WWE SmackDown vs. RAW 2007

The Smackdown franchise has been around for eight installments now, providing almost a decade of wrestling goodness. I am a big wrestling fan and with neither shame nor hesitation I proclaim that I own most WWF/WWE wrestling titles going all the way back to the good ol’ NES days. When I first heard that WWE: SmackDown vs RAW 2007 was coming for the Xbox 360, I was overcome with a sense of…curiosity. Why? This franchise was always a Playstation 2 series and the announcement that SmackDown vs RAW 2007 would be a multiplatform title, including Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 (which was later cancelled), was quite a shock. I was eager to see how the game would translate over to non-PS consoles. Shortly before its release, I downloaded a demo that gave me a chance to try this latest installment. After checking out the graphics, the new grappling systems and features, I was convinced that this game, without a doubt, was going to end up being one of the best titles THQ has ever published. Alas, high expectations, like a Christmas tree ornament, are easily shattered. With the full release of Smackdown vs RAW 2007, I discovered that this well may be the prettiest wrestling game ever made, but also one of the most flawed….

To begin with, WWE: SmackDown vs RAW 2007 offers a visually stunning gaming experience, one that is as close as you can get to actually enjoying a televised WWE event. The way the characters move, the use of real-life 3D facial scans, the expressions of pain, anger, joy, fear, and even sweat are all beautifully done and offer a new and stunning gaming experience I don’t remember ever experiencing before! Simply put, both the actual wrestlers, and those you create using the Create-a-Wrestler mode, look the way next generation gaming is supposed to look - simply “out of this world!”

Both versions also include new environmental interactions inside and out of the ring, such as being able to pound your opponent’s head against the announcer’s table, choke ‘em with a monitor cable, or even take the heat of the fight into the crowd itself! You can take ersatz weapons from the crowd, throw your opponents into the stands, even break the homemade signs in the audience and more! These additions added a feeling of realism never before achieved by a wrestling game, one that takes full advantage of the Xbox 360’s next generation hardware.

Season Mode is much better than in previous versions, offering better voiceovers, longer and varied storylines (depending on which character you chose) and, once again, exquisite visuals that will make you wonder if wrestling games can ever be graphically improved again! For those not in the know, this mode involves your attempt to win the all-important title matches against some of the toughest adversaries in the ring, all while having to deal with some funny and strange events (such as the time a magic wand changed me into a female wrestler…one that was constantly being hit upon by wrestlers of the opposite gender!). This title also includes dozens of other match types, such as: Single Matches, Hell in a Cell, Cage Matches, IronMan Matches, Last Man Standing, Elimination Chamber, Royal Rumble and more!

Another improvement includes the General Manager Mode whereby you are placed in charge of organizing an exciting televised matchwith the resulting pressure of having to produce high ratings to beat opposing programming. This can be a challenging process, as you need to hire your own freelance writers, create an entertaining story line and so on. The trick to this mode is hiring the best wrestling superstars that your limited budget can afford. Once hired, you need to find ways to increase their popularity while paying special attention to the way they feel about working for you (money always helps smooth things over). You can also send you hired superstar guns to interfere in a competing general manager’s show, but be careful that your investments are not injured in the process. Keep your budget under control, your superstars happy, and the hype ratcheted-up and you’ll do fine in most cases. Of course, as with all good games, this is easier said than done….

This game also offers an improved multiplayer mode, via Xbox-Live, including ranked matches, leaderboards and achievements in need of completion. You, and up to four competitors, have plenty of match types available, including Tag Team Matches, Ladder Matches, TLC (Table, Ladders and Chairs) matches and more. SmackDown vs RAW 2007 also features rooms where you can share your created characters, allowing players to share their creative ideas. Finally, the game supports voice chat for an easier way to insult your opponents – especially if they aggravate you to no end!

