WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007 Hands-on Preview

Michael Owen might be out of the World Cup, but there’s a new SmackDown vs. RAW game coming out this Christmas. The connection? There isn’t one. Still, this devastating fact was on my mind as I sat down to write the preview of a 20 per cent complete version of the franchise’s first foray into sparkling next-gen territory.

Don’t worry, I wasn’t preoccupied. Nor was I preoccupied as I sat down with THQ for a hands-on with the game, only hours before poor Mickey collapsed in a heap. Indeed, when I first caught a glimpse of Triple H and Kurt Angle punching the living bejesus out of each other, I was stunned. All thoughts of slagging off Owen Hargreaves evaporated under a cloud of sweat, blood, tears, and, of course, the occasional twang of a trash talking redneck.

Ah well. By Christmas this maddening World Cup fever will have faded (unless, of course, we win the damn thing), and gamers will have to turn to other sports to fuel their incessant desire for repetitive unrelenting violence. Cue Sports Entertainment and WWE SmackDown vs. RAW 2007, which will be available on 360, PS3, PS2 and PSP in time for Santa to body slam his way down your chimney. Wondering whether to add it to your already bulging Christmas list? Read on.

The build I played, although only 20 per cent complete on an Xbox 360, looked to be fully functional. Exhibition mode was the only one available, with only four wrestlers to boot – Kurt Angle, Triple H, Rey Mysterio and John Cena – but it allowed a thorough test of the gameplay, and provided a clear indication that SmackDown vs RAW 2007 will be a strong, solid next-gen game, and possibly even a PS3 launch title.

What’s immediately obvious is that developer Yuke’s, who have been making wrestling games for yonks, have concentrated on preserving the gameplay which led many critics to proclaim last year’s effort as the best yet, while giving it a next-gen facelift. So far, it looks like they’re playing it safe, not radically overhauling the way the game feels to play, but giving it that graphical wow factor so in vogue at the moment.

But there are some noticeable changes. The grappling commands have shifted from the buttons to the right analogue stick. Now, a flick of the stick will automatically try to grapple your opponent and perform some kind of basic move, like a body slam or a suplex. This is deliberate. Yuke’s are trying to make the game easier to pick up and play, after criticism the franchise had too steep a learning curve; moves are now easier to pull off. The Y button runs, holding B regains stamina, X strikes and A interacts with the environment.

Whether hardcore fans of the series will approve of this change remains to be seen. It certainly feels intuitive enough, and, admittedly, makes the game easier to play. Yuke’s are, of course, aware of this consideration. Indeed the THQ production coordinator I spoke to described the challenge of keeping loyal fans happy while making the game attractive to potential new players as the hardest he faced.

That isn’t to say THQ have forgotten about the gamers who made the franchise what it is. If anything, this early build showed a sympathetic ear to the thoughts and comments of the fan base and acted accordingly.

SmackDown vs. RAW 2007 is big on giving players more control over what they’re doing. One of the criticisms of the previous game centred on the long-winded moves which, once implemented, forced players into the role of a spectator, sometimes for as long as six seconds. Now, holding down the shoulder button while grappling allows you to perform user controlled grapple moves, like the military press and suplex. There will be 40 of these types of moves, meaning you can really personalise your play style. You still get the occasional feeling of not being able to influence the action, as your wrestler sways uncontrollably in a daze, but that’s part and parcel of the series. This isn’t Tekken.

Adding to the improved control is the ability to drag your opponent into one of 17 environmental hotspots dotted across the playing arena (which extends far beyond the ring). Playing as Triple H, I dragged a bemused Mysterio next to the steel steps by the ring, and proceeded to repeatedly smack his head against them, each time a suitably satisfying clang reverberated around the packed arena. Another nice one was when I forced poor Mysterio onto a table and jumped on him from the top of a scaffold, with the Cerebral Assassin’s elbow cruelly sticking out. Oh, and for the laugh, I nicked a glass bottle from a member of the audience and smashed it over his head. It makes you laugh, just like the real thing, and, more importantly, is basic, no-harm-done good fun.

Interacting with the environment is one of the most striking improvements in the game. The crowd looks fantastic. I was told there are now 1000 3D crowd members, each with their own animations. However, after staring at them for a couple of minutes, I noticed the same excited fan wearing a black shirt in three different spots in the crowd, each one doing exactly the same arm waving twisty thing in perfect time, like lost synchronised swimmers. A bit pedantic, maybe, but this is next generation gaming baby. You bang on about how great the crowd looks, and I’m going to stop gawping at the fantastic looking wrestlers who are flying from the top rope and have a gander.

Each wrestler now has twice the polygon count of last year’s game, and each over the top entrance scene has been motion captured. You can really make out muscles flexing, even at 20 per cent complete. Sweat accumulates in real time as well, which is great, and a must for a next-gen title. It also mixes well with blood. Animations are smoother, and the transition between moves is noticeably better. The game is months from release, but it’s already looking very sharp.

Although THQ reps didn’t lay all their cards on the sweat-stained ring floor, I did manage to get a sense of the online service which will be on offer. They say it will be a very robust experience on PS2, 360, and PS3, with the PSP version offering ad hoc wireless play. They’ll also be voice chat, which is standard stuff nowadays, but it’s nice to know that you’ll be able to lay the smack verbally as well as physically.

One of the criticisms of last year’s game was that the single-player season mode was too linear. Although I didn’t get any actual hands-on in this mode, THQ say they will be making more pathways available, more stories and more ways to progress through the story mode, giving the game more replayability. They reckon it will take gamers three to four months before every storyline is exhausted. As long as there’s a storyline that puts John Cena in a coffin following an unexpected Edge spear, I’ll be a happy bunny.

They couldn’t reveal the final roster of wrestlers either, but I was assured that there’ll be over 60 available by the time the game is released, including Legends. Previous games have also included numerous WWE Divas, so expect the ladies to make an appearance, presumably wearing very little and fighting to make their opponents wear even less. Could the Bra and Panties match be the greatest match type of all time?

So, as I left the testosterone-fuelled high-definition world of WWE for the whining and diving of World Cup football, it looked like a sound enough start for SmackDown vs. RAW on the supped up power of the next generation consoles. Some might say they haven’t done enough yet to justify forking out fifty quid for a new model, and there was an incident when Kurt Angle got stuck sliding horizontally on a barrier while I was punching the crap out of his nuts, but Yuke’s have a good few months to iron out bugs like this. From my short time with the game, it’s clear that Yuke’s have dared to tweak slightly, in the hope it’s not just loyal wrestling fans who will be pre-ordering this bad boy. As Michael Owen starts the long road to recovery, perhaps even he will find the time to jot down THQ´s virginal next-gen wrestling game on his Christmas wish list. Me? It’s a distinct possibility.