WWE Day of Reckoning 2

Gamezilla!

The gameplay is a dream. It’s logical, well thought out, rarely requires any button mashing, and has a great tutorial that for the most part, walks you through the entire thing.

Nintendo Insider

A moderate improvement over the original Day of Reckoning.

GameZone

Sure we would like to see a different approach to the game’s story mode but what’s here is not only better but still way too much fun.

Next Level Gaming

Day of Reckoning 2 is a lot better than the first one, and the control scheme is the best I've played in a while for a wrestling title.

NintendoWorldReport

The incremental improvements continue, with an overhauled graphics engine and new gameplay features, but the title still falls ever so short from living up to the pedigree established by AKI and games like "No Mercy" on the Nintendo 64.

Kombo

This is by far the best wrestling title on the GameCube. As far as simulating the feel of WWE wrestling, it's the best game on any console.

IGN

The control mechanics, already solidly grapple-heavy and speedy, are made more intuitive still by a strategic synergy between stamina and submission systems, and complemented again by a fun momentum shift. The result is a wrestling game with less button mashing and more strategy.

Game Over Online

Easily the best WWE game made for the Gamecube and arguably for any system, Day of Reckoning 2 addresses a number of bugs from the previous title and adds a larger sense of strategy and timing to the game itself.

Gamer's Hell

Definitely the best wrestling game on GameCube, and it’s certainly debatable as to whether it may well be the best wrestling game available on any of the current major platforms.

GameSpot

Undeniably, Day of Reckoning 2 is a better game than its predecessor, but some may find it to be a touch too familiar for comfort.

GamerFeed

Nagging complaints aside, this is clearly the best WWE GameCube game that Yukes has ever developed, and to say that I was shocked when I first saw it would be quite an understatement. The entrances, the music, the finishing maneuvers, and the gameplay are just really tight.

Yahoo! Games

The graphics and gameplay form a vicious duo, and the story mode is like the craft manager to ensure victory.

Cheat Code Central

DoR2 is the best wrestling title available on the Cube and I'm going to even go so far as to suggest that it indeed has stolen the Heavyweight Championship Belt from Sony's console, thus making DoR2 the best wrestling title available...on any system.

RewiredMind

Absolutely essential as a multiplayer title, but if single player action is what you’re looking for, the appalling AI that some characters display is a bit of a let-down - although there is fun to be had.

Game Chronicles

Flaws are still present, but appear less often, and the options have been upped in almost every area for a more complete package. The play feels smooth, and the game looks great.

BonusStage

Due to the fact that this title is on the Gamecube, inherently lacking any sort of online multiplayer mode, after completing the story mode there isn’t much more to keep you interested in playing unless you have a group of friends also into wrestling games.

DarkStation

I must say that I went with my gut instinct and although Day of Reckoning 2 is a solid game I just felt like there was something that was needed in this game, maybe a better story mode that would take this game to the top.

Nintendo Power

The character models rank among the best ever seen on the GCN (in any game), and the polygonal crowds look much better than the 2-D cutouts from previous wrestling titles. [Nov 2005, p.106]

Play Magazine

Solid fun. [Oct 2005, p.68]

1UP

An excellent game for the wrestling purists, and while it would actually have been nice to get a little more good ol' WWE brand tackiness, it's hard to decline what the game offers: beautiful bodies on beautiful display, doing beautiful violence.

VGPub

While it’s certainly worth owning, there are some massive problems that are easily deal-breakers for many.

Games Radar UK (Pre-2006)

There's little wrong with DOR2, but it's missing that star quality that puts you in the big leagues. [GamesMaster]

Console Gameworld

Although it’s technically a fine game, if you own the original, there’s not much reason to purchase WWE Day of Reckoning 2.

My Gamer

Let’s have me stop now before I go over the line, but I urge you grappling fans to pick this one up, as it’s truly one of the last great wrestling games for this generation of consoles.

GamingTrend

It isn’t quite as good as the "Smackdown" series on PS2, but in this generation of wrestling games not much is.

Detroit Free Press

The combat system is solid, allowing you some pretty awesome moves without hours of memorizing button taps.

Worth Playing

All in all, what Day of Reckoning 2 presents to us is a few tweaks to the original Day of Reckoning - some good, most bad.

Game Informer

If you're only a casual wrasslin' fan, is it worth checking out? Eh. Sorta. [Oct 2005, p.138]

Games Radar

Unfortunately, this game, like most wrestling games, suffers from clipping issues, where chunks of people pass right through objects or even other people.

AceGamez

In more ways than ever, Reckoning 2 feels like an afterthought for the Yukes team to get one last Gamecube wrestler out there before they go out with what appears to be a real winner with "SmackDown vs. RAW 2006."

GameSpy

The submission meter is the best new addition to gameplay, but the new stamina addition feels restrictive on fighting.

GameShark

Yuke's has done a decent job of improving the GameCube franchise, but it is still playing catch-up with the "SmackDown" series.

G4 TV

The gorgeous graphics, broad character roster, large number of matches, and multiplayer action offer a ton of fun for players that can forgive technical flaws.

Electronic Gaming Monthly

Slightly better than last year's game, but it's still nothing special. [Oct 2005, p.119]

Game Revolution

With minor gameplay upgrades and some significant graphical tweaks, Day of Reckoning 2 feels more like a patch than a true sequel. Then again, patches usually make games better. This one damages the gameplay and commits a huge oversight by failing to let players import their custom characters from the last game.

Gaming Age

Wrestling games past and present have suffered from the same basic flaw: lack of depth. We gamers are a sophisticated bunch when it comes to our melee. We can handle it. Imagine us not as stupid cavemen wielding funny looking colorful misshapen clubs (read: controllers).