Nice,.....but.....
It's interesting that this release decided to include an ECW roster. What's also interesting that prior to the game's release, a few names associated with WWE and ECW were dropped from the actual company and are on the game. Yes,....we have Sandman, Sabu and even the hardcore legend himself, Terry Funk......but alas they are no where to be seen on any WWE or ECW show since the game's release. We have the same typical roster with the same typical names (minus Kurt Angle who jumped to TNA....smart move), the ever traditional movesets and finishers (a few new ones as well and yes, a few are missing from past games) . The animations still feel the same as before which isn't a major complaint.
CAWs have always been the mainstay of the WWE games and this year....well.....it's your call. I wasn't all to fond of the CAW features this time. I either had what I wanted yet unable to manipulate certain things or even there wasn't enough for me to go on. Customizing seems to be different from year to year. The soundtrack for the game has been alright. I'm not to sure if some of the songs seemed to fit the overall vibe of the game but at least there is a music track to go with.
Storyline in the game (season mode) was okay. It does however tend to repeat regardless of whether you are a generic CAW or an established Superstar like Triple H. Unlockables, however, were a bit unique. This time around your goal is to be a Hall of Famer. While in Hall of Fame mode you get to unlock certain arenas and title belts (yes,...the ECW belt is officially in this one as well as the WCW belt). This does replace the Challenge Mode from past games. GM mode did take a different turn and you were able to go with any of the 3 brands. Needless to say,....pick RAW in Legend mode in order to win the GM of the Year award (one of the Hall of Fame challenges).
All in all.....if you want to get this go for it. It's nice to have the THQ WWE library up to date.