SmackDown vs. Raw 2011 has the best physics system out of not just any SvR game, but even the WWE2K games. Tables, ladders, chairs and other weapons move, break and bend realistically. Slamming your opponent through a table no longer makes it slam into pieces, as tables fall and move in a life-like manner. Moves now have a directional throw tag, which means some moves like suplexes and throws allow you to control the direction you want your opponent to fall. Wrestlers literally sell and act realistically when being slammed on and thrown through steel steps, ladders and other weapons. This really adds to a lot of fun and mayhem.
Universe mode would make its debut, a mainstay throughout the series. Basically, it's a showrunner mode that allows you to edit the rosters, alliances, tag teams and rivalries, champions and lets you simulate or play out matches, all while seeing random cutscenes happen. It's a fun mode, but now very dated and lacking compared to Universe in future installments.
Match creator was added, allowing players to create matches not in the game like Fatal 4 Way First Blood, Ironman Cage Match, 6-Man Finisher Only Battle Royale, Extreme Rules 2 out of 3 Falls, Submission Only, etc.
Road to Wrestlemania even brought back the classic backstage free roam between matches, which added more interactivity like the older SmackDown season modes.
For all the good SvR 2011 introduces, there's also the not so good. The soundtrack on the menus has a tendency to loop songs or even play the same song back to back. If you use custom music for entrances, it can sometimes randomly play during matches. Rare, but random glitches can occur that can cause the game to freeze or black screen. AI (namely tag team partners) can have weird behavior, voice acting during backstage RTWM sections is laughably bad, and some of the hit detection with the new physics engine can be wonky at times.
Universe mode would make its debut, a mainstay throughout the series. Basically, it's a showrunner mode that allows you to edit the rosters, alliances, tag teams and rivalries, champions and lets you simulate or play out matches, all while seeing random cutscenes happen. It's a fun mode, but now very dated and lacking compared to Universe in future installments.
Match creator was added, allowing players to create matches not in the game like Fatal 4 Way First Blood, Ironman Cage Match, 6-Man Finisher Only Battle Royale, Extreme Rules 2 out of 3 Falls, Submission Only, etc.
Road to Wrestlemania even brought back the classic backstage free roam between matches, which added more interactivity like the older SmackDown season modes.
For all the good SvR 2011 introduces, there's also the not so good. The soundtrack on the menus has a tendency to loop songs or even play the same song back to back. If you use custom music for entrances, it can sometimes randomly play during matches. Rare, but random glitches can occur that can cause the game to freeze or black screen. AI (namely tag team partners) can have weird behavior, voice acting during backstage RTWM sections is laughably bad, and some of the hit detection with the new physics engine can be wonky at times.