The Smackdown vs. Raw series is over and it is now labelled as WWE 12, in the lead up to Summerslam more information is starting to trickle out about features and changes that are being made in this years instalment but is this the change fans and critics have been asking for?
I have been a fan of the Smackdown series since it first appeared on the Playstation but it was Smackdown 2 that really hooked me into the series. From that point I would go on to pick up future entries in the series even delving into other wrestling games such as Raw 2 or Wrestlemania, although those games had positive aspects it was hard to compete with the all round package that Smackdown offered. Many would agree the series saw its finest moment with Here Comes the Pain which offered what wrestling fans wanted from great create features to fast and responsive gameplay with a huge variety of moves at the players disposal.
Since this peak the series then moved into yearly release and with shorter development times cracks began to show but the series was solid up to SVR 2006 and I suppose you could push that to 2007. Since then the series has become stale with gameplay that feels slow and dated. Each year new system were added and previous aspects were removed and the end product was a botched together product rather than a finely tuned machine. While the gameplay has aged badly the actual creation aspects have improved yearly with create a story mode and superstar threads being some of the recent additions.
With all that being said THQ have stated with this re naming, the engine has also seen some major changes, being rebuilt from the ground up. This sounded promising because it is something I’ve wanted to see for quite some time now but on seeing gameplay footage honestly it looks like more of the same in terms of gameplay although visual it has seen some improvements.
I will hold judgement until I get my hands on the game but I can’t help but feel wary of the series due to the same things being said each year and the final product being derivative.
With less than stellar sales for 2011, WWE 12 really needs to deliver on the promises Bigger Badder Better, THQ have really have hyped this up to be a rejuvenation of the series and if it turns to be a few tweaks here and there then fans who are already on the verge of abandoning the series may well do so for good. Fans of the series have put up with a lot in recent years, so a lot rest on the shoulders of WWE 12 especially when All Stars released earlier this year which was met as something fresh and different, which was something that the genre needed.
I have been a fan of the Smackdown series since it first appeared on the Playstation but it was Smackdown 2 that really hooked me into the series. From that point I would go on to pick up future entries in the series even delving into other wrestling games such as Raw 2 or Wrestlemania, although those games had positive aspects it was hard to compete with the all round package that Smackdown offered. Many would agree the series saw its finest moment with Here Comes the Pain which offered what wrestling fans wanted from great create features to fast and responsive gameplay with a huge variety of moves at the players disposal.
Since this peak the series then moved into yearly release and with shorter development times cracks began to show but the series was solid up to SVR 2006 and I suppose you could push that to 2007. Since then the series has become stale with gameplay that feels slow and dated. Each year new system were added and previous aspects were removed and the end product was a botched together product rather than a finely tuned machine. While the gameplay has aged badly the actual creation aspects have improved yearly with create a story mode and superstar threads being some of the recent additions.
With all that being said THQ have stated with this re naming, the engine has also seen some major changes, being rebuilt from the ground up. This sounded promising because it is something I’ve wanted to see for quite some time now but on seeing gameplay footage honestly it looks like more of the same in terms of gameplay although visual it has seen some improvements.
I will hold judgement until I get my hands on the game but I can’t help but feel wary of the series due to the same things being said each year and the final product being derivative.
With less than stellar sales for 2011, WWE 12 really needs to deliver on the promises Bigger Badder Better, THQ have really have hyped this up to be a rejuvenation of the series and if it turns to be a few tweaks here and there then fans who are already on the verge of abandoning the series may well do so for good. Fans of the series have put up with a lot in recent years, so a lot rest on the shoulders of WWE 12 especially when All Stars released earlier this year which was met as something fresh and different, which was something that the genre needed.
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