WWE WrestleMania 21

 Xbox
  • Publisher: THQ
  • Release Date: Apr 20, 2005
User Score
6.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 50 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 29 out of 50
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 50
  3. Negative: 14 out of 50
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  1. AB
    Apr 26, 2005
    3
    The best thing about WrestleMania 21 is Stacey Keibler, but even she can't hide its numerous flaws. It would be a waste of time to explain why, but it's just not a good game.
  2. TheDude
    Apr 29, 2005
    1
    I recently rented this game and I now wonder whether Studio Gigante and THQ even bothered with testing and quality assurance. There is potential in this game for future releases, but how this game made it to retail shelves is beyond me. Collision detection is awful, AI is brutally dumb, the create-a-wrestler feature is mind-numbing, and the gameplay is slow and full of bugs and defects. I I recently rented this game and I now wonder whether Studio Gigante and THQ even bothered with testing and quality assurance. There is potential in this game for future releases, but how this game made it to retail shelves is beyond me. Collision detection is awful, AI is brutally dumb, the create-a-wrestler feature is mind-numbing, and the gameplay is slow and full of bugs and defects. I haven't been able to get Live working even with the patch from THQ. My recommendation: rent it, check out the glitzy graphics, return it the next day and demand a refund or a new rental because this game is broken - do not buy!!!!… Expand
  3. Torch911
    May 3, 2005
    0
    An XBox game that locks up audio on loads?!?! As for the CAW, it's so in depth the only TWO moves you can get to jump off the turnbuckle are Axe Handle and Missile Dropkick. This game is inferior to the Smackdown's from the PS1!
  4. Wongit
    May 9, 2005
    5
    Im being nice, this game isn't all that bad, but i had high hopes for this game, and its definetly not that good. Its alright, there are nice graphics, but its got way to many glitches, and the CAW mode is weak.
  5. RichardS.
    Dec 16, 2005
    2
    I have no interest in wrestling at all, but a friend lent me the game. Basically it's totally unplayable - nothing seems to happen whatever buttons you press. Truly dreadful.
  6. JaceN.
    Dec 7, 2005
    3
    Why-o-why did I trade in Raw 2 with all my painstakingly created superstars...for this? To think, all THQ had to do was update the roster, add a few new modes, more Create A Superstar material and they had Raw 3 set to stun everyone...twice...but no...proof that when it aint broke...you should redesign everything for redesignings sake!
  7. PeterD.
    Apr 23, 2005
    4
    This game is full of bugs,.!!! the loading is way too long and the play action is too slow in if you compare with previous smackdown (especially bring the pain,.. wich is the best ever if u ask me)... i wish i could get a refund.
  8. BlueFalcon
    May 24, 2005
    1
    I was a bit surprised at just how poor this one was. It's basically unfinished. It looks decent during the wrestler entrances, but not during gamplay. There's all kinds of unfinished animation and weird interactions during gameplay. Gameplay doesn't get much less fun than this. Raw is way better, and it's not all that exceptional itself.
  9. XboxRules
    May 5, 2005
    0
    This is the crappiest game I have played this generation.
  10. JasonC.
    Apr 26, 2005
    0
    This game should have never been released. It has glimpses of what would make a really cool game, however the game is not finished. I paid 50 U.S. dollars for an unfinished game? come on! I have never played a game with so many glitches in my life.
  11. Bacon
    Apr 28, 2005
    2
    This was the first wrestling game ive bought and without doubt the last. This game is full of holes, load time, glitches in the video...and so on. It could have been polished alot better before release. Bottom line if you like being frustrated...rent it, but by no means buy it!!
  12. MichaelB.
    May 23, 2005
    0
    When you losers stop watching wrestling and buying all the crap to go along with it, they'll stop making travesties like this.
  13. DXTF123
    Apr 2, 2012
    9
    WrestleMania XXI is easily the best wrestling game on the XBOX. It's certainly better than anything you'll find on the Gamecube (with the exception of Day of Reckoning 2.) First of all, the graphics are absolutely phenomenal for an original xbox title, the wrestlers look perfect, every bit of detail is captured, in my opinion, the graphics on this are certainly better than the ones on theWrestleMania XXI is easily the best wrestling game on the XBOX. It's certainly better than anything you'll find on the Gamecube (with the exception of Day of Reckoning 2.) First of all, the graphics are absolutely phenomenal for an original xbox title, the wrestlers look perfect, every bit of detail is captured, in my opinion, the graphics on this are certainly better than the ones on the SmackDown! series on PS2. The variety of superstars to choose from is great, you can be top superstars of the WWE such as Triple H, John Cena, Kurt Angle, Rey Mysterio, The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho etc. Midcarders/Jobbers like The Hurricane, Eugene, Rene Dupree, Val Venis, Rhyno and Tajiri. Then of course you have the divas, there are only about 6 divas in total but unless you're a real divas fan, this shouldn't be too much of a problem. Finally, you have a new addition to the WWE XBOX game franchise, WM 21 introduces Legends to the game. Andre the Giant, The Rock, Bret Hart, Mankind and Jimmy Snuka are all playable within the game but need to be bought through the WWE Shop.

