''WWF Raw'' is a

professional wrestling Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...

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released on the

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and Microsoft Windows by

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in 2002. It is based on the television series of the same name. It was the first WWF game released on the Xbox and also the last WWF game released on PC until the release of '' WWE 2K15'' 12 years later in 2014. It is also the last game released under the WWF name as the World Wrestling Federation changed its name to

World Wrestling Entertainment World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and va ...

(WWE) in May of that year.

Gameplay

The game offers the players a wrestling experience with various matches like singles match, tag team match, triple threat, fatal four-way, battle royal and handicap matches. The players can also play various tournaments such as King of the Ring and several title tournaments. They can create their own character as well as their attire, move set and entrance. The game has a weak/strong grapple system and there are two types of grapples: one which is done with normal opponents and other with groggy opponents. The normal grapples do little harm when compared to grapples done when the opponent is stunned. There is a voltage meter which shows the momentum of the wrestlers. Special move, high flying attacks and taunting boost the momentum while repeated attacks cost loss in momentum. Finishers can only be applied when the opponent is stunned and the voltage meter is flashing. Excessive use of finisher also cause loss in momentum.

Development

During development, the game was originally called ''WWF Raw is War'', but the title was changed after the WWF shortened the television show's title in October 2001 due to the end of

Monday Night Wars The Monday Night Wars or Monday Night War was an era of mainstream televised American professional wrestling, from September 4, 1995 to March 26, 2001, in which the World Wrestling Federation's (WWF, now WWE) ''Monday Night Raw'' (later ''Raw I ...

. In Japan, a limited edition was released with a shirt and a figure of the Undertaker or Hollywood Hulk Hogan (who does not appear in the game).

Reception

The game received "mixed or average reviews" on both platforms according to video game

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. In Japan, ''

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'' gave the Xbox version an unfavorably low score of 10 out of 40.

Sequel

A sequel to the game, titled ''WWE Raw 2'', was released in 2003 on the

References

External links