Smackdown vs. RAW is dead. But then according to THQ, it was never really alive in the first place given that 'Smackdown vs. RAW', for them, was just a name. Since the TV programme never really went anywhere with the whole 'rift' thing, the games didn't either. This third overall re-branding takes the series away from that and just goes back to the simple fact that this is just a game about the WWE. Say hello, WWE '12.
 

It may look sparse, but there really isn't any HUD to speak off anymore...

With a name, comes a new philosophy, and whilst this is still a year-to-year iterative franchise, Yukes and THQ have really stepped up to the plate and try and kick off this new 'era' with a bang. Their ultimate aim is to make this the most 'authentic' WWE experience possible, and in a way they've succeeded. There's no longer a HUD to speak off, and any important gameplay elements or prompts have been more subtlety worked into the action in a very contextual type of game. Playing through a match it 'looks' like you're watching a match on TV, and the gameplay has been remodelled around that.

The basic controls have changed - everything important has now been slaved back to the face buttons - especially grappling, which recently had been handled by the analog stick. This was mainly to make the game more inviting to new-comers of the franchise(further reinforcing how this is pretty much a reboot), the thinking being that when people first get to grips with the game, they'll experiment with the face buttons first.

New animation technology has also improved how moves and finishers look when activated. Combatants aren't warped to the centre of the ring anymore, and the animations themselves look more fluid, and try to lessen the weird outcomes that can arise due to certain positioning or outside factors. You can now interrupt other wrestler's moves, if you're in a match type with more than two superstars.
 

I win

Of course, the WWE franchise wouldn't be anything without its extensive custom content mode. There's not a hell of a lot to say about the superstar portion of this mode - apart from just keeping it up to date and minor improvements, there hasn't been any significant changes to this portion of the game for a while. If it ain't broke, don't fix it seems to apply here, and that's fine because the system has always been very good and robust. The biggest change has been the inclusion of a new Ring Announcer system, whereby you can string several soundbites together for a custom name that's announced.

Also being showed off during our demonstration was the new create-a-arena mode as well, which is almost to the same level as the create a superstar. Whilst the focus is mainly on the ring itself and the ring-side areas, there's a hell of a lot you can do here in terms of aesthetics. As far as we know, the ring size and the size of the ring-side area is constant (and of course you can't edit anything in the crowd area), but apart from that, everything you can 'see', you can customize in some way.

The gameplay in WWE '12 seems very different, yet familiar at the same time. Veterans shouldn't have any trouble getting to grips with the new control system, but there is a very light 'arcade' sheen to the entire experience now, from how moves are performed and what states wrestlers are in, to the various visual prompts that appear during a match. At the same time, there are also more strategic elements, like the limp targeting system, to help players form a strategy when fighting. Improved AI also means that even in single-player, you're going to be given a run for your money, even if you're a move-spammer.
 

In the final build a "Breaking Point" metre will show up, which is a mini-game related to submission wins

In a way, it's hard for the Yuke guys to keep the WWE franchise fresh because they have no real competition anymore. At least FIFA has PES, and even THQ's own UFC franchise has new competition in the form of EA's MMA. Still, this re-branding is a clear statement of intent, and the new focus is coming through loud and clear. We'd argue that for the sake of accessibility, some of the technical finesse of early games as been lost - but in terms of visual authenticity, never before has it felt so much like you're actually watching a live WWE match. WWE 12 will be an interesting game to review, to be sure, and we look forward to its November 25th release on Xbox 360 and Playstation 2 (and Wii).

Most Anticipated Feature: No one feature stood out at us, but that doesn't mean it's not looking like an exciting game overall.