    The gameplay itself is a lot of fun, there are loads of different moves to use throughout the match so it never feels like you're using the same boring old move over and over again. Each superstar has their own unique finishing maneuver in the game and weapons can be used in matches like steel chairs, sledgehammers etc. There are a variety of arenas in the game like SummerSlam, RAW, SmackDown, Survivor Series, Royal Rumble, Heat, Velocity but one of the main flaws with the game is that there is no WrestleMania 21, instead there's only the WrestleMania XX arena, which kind of spoiled the game for me.

    The story mode is a nice addition to the game, you create a superstar and take him through the ranks in order to make him a top WWE superstar, it's not mind blowing but it's not a let down either. As you play through story mode, you will earn money. The money you have earnt can be used to purchase Legends, Arenas and Alt Attires (such as Big Show with hair.)

    Another downside to the game is it's Create-A-Wrestler mode. As you'd expect, it's nothing compared to recent WWE games such as SmackDown vs RAW 2011 or WWE'12 but it's a very poor mode, compared to the previous XBOX original WWE game, WWE RAW 2, where the customization on that is so out there, with the player being able to not only create a wrestler but also being able to edit current WWE superstars attires, WWE WrestleMania 21 just seems like a total let down when it comes to creating a wrestler. Overall, WWE WrestleMania 21 is a fantastic wrestling game, it's really cheap now and can be bought for about £2-£10 somewhere on the internet, it's definitely a must have for anyone looking to get a good wrestling game on the original xbox which is why I'm giving it a 9 out of 10.    … Expand
  14. Metroidguy4
    May 15, 2013
    1
    WWE Wrestlemania 21 for XBOX is the worst wrestling game and WWE game that I have played. It has the worst game play of any wrestling game that has been released and it takes five minutes to do one Boston Crab. When I saw the story mode is a dumb down version WWE Day Of Reckoning for Nintendo GameCube and there was no originality.
  15. evolution98
    Sep 17, 2018
    5
    One of the most disappointing wrestling games of all time.

    It couldn't match WWE RAW 2. The trailer looked impressive and sucked you into the game but unfortunately, it got worse as you started to play it. So many things wrong with the game. The load times are bad, it has THE worst create a wrestler mode ever, the roster was so small and didn't match the 2004 roster at all. Well all    One of the most disappointing wrestling games of all time.

    It couldn't match WWE RAW 2. The trailer looked impressive and sucked you into the game but unfortunately, it got worse as you started to play it.

    So many things wrong with the game. The load times are bad, it has THE worst create a wrestler mode ever, the roster was so small and didn't match the 2004 roster at all. Well all wrestling games that came out that year had very poor rosters. The career mode is boring and is a complete ripoff of Day of Reckoning's. It was lacking in so many beloved match types and that you could only play one on one matches. The fatal flaws with the game are the broken AI and broken game engine. It was so buggy and unreliable. Most of the match types were unplayable.

    The only good things I like about the game are the graphics, the solid controls, the various ranked challenges in profile mode that gives you money, plenty of purchasable unlockables through WWE Shopmode and the great soundtrack.

    Try it out and only play it in short bursts.    … Expand
  16. Jediknight0330
    Dec 22, 2022
    5
    Graphics are the best part of this game by far. They're beautiful. The season mode is pretty good if you can past the game play. The WWE shop in this game is ridiculous. There's a lot to unlock but you can only earn up to $5,000 a match on the highest difficulty. And theres almost nothing for under $5,000. The Wrestlemania arena is $1M dollars. It would take so much time to earn the cashGraphics are the best part of this game by far. They're beautiful. The season mode is pretty good if you can past the game play. The WWE shop in this game is ridiculous. There's a lot to unlock but you can only earn up to $5,000 a match on the highest difficulty. And theres almost nothing for under $5,000. The Wrestlemania arena is $1M dollars. It would take so much time to earn the cash to buy everything in it. Lags a lot when loading. Feels rushed.

    Gameplay: 4/10
    Roster: 6/10
    Soundtrack: 10/10    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

40
#40 Most Discussed Xbox Game of 2005

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
56

Mixed or average reviews - based on 48 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 48
  2. Mixed: 24 out of 48
  3. Negative: 19 out of 48
  1. Boomtown
    70
    Wrestlemania 21's outrageously flawed A.I. and emphatically clunky control integration sully an otherwise outstanding display of wrestling prowess.
  2. Gamestyle
    50
    Wrestling fans may find some enjoyment here, but for others, your best bet is to dig out that N64 and play the brilliant WWF No Mercy - the game that Wrestlemania tried so hard to be.
    Read full review
  3. AceGamez
    50
    Surely not pushing the Xbox anywhere near to its limits and it fails to capture the essence of WWE, feeling outdated and sluggish to play. Best avoid this one until a real next-gen wrestler comes along.
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