Our Wrestling Section Lead gets back in the ring
Publisher: THQ
Tue, 23 January 2007
by: The Gimmick
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To be perfectly honest, I hadn't heard a lot about Smackdown Vs Raw 2007 until right before it was released, and surprisingly what I heard was mixed. It wasn't until I got a copy that I realized what they were talking about. I was intrigued before hand, being a massive fan of last year's release, on whether or not THQ and Yukes could do what they had done for so many years - that is, improve on their preceding title - this time around. And also what else could be done to this genre to make people want to go and pick up this game one more time. What does the Gimmick think? Read on.
First of all, SD Vs Raw 2007 features plenty of gameplay changes from last years' title and the biggest one of all is the basic control function. No longer do you control your superstars with the main 4 buttons, or face buttons. Instead, you use the right analog stick. It takes time to get used to (seriously, no joke)- but when you do get the hang of it, you'll wonder why other titles didn't use this control before. It helps give you a better control and flow between moves and sets up for a great new function in this release. It's called the Ultimate Control Move (or UCM), and every superstar has them. Once in a hard grapple, press R3 and you will see a selection of moves you can perform from your first initial move, and turn it into one of either a Powerbomb, Powerslam, DDT & Suplex.
 | | Asking people to "watch me pull off my spear" leads to some awkward reactions. |
I like this idea, as it allows you to walk around the ring before delivering the move and drop them precisely where you want, no matter where you attempt the maneuver, ie: away from the ropes etc. The downside to this is that it drains your stamina meter the longer you hold them, and depending on how bad you've been beaten up, the more stamina you'll lose. Also, strategically, it may not be smart to do as it doesn't inflict any more damage than a normal high impact move and with those you won't lose so much stamina. But, as I said, it is a nice function and increases the variety.
Another nice utility in this game is the environmental weapons and areas. You can drag an opponent to either: the ring steps, ring post, ringside table, ring ropes and turnbuckles and perform UCM moves which look awesome, but again drain your stamina meter. So keep an eye on it. The other great feature is the all new "fight in the crowd" option where as it states you can fight amongst the crowd (in a specially designated area only) and use speakers, fire extinguishers, tables, cables and you can even take away signs from the fans to get some extreme heat.
The season mode is back again in Smackdown vs. Raw 07 and this time has more characters to choose from with fully voiced segments. It now apparently has over 40 storylines to contend with, which you won't get through in just one run through as they are character and rating specific. The only real problem I had with this was the same problem as last year; you aren't given anywhere near enough choices for you to make during the career. You know what I mean; what sort of matches, who to face, who to team with and that sort of thing. Don't get me wrong there are quite a few of options to pick from, just not enough to make it feel like a true career. 2008 perhaps?
You may remember how I raved about the GM mode on SD Vs Raw 2006 and said it was the best change in wrestling games for some time. But, as good as it was, I was sure there could be room for some improvements and there have been some for this year's mode. For starters you can spend money to hire writers so they can write angles/feuds for the show, better angles cost more money but get you higher ratings. Also if any of your superstars are lagging in the popularity department, you can send them to Velocity or Heat for some fine tuning in that area. We can't all be Main Eventing can we Billy Gunn! Finally all guys and gals from both rosters are rated in the Power 25 as seen on WWE.com. So you can see where your champions rate against the champions on the opposition show. Lots of fun! Throw all that in with the all new "Money In The Bank" Ladder Match and I think they have done enough in terms of difference, as compared to last year's release.
Now those are the improvements, I did have a couple of little problems with this years release and some of you may agree with me and some of you may not, but here goes:
 | | I think these screens are actually from the 360 version, but the PS2 game is no slouch graphically either. |
Again, as was the same last year, the reversals are incredibly hard to successfully pull off even on easy. It is damn near impossible to do on anything higher up which leads to a lot of frustration as the computer opponent knows how to, not only execute them but also how to link moves to destroy you. I also noticed the difference in the Ladder Match and more precisely, how to win it. I have mostly read how much of an improvement it is but I struggled with it. I had to beat and I mean BEAT the crap out of my opponent and also had to have him down for 5 minutes to drain the meter so I could drop with the belt. Any less time and my opponent will interrupt me, climb the ladder and get it in half the time.
What's more the loading time seems to be slower this time around but, unlike last time, music plays while you are waiting. Which I guess really doesn't mean anything, as I can go and take a piss, come back and it's just finishing loading - so I don't really hear much of it.
Bugs! I hate bugs in games, and I'm not talking about centipede! This version is rife with wrong commentating from both shows. They are almost as bad as the real thing. I swear if I hit an RKO and JR calls it a Stone Cold Stunner again I'm going to be pissed.
So there are really only a few little complaints. The majority of my review should be possitive enough to recommend everyone to take a look at this new version. There is a lot to keep you busy with this one - from unlocking legends such as Bam Bam Bigelow, Mr. Perfect and The Hart Foundation, through to winning the GM trophy and also watching Lita and Melina make their individual entrances. Nice! It is worth a look, even if it's just to wrestle someone in a Backlot Brawl, grapple them into the Station-wagon (I think) to find the Boogeyman hanging out in the back. Very amusing!
May you be a half an hour in heaven, before the devil knows you're dead!
*Sammy's note: Wrestling and videogames are a couple of Buttonhole's most popular subjects - so wrestling games (which combine the two) deserve extra attention from us! Therefore, I will soon have a double review of the PSP and Xbox 360 versions of Smackdown vs Raw 2007. The 360 one only came the other day, after getting a little lost in the post. But it was well worth waiting for - that's definitely the pick of the bunch!*
by: The Gimmick
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I don't think it's better than 2006 but it is definitely still an excellent wrestling game. | |
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