The WWE Smackdown Vs Raw series has been given the “EA” treatment, with the core gameplay being kept intact and developers looking for new ways to either control the game or new modes for players. Thankfully, WWE Smackdown Vs Raw 2007 hasn’t gone the way of the EA ’07 range, and looks to actually improve upon the previous instalment. For all intents and purposes, the PS2 and Xbox 360 versions of the game are pretty much the same in terms of content. Sure, the Xbox 360 has Achievements and better graphics, but in general you’re playing the same game.
When you boot up the game for the first time, you're given the option of watching some tutorial videos that show you the basics of play and that highlight the new features in the game. We would have preferred to be able to actually play through these sequences, but they're at least concise in terms of what they demonstrate. In terms of the new features in the game, the developers have gone and attempted to implement some new controls, as well as add to some of the already established modes. The biggest change for the controls has been attributing the quick and strong grapples to the right analogue stick.
While next to the opponent, pushing the right analogue stick in any of four directions will initiate a quick grapple. Doing so while holding the R1 button, will initiate a strong grapple. By pressing Up and R1, you will initiate a clean/dirty hold, Down will initiate a submission, and Left and Right will start Category 1 and Category 2 grapples respectively. You finish the job then by either bashing away at the meter, or by pushing against the analogue stick once more. The holds and grapples are generally unique across characters, and they can be changed/customised in various ways, depending on the style.
This mask hides my head of meat.
This opens up the face buttons for specific uses, with the X button used in context, Circle for recovering stamina, Square for attacking and Triangle for running and other manoeuvres. An advantage of having this set-up is that it won’t end up confusing you, because you won’t need your thumbs in two places at once. Reversals have been dedicated to the L2 and R2 buttons, while L1 governs your finishing moves.
Another addition to the controls has been the Ultimate Control moves. When in a grapple state, the player can press R3 to pick up their opponent and perform moves on them with total control - for example, picking them up over their head. Players then follow the prompts in the HUD, primarily using the right analogue stick. This can be used to put some serious damage into opponents, though you’ll have to be mindful of your own stamina, as you’ll lose a lot by performing these moves.
Environmental hotspots have been added into the game as well. When you put your opponent into a strong grapple, you can drag them over to one of these hotspots and a sequence will initiate. Again, using the prompts in the HUD and the right analogue stick, you can deal out serious damage to your opponent. Some of the environments include the rope, the corner or the edge of the arena. For example, one such sequence will have you pushing up and down on the right analogue to simulate the movement of your punch, not dissimilar to what was seen in games like God of War, or even Fahrenheit.
Further additions to the game include the slight changing of the controls in the Ladder and the Table Matches. The Ladder matches now incorporate the analogue sticks and the Table matches have been tweaked to try and make them a bit more engaging and functional. The last major addition to the game is that of “Fighting Area in the Crowd”. Here, both wrestlers can jump out into an area between the fans and duke it out there. This presents new opportunities for different kinds of weapons, such as crutches, and manages to add a bit more immersion to the game.
The analogue controls work reasonably well. At times they feel like they are little bit of a miss, but overall they are fine. Along with the fact that the game has been slowed down a notch, most veterans of wrestling games are unlikely to have any trouble getting into them. It’s not particularly comfortable for anyone who knows little about wrestling or hasn’t played many wrestling games, and they’re not revolutionary by any means, but they do get the job done. At least the game has quite a lot of content to back itself up.
There are several different kinds of Exhibition modes that cover virtually everything in the wrestling world, from Single to Hell in a Cell matches. Most wrestling fans will probably spend most of their time in the Season and General Manager modes and the Create-a-Wrestler modes. The Season allows you to take a real or user-made wrestler through a full season, and there are plenty of colourful scenarios to play through and plenty of options to enjoy. We’re a little disappointed that the General Manager mode is still something of a tedious exercise. There are a lot of menus and hoo-hah that needs to be navigated through, though some of the more hardcore fans could tolerate it and may even love the micro-management and hands-on stuff. Furthermore, it doesn’t quite reach the same level of glitz as the Season mode.
Can't tell which is the front and which is the back.
Creating your own wrestler is a deep and satisfying exercise. You’ve got plenty of looks to choose from, as well as wrestling moves and styles. Best of all, you can play through the game and further develop them and take them online. You can also take your created tournaments online as well. Online is now a staple for both the Xbox 360 and PS2 versions of the game. The game has almost everything, in terms of content, that a wrestling fan could want.
If you’re a wrestling fan first and a gamer second, you won’t think twice about getting this game. However, there a few issues that still linger. Issues such as clipping, and either overly dopey or overpowering AI. Despite general improvements over time, the wrestlers will still feel a lot of the time as if they’re too hard to move. Another issue that some may have is the lack of variety between wrestler, but this is something that well could be negligible to a wrestling fan, moreso than for a fan of “real” fighting games. That, and we’re still subjected to too many load screens, particularly on the PS2. Hopefully the next generation will remedy this.
In terms of the graphics, the PS2 version does a very commendable job both in terms of technical ability and presentation. As expected, the presentation is way over the top and replicates actual wrestling well. Models are fantastically recreated, as are the arenas. In terms of the sound, there are plenty of heavy, hard-hitting musical and sound effects to accompany the big hits and scripted scenes. The voicing is impressive, though a few of the soundbytes sound a tad muted. The commentary is only good in the scripted sequences, as you will have heard pretty much everything that they’ve had to say after the first match you play.
Overall, Smackdown 2007 does a good job of improving the game with a few additions and adjustments. The new controls go some way to make the game more engaging, but for the most part the greatest appreciation for the game will come from the fans. There is a lot of fan service, a lot to unlock, and - for those with online access - months of play await. We’re hoping that the underlying and prevailing issues will be looked at once the game has been completely moved to next-gen production. Wrestling fans will lap it up, though not as much as everyone else.
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