WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007 (PS2) (gamespy)

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Editor's Note: It's GameSpy's review policy to test all online-enabled games in real-world multiplayer conditions before posting a final review score. A full review of this game will be posted shortly, once it has undergone testing in the same conditions that you'll play it in. Below you'll find our first impressions of the offline portions of the game.



It's been a while since THQ announced the next-gen and final bow of the top-selling SmackDown franchise earlier this year. It's getting closer to Survivor Series, which means that the year's almost done, and before gamers know it, the Royal Rumble will be setting up two months of storylines leading to Wrestlemania 23 in the Motor City. Of course, all of this means that wrestling game fans will be logging in major hours on what has now become the only choice for sports entertainment.

We've put in our time on both Xbox 360 and PS2. Pretty much, at this point, the Xbox 360 version has phenomenal graphics and great detail, while the PS2 version, oddly, has shorter load times than its next-gen cousin. We have a retail of the 360 game, which is already out in Europe, although we're taking our time to try it out once the worldwide servers get nice and populated, instead of judging the experienced based on what could simply be lag between international games. We've been playing the final gold master disc of the PS2 version while waiting on the PS2 retail to drop before getting online with it, because its spotty online record with past games is really giving us pause before we give any final verdicts.

So far, however, it's safe to say that while the 360 version offers achievements and will potentially have more reliable servers over Xbox Live, the PS2 game is no slouch and should still be a solid title for the guys in line around the country smarting over the cancellation of the PS3 version. There have been some issues with a couple of PS2 titles and backwards compatibility, but hopefully this one will work. The core gameplay mechanics are the same for each system, and it seems that the biggest difference is graphics, and hopefully the online experience is high quality for both.

Just in case you haven't read our previews, the biggest new addition is the grappling mechanic. Instead of using a strong grapple modifier and tapping a button and using the D-pad, players will be able to use the right analog stick for their moves. It makes grapples much easier to pull off, and makes the game much friendlier for the sort of people who absolutely despise wrestling and dismiss this genre as a crappy fighting game. Still, SmackDown vets who hate the new controls can still revert to SvR 06's controls.

In addition to new grapples, there's the environmental hotspots. After engaging in a strong grapple, players can pull an opponent to a specific spot in the ring and pull off specific moves. For example, players can clear off the Spanish announcers' table, pull out the monitor, and strangle their opponent with it. They can also do the old arm-damaging slam into the outside ringpost. It's all at the cost of stamina, though, and certain moves take off more than others. It's a slightly imbalanced mechanic, as certain moves drain way too much stamina and don't do enough damage. Still, it's pretty thrilling to have more control over what were previously just cutscenes in which the player couldn't interact.

There are still some occasional A.I. issues with the gameplay. Opponents can be slightly stupid and don't react realistically at times. Tag team partners sometimes don't come to your aid exactly at the right time. And as we mentioned in our preview, the Money in the Bank mode exemplifies what happens when one player takes on five dimwitted CPU opponents.

As for the game's three modes, there's Season mode, PPV mode, and GM mode. In PPV mode, players will reenact this year's pay-per-view cards, up to Vengeance. Current or upcoming events can also be recreated by players. So far, we've got a good amount of time in on our season with Edge, and the storyline branches in a multitude of directions. According to the game's creative manager, Cory Ledesma, the storyline will twist and turn into forty possible plots, based on the player's decisions, popularity, and what TV show he/she aligns with. GM mode is just as complex and detailed as last year's game, although we still have to put in some more time on it before delivering a final verdict.

Achievements range from creating a superstar successfully to beating a certain number of opponents online to beating every superstar on the game's roster. They're not terrible achievements by any stretch of the imagination, but since we're further ahead on the PS2 game, it's tough to go back to the 360 version to unlock a lot of them. This, of course, won't be a problem for most gamers. In a relieving move, Yuke's has finally enabled the trading of created superstars online. Does your opponent's Jeff Hardy look better than yours? Trade him your created Mountie. Yeah, I said the Mountie.

Because of the nature of SmackDown vs Raw's servers on PS2, we're a bit cautious about stamping a seal of approval for anyone wanting to get online. Last year's game had some pretty flawed multiplayer, and could have nailed a five-star score were it not for server drops and lag. However, we look forward to playing on Xbox Live, which usually has significantly better implementation. Suffice it to say, in spite of the Xbox 360 version's load times, and despite our concerns about the PS2 version because of past titles' online problems, we have confidence in this title based on the rich single-player experience and fun gameplay mechanics. After we put in some more time online with the game, we'll deliver our final verdict!