	Platform	Publisher	Developer	Players	Screenshots
Matt Bailey	PlayStation 2	Eidos Interactive	Paradox Development	1-2 (Share screen)	Here
Requirements				Also on...	Buy from Amazon.co.uk
Memory Card				Xbox	Click here to buy Backyard Wrestling: Don't Try This At Home.

Backyard Wrestling: Don't Try This At Home review

There was been an increasing rise in the popularity of WWE (formerly WWF) in recent years. However, other wrestling groups have either been dissolved by the entertainment giant, or have been shadowed from the limelight. But with WWE becoming more mundane and predictable, there has been a rise in the US of smaller wrestling associations, one of which is Backyard Wrestling. It's brutal and hardcore stuff, and is definitely growing in popularity. Eidos have foreseen it's future potential, and have licensed a game based on the increasing phenomena.

To develop the title Eidos brought in Paradox Development who recently worked on X-Men: Next Dimension. For their first wrestling title, Paradox haven't done a bad job. Having to compete with THQ (WWE games) and EA (Def Jam Vendetta), the company has taken a different approached and opened up the gameplay, allowing your characters to wrestle anyway over a relatively large arena. These arenas are a strange mixture, varying from American truck stops to shopping mall car parks. Not only are these arenas large, but they're destructible and interactive, with various objects ready to be smashed by your character. Of course, to keep things interesting over the large levels, the arenas feature weapons which can prove invaluable, and even some of the debris from the environment can be used to your advantage.

Moves themselves are operated in the usual wrestling style; featuring two buttons worth of physical attacks - the kicks, the whacks round the head, etc. - another button for grappling, and another to pick up weapons and scattered debris. The controls are where you'd expect them to be, allowing for the usual fans to pick up and play. However, their execution is slightly flawed; they feel over sensitive, and trying to get used to the way the game responds to the analogue stick can be awkward and off-putting at times. Each character also has a special move, which can be called in when things get desperate, and these actually seem to be both effective and somewhat impressive. In order to measure the effect your moves and weapons are having on your opponent, Backyard Wrestling features three meters, rather than the usual one, ala WWE Smackdown!. Each bar measures the different type of damage, and move up independently of each other. These bars mean there is a greater level to which you can effect 'dizziness' on your opponent in order to achieve a win, without overcomplicating things too much.

The thing about Backyard Wrestling being classed as a wrestling game is that it doesn't take into account the true nature of the game in it's open environments. In fact, it's fairer to call the game a 3D fighter, yet at the same time it lacks the high quality of combat brought in by such titles as Tekken, Virtual Fighter and Soul Calibur. Tactically, it's just a matter of beating your opponent to death, and thus things often feel rushed and lacking in depth. It's like Super Smash Bros. but without the fun of a collection of Nintendo characters and themed arenas. The lack of any defence moves - only counter-attacking is possible - compounds the theory the gameplay is somewhat lacking in the depth it truly deserves. Added to this is the fact that there's only a limited amount of things to do - the game's main talkshow mode isn't likely to keep you interested for as long as WWE Smackdown!'s main mode of play, and the create-a-wrestler feature also lacks of the depth of said title.

As you might expect from a hardcore fighting title, Backyard Wrestling features a lot of blood, and thankfully this is rendered well. The environments are of a good quality, sporting a reasonable about of detail. The same cannot be said for the bland character models however. I was pleased to note the camera is effective, panning out when needed, although there is still some annoying clipping. There are also times when the game begins to chug, experiencing slowdown when the action gets heavy on screen.

Ratings

Graphics	Environments look good, and so does the game's key component of blood, but the character models are sorely lacking in detail, so that the few licenced characters that feature are hard to identify. The game also suffers from slowdown, although the camera is reasonably good when moving around the large 3D arenas.	6/10
Gameplay	It provides a clear alternative to the likes of Tekken and WWE Smackdown! - instead providing something in between. However, it's lacking the same kind of depth in gameplay that those two series offer.	6/10
Value	Considering it's limited options, it would have been better off at a lower price.	6/10
Lifespan	The game's main mode won't keep you interested for long enough, and overall there is a lack of modes to distract you from the game's lack of depth in each match's combat.	6/10
Audio	The soundtrack is surprisingly good, and complements the action. As does the sound effects, and interesting commentary.	8/10
Overall	Backyard Wrestling tries to be different than the competitors - which is commendable in concept. But in trying not to be either wrestling or fighting the game has mangaed to avoid providing enough depth for itself, meaning although Backyard Wrestling fans will be pleased, everyone else should seek their wrestling/fighting joys elsewhere.	6/10

Click here to buy Backyard Wrestling: Don't Try This At Home from Amazon.co.uk.

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