WWE RAW 2
Encyclopedia
WWE Raw 2 is a video game released for the Xbox
console
by THQ
in 2003, and developed by Tokyo-based company Anchor Inc.
It is the sequel
to the WWE Raw
game that was released in 2002.
.
In Create a Superstar
users have the ability to choose their character's alignment type and whether he or she is to be a face or heel. The alignments determine who the character's friends and enemies are in the career mode.
Raw 2 also allows players to edit the WWE's wrestlers into the way they want them to look. In season mode, alignment cannot be changed, but gamers can change who likes or dislikes their wrestler through the various options. Changing between face and heel can also be done through the options.
The game features several arenas that WWE held events in during 2002 and 2003. There are also arenas based upon each WWE television show.
New match stipulations are included in the game: Hell in a Cell, TLC
and Royal Rumble
matches are available in Raw 2. The Create an Entrance feature allows the player to use custom music tracks that have been ripped onto their Xbox's hard disk, synchronize two sets of pyrotechnics
with taunts or poses, and create an entrance video featuring the player's character performing various wrestling moves. Upon its release, the game was praised for an improved and more current roster.
and SmackDown shows, as well as Pay-Per-View
events, and finish the season with either the WWE Championship, or the World Heavyweight Championship. Successful seasons earn points, which can be seen in the "Hall of Fame" section of the main menu of the game, which in turn unlocks items of clothing and entrance videos which can later be used in the creation or modification of characters. However, these items can also be unlocked using the "Steal" action during events in Season Mode. Unlike season modes from the SmackDown series, Raw 2 has no voice overs or text. The odds of receiving title shots, and of successfully completing the various available actions in season mode, are mostly based on the popularity of the character in use.
However, other factors, such as a character's level of friendliness towards other characters, such as Surprise Attacks, Encouragement, or the use of repetitive call-outs can also affect the odds. There are a few flaws in the season mode, however: if the player is competing in a title match, the belt can be won via disqualification, going against WWE rules. Another flaw is, if two superstars are competing for either the World Heavyweight Championship or the WWE Championship; and somebody interferes they will become the champion. Also, divas are able to win World Titles. Another flaw during gameplay is while playing Royal Rumble, you can exit the ring on your own terms and still not be eliminated. However, under rules that the Royal Rumble is over-the-top-rope, as long as you do not flip over, jump over or step over the top rope, or you go through the ropes, this would be legal, as was seen numerous times in the 2003 Royal Rumble.
had American developer Studio Gigante
work on the next Xbox WWE-licensed game, WWE WrestleMania 21
. This game is currently compatible with the Xbox 360
console.
All arenas except RAW and SmackDown! are unlocked by winning at a PPV.
In the first version of RAW 2, WrestleMania X8
s arena replaced WM XIX.
Mark Henry
was added at the last minute, his Titantron is absent from the game. He uses the WWE Logo Titantron.
A-Train
was also added last minute; however, his entrance video exists in the game.
Chief Morley's gimmick was replaced by the Val Venis gimmick.
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
by THQ
THQ
THQ Inc. is an American developer and publisher of video games. Founded in 1989 in the United States, the company develops products for video game consoles, handheld game systems, as well as for personal computers and wireless devices...
in 2003, and developed by Tokyo-based company Anchor Inc.
Anchor Inc.
Anchor Inc. is a Tokyo-based video game developer specializing in fighting and wrestling video games. The company was established in 1996 by Tekken team alumni Masahiro Onoguchi and his brother Kouichi Onoguchi. The company creates original video games and also designs 3D animation for other game...
It is the sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to the WWE Raw
WWE RAW (video game)
WWE Raw is a video game released on the Microsoft Xbox and the PC by THQ in 2002. The game succeeded on the Xbox by WWE Raw 2 in 2003. It was the first WWE game released on the Xbox and for mobile phones, and the last to date released for home computers....
game that was released in 2002.
Gameplay
For the first time in the series, a season mode was included in the game. It allows players to set-up wrestlers, call others out from the locker room, form alliances, and hire managersManager (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
.
In Create a Superstar
Character creation
Character creation is the process of defining a game character or other character. Typically, a character's individual strengths and weaknesses are represented by a set of statistics. Games with a largely fictional setting may include traits such as race and class...
users have the ability to choose their character's alignment type and whether he or she is to be a face or heel. The alignments determine who the character's friends and enemies are in the career mode.
