WWE Day of Reckoning is a 2004 professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and released for the GameCube console by THQ. The game is based on World Wrestling Entertainment, and many of the wrestlers who were on the WWE roster at the time of release were included as player characters. The game also features the option to create wrestlers.
The game's single-player mode involves the player guiding a created wrestler through the ranks as a rookie and into main event stardom on either of WWE's brands Raw or SmackDown!.
The game received positive reviews and its story was continued in a 2005 sequel WWE Day of Reckoning 2.
Gameplay
The game features a control system similar to that of AKI's Nintendo 64 wrestling games, with weak/strong grappling attacks and strikes. Players can also counter to their opponents' attacks with a timed button press. One of the game's unique features is the "Momentum Shift" move — a desperation attack that gives a character an instant advantage during the match. The game's Exhibition mode allows players to wrestle in various match types including Hell in a Cell and Iron Man matches. The game's Story Mode allows players to take a created wrestler from WWE developmental to main event status by achieving various goals during matches.
| EGM = 5.67/10
| Fam = 29/40
| GI = 8.25/10
| GamePro =
| GameRev = B
| GSpot = 8.2/10
| GameZone = 8/10
| IGN = 8.3/10
| XPlay =
| rev1 = Maxim
| rev1Score = 8/10
| rev2 = The New York Times
| rev2Score = (average)
GameSpot's Alex Navarro lauded the game for its improved story mode and graphics compared to the WWE's previous GameCube game WWE WrestleMania XIX, as did IGN's Matt Casamassina. However, both sites found fault with the game's limited selection of wrestlers.