Doesn’t this sound like a dream game for most wrestling games? I wish this were the case. Even if the game offers amazing visuals and improved features, it also has some deep, self-inflicted wounds.

You would think that a next generation wrestling game would surely contain next-gen artificial intelligence, right? Not with this title. WWE: SmackDown vs RAW 2007 is a perfect example of a snazzy car with non-functional motor. While the game is enjoyable when playing with others online, the experience is totally different when you’re going solo. As with previous renditions of this franchise, WWE: SmackDown vs RAW 2007 has AI so moronic that your grandma could beat it even on the hardest of settings. This extremely dumb AI will do little more than walk around the ring, stand still or simply do nothing when set to the “Normal” difficulty setting! If you really crave a challenge and decide to change the difficulty setting to “Legend,” the AI will do little more than reverse most of your attacks while maintaining the same incompetent offensive skills from before. Even worse, this stupid AI also includes the referee who will often blunder in the way of the wrestlers, get hit and DQ you after a long fight. Now, believe it or not, I did find a slight improvement from last year’s awful AI, but I think it is still only a slight improvement. For a supposed next-gen game, this was quite disappointing.

From bad to worse: the glitches found in this title are far too many to mention, and in my opinion, it is embarrassing how THQ/Yukes allowed these to slip into the finished product. Sure, most of them are not major, but they can ruin the fun after a while. For example, there are some odd announcements, such as wrestler X coming from “Seattle, Washington from Florida,” as well as another from “Buffalo, New York, New York.” Likewise, the same announcer will introduce the “first participant of the Royal Rumble match” then a second “first participant of the Royal Rumble match” for the next opponent. Yes, there are way too many announcing bloopers in here. But wait, there’s more! More major glitches include entrance music ending long before the wrestler actual does enter and your own reinforcements, those wrestlers you arranged to come to your aid when needed, will suddenly begin attacking you instead of your opponent! I have often found myself being attacked by my opponent, his reinforcement and MY own reinforcement during a created Pay Per View match!

One of the biggest flaws of the game is the Create a Wrestler mode. This mode has been my favorite since the very beginning, as it offers the players an opportunity to create your own wrestler by customizing his/her attire, accessories, looks, hairstyles and moves-set and entrance sequence (the Create a Wrestler mode is one of the most time-consuming and enjoyable parts of this franchise). SmackDown vs RAW 2007’s Create a Wrestler mode feature’s new looks, amazing customization options and greater specificity when creating your own wrestler (I like to create my own wrestling virtual self - yes, I create myself in the game!). Despite these pluses, THQ has managed to undo these improvements by limiting the number of accessories, clothing, and hairstyles, thus providing too few options for giving your character a unique look. Yes, a new “Stylize” option was added, which gives you the ability to change the look of a certain item or hairstyle, but that’s about it. Even more disappointing is how female wrestlers are mysteriously restricted as well, reduced to participating in a very few type of matches. On top of that, in order to assign experience points to a female character, you have no choice but to earn the General Manager of the Year Award in order to unlock an unlimited points option for your created wrestlers! Furthermore, as with male wrestlers but worse, the customization options for created female characters are limited to single digit accessories and options. Lastly, female-only matches, such as the ones found in the previous “Bras and Panties” installment, are excised from the game (but, in all honesty, I have found such matches to be a complete waste of time).

All things considered, WWE SmackDown vs RAW 2007 is not all that bad a game. It has amazing visuals and a worthy soundtrack (several original titles as well as the authentic entrance songs for most wrestlers). New grappling systems, greater realism and the new interactive environment features made this game seem just like the real thing! Xbox-Live also offers new exciting game modes for people craving competition, offering ranking stats, leaderboards and chat support. The mediocre and disappointing artificial intelligence, together with the insane amount of glitches and a very limited Create a Wrestler mode, ruined a big part of the game’s lasting appeal. However, these glitches are something that could be easily solved with a little bit of effort and a good patch. This game is good, but not for everyone.