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| WWF Raw | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer | Anchor Inc. |
| Publisher | THQ |
| Director | Hiroshi Inukai |
| Designer | Kentaro Arai |
| Composer | Takayuki Nakamura |
| Platforms | |
| Release | |
| Genre | Sports |
| Modes | Single-player,multiplayer |
WWF Raw is aprofessional wrestlingvideo game released on theXbox andMicrosoft Windows byTHQ in2002. It is based on thetelevision series of the same name. It was the firstWWF game released on the Xbox and also the last WWF game released on PC until the release ofWWE 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 toWorld Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in May of that year following alawsuit.
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 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.
During development, the game was originally calledWWF Raw is War, but the title was changed after the WWF shortened the television show's title in October 2001 due to the end ofMonday Night War.[2] In Japan, a limited edition was released with a shirt and a figure ofThe Undertaker or"Hollywood" Hulk Hogan (who does not appear in the game).[3]
| Aggregator | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| PC | Xbox | |
| Metacritic | 54/100[18] | 68/100[19] |
| Publication | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| PC | Xbox | |
| AllGame | N/A |    [4] |
| Electronic Gaming Monthly | N/A | 6/10[5] |
| Famitsu | N/A | 10/40[6] |
| Game Informer | N/A | 6.5/10[7] |
| GamePro | N/A | [8] |
| GameRevolution | N/A | C[9] |
| GameSpot | 5.7/10[10] | 6.5/10[11] |
| GameSpy | N/A | 85%[12] |
| GameZone | 6/10[13] | 7.8/10[14] |
| IGN | N/A | 9.1/10[15] |
| Official Xbox Magazine (US) | N/A | 5.7/10[16] |
| PC Gamer (US) | 73%[17] | N/A |
The game received "mixed or average reviews" on both platforms according to video gamereview aggregatorMetacritic.[18][19] In Japan,Famitsu gave the Xbox version an unfavorably low score of 10 out of 40.[6]
In its first week, the game sold the most units ever for a third-party Xbox game, second only to Halo.[20]
A sequel to the game, titledWWE Raw 2, was released in2003 on theXbox.[21]
