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World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) has returned to the Playstation 2 with WWE ‘Smackdown! Shut Your Mouth’ and it has more attitude than ever.

This, being the fifth game in the Smackdown! Series, takes everything that was great about its predecessors and made it that much better. It also takes some of the worst aspects of the series and makes them shine, for instance the story mode.

The graphics of the game are spectacular. You almost feel as if you are in the ring and actually competing. Each wrestler’s features are well defined, and you can tell that each one was done individually, and not just carbon copied. They even distinguish between the sizes of the wrestler’s. The Big Show towers over little Spike Dudley, as he does in real life.

The feature that is the most fun, as in most wrestling games, is the create a superstar feature. What is more fun that creating yourself and going on a quest to become the Undisputed WWE Champion? This mode in ‘Shut Your Mouth’ is the deepest of the series. You can pretty much create your guy (or gal) the way you want to. In the story mode you can unlock more create parts and ring attire to further create your star.

Now, on to the best part of the game, the story mode. As the advertisements say, “The best story lines period!” And they are right. This version of Smackdown! has the deepest story lines of any wrestling game ever.

The story mode consists of you playing as your favorite superstar, or your created star, going through two years in the WWE. A year in the WWE is from the day after Wrestlemaina to Wrestlemania of the next year, which is April to the next April.

At the beginning of the story you participate in the brand extension draft, just like in real life. You can either choose to pick for Raw (Ric Flair) or Smackdown (Vince McMahon), or you can choose to not participate and let the computer do the work. Picking to represent a side is very fun, and you can pick the roster that you want to have. I, of course, drafted my favorite wrestler Rob Van Dam with my number one pick.

You then compete on the show that your wrestler was drafted on. You earn star points for winning matches. The star points determine your ranking on your show, and your standing in line for a shot at the Undisputed Championship, which obviously is the main goal of the game.

Another fun feature of the story mode is being able to roam around backstage before the matches.

While doing this you can interact with other superstars, and make allies or enemies depending on how you respond to what they say to you.

At one point the owners of the shows team up and you have to decide whether to be with them or against them. If you choose to be against them, you will get to clock the owner that asks you to join. And sometimes what could be more fun than the thought of decking your boss? I know I’ve thought about it and you probably have too.

You also can compete in almost any type of match that they have ever had in the WWE, with the exception of the Elimination Chamber, which was just introduced a few weeks ago at Survivor Series.

But there is Hell in a Cell, TLC (tables, ladders and chairs for you non-fans) Ironman matches and many, many, many more.

The only bad part about the game is the announcing, but there has never really been any good announcing on a wrestling game. Good O’l JR and Jerry “the King” Lawler lag just a little behind, or they call out a move before it is even executed. But we can take solace in the fact that we can hear their A game every Monday night on Raw.

WWE Smackdown! Shut Your Mouth receives a final score of 10/10. Although the announcing is bad, there is enough action and fun in the game to overshadow that.

Be sure to put this on your Christmas list, it is a must have game, and a fun experience. So “Stand Back, there’s a Hurricane commin’ through,” and it’s WWE Smackdown! Shut Your Mouth.