Raw 2 also allows players to edit the WWE's wrestlers into the way they want them to look. In season mode, alignment cannot be changed, but gamers can change who likes or dislikes their wrestler through the various options. Changing between face and heel can also be done through the options.
The game features several arenas that WWE held events in during 2002 and 2003. There are also arenas based upon each WWE television show.
New match stipulations are included in the game: Hell in a Cell, TLC
Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match
A Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match, often abbreviated as a TLC, is a type of professional wrestling match originated within WWE, but can be seen under different variations in other wrestling promotions....
and Royal Rumble
Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view event, produced every January by WWE, a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut. The event was created in 1988, with its inaugural event taking place on January 24, 1988 at the Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario...
matches are available in Raw 2. The Create an Entrance feature allows the player to use custom music tracks that have been ripped onto their Xbox's hard disk, synchronize two sets of pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics is the science of using materials capable of undergoing self-contained and self-sustained exothermic chemical reactions for the production of heat, light, gas, smoke and/or sound...
with taunts or poses, and create an entrance video featuring the player's character performing various wrestling moves. Upon its release, the game was praised for an improved and more current roster.
Season Mode
To successfully complete a season, the player is required to play through 12 months of RawWWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
and SmackDown shows, as well as Pay-Per-View
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
events, and finish the season with either the WWE Championship, or the World Heavyweight Championship. Successful seasons earn points, which can be seen in the "Hall of Fame" section of the main menu of the game, which in turn unlocks items of clothing and entrance videos which can later be used in the creation or modification of characters. However, these items can also be unlocked using the "Steal" action during events in Season Mode. Unlike season modes from the SmackDown series, Raw 2 has no voice overs or text. The odds of receiving title shots, and of successfully completing the various available actions in season mode, are mostly based on the popularity of the character in use.
However, other factors, such as a character's level of friendliness towards other characters, such as Surprise Attacks, Encouragement, or the use of repetitive call-outs can also affect the odds. There are a few flaws in the season mode, however: if the player is competing in a title match, the belt can be won via disqualification, going against WWE rules. Another flaw is, if two superstars are competing for either the World Heavyweight Championship or the WWE Championship; and somebody interferes they will become the champion. Also, divas are able to win World Titles. Another flaw during gameplay is while playing Royal Rumble, you can exit the ring on your own terms and still not be eliminated. However, under rules that the Royal Rumble is over-the-top-rope, as long as you do not flip over, jump over or step over the top rope, or you go through the ropes, this would be legal, as was seen numerous times in the 2003 Royal Rumble.
Trivia
The majority of the Japan-based development team was fired immediately after the completion of the game, and publisher THQTHQ
THQ Inc. is an American developer and publisher of video games. Founded in 1989 in the United States, the company develops products for video game consoles, handheld game systems, as well as for personal computers and wireless devices...
had American developer Studio Gigante
Studio Gigante
Studio Gigante was a Chicago-based video game developer established by John Tobias, Dave Michicich, and Joshua Tsui of the famous Mortal Kombat fighting game series in 2000. The company developed Tao Feng: Fist of the Lotus and WWE WrestleMania 21 for the Xbox. The studio folded in 2005....
work on the next Xbox WWE-licensed game, WWE WrestleMania 21
WWE WrestleMania 21
WWE WrestleMania 21 is a professional wrestling video game released on the Xbox console by THQ. It is based on WWE's pay-per-view event of the same name. It is also the successor to WrestleMania XIX...
. This game is currently compatible with the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
console.
All arenas except RAW and SmackDown! are unlocked by winning at a PPV.
In the first version of RAW 2, WrestleMania X8
WrestleMania X8
WrestleMania X8 was the eighteenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on March 17, 2002 at the SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario. The event marked the final WrestleMania event under the WWF name...
s arena replaced WM XIX.
Mark Henry
Mark Henry
Mark Jerrold Henry is an American professional wrestler signed with WWE, where he performs on its SmackDown brand as the reigning World Heavyweight Champion. He is a 1992 Olympian, and winner of the 2002 Arnold Strongman Classic...
was added at the last minute, his Titantron is absent from the game. He uses the WWE Logo Titantron.
A-Train
A-Train
is a series of Arcade train simulation video games, originally developed and published by Japanese game developer Artdink in Japan. The first game in the series was published in 1985. The first release in the United States was Take the A-Train II, published in 1989 by the Seika Corporation under...
was also added last minute; however, his entrance video exists in the game.
Chief Morley's gimmick was replaced by the Val Venis gimmick.