On Wednesday, the download finished.
There is a specific texture to the character models on the PS2. They were never quite "photo-realistic" like their next-gen counterparts, but they possessed a stylized, almost action-figure aesthetic. The glossy sweat, the exaggerated muscle definition, and the distinct silhouette of each wrestler made the game feel like a playable cartoon. This art style has aged better than the early attempts at photorealism on the Xbox 360, which now look eerie and uncanny. The PS2 version remains timeless because it embraced the artificiality of the sport.