WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW 2007

"Don't just watch it.....live it!"

I've always been a fan on the Smackdown series, and I am not let down with the newest installment. However, there are some little issues that keep the game from possibly holding the title of "Greatest Wrestling Game Ever."

GRAPHICS-9
These are probably the best graphics you will find on a wrestling game today. Everyone looks like they are suppose to, face wise. I still don't see why we have extremely cut abs on some of the wrestlers who haven't had them in years. Plus there are still some detection miss and hits, but that is a minor thing to me. The environments looks great and the CAW's look almost like they actually belong in the game, instead of looking half as good as the others.

SOUND-7
What brings the score down is the horrible commentators, which is almost just like last year only more redundant. But if you are like me you will eventually ignore them anyway. The music, to me, is the best so far. Even though you aren't able to do your own custom music, which does suck, there is still a great selection of songs on the game to choose from, so it is not a total lose. The impact of moves isn't bad, but it could of been better. Again though, if you are like me this isn't a major deal.

GAMEPLAY-10
This is what makes this game. The new analog controls are the best idea Yukes has had in a very long time. Once you get use to them, which takes maybe 20 minutes, it makes the game feel more like a wrestling game. And if you don't like them you have the option of going back to the old school ways of things, plus a few other types. The reversals are way better this time around, in which ANYTHING can be reversed. Plus they can basically be endless, if you are good enough. The A.I. in the game still has a few bricks missing from the pile, however it's not near as bad as it was last year. Remeber the crappy ladder matches? Well this year the A.I. will actually try to fight you, instead of constantly going for the belt every 3 seconds. Plus, the A.I. doesn't always gang up on you like some past games have done in the past.

GM MODE-9
I'm putting GM Mode in it's own little catagory. I loved last years GM Mode, and this year it basically got better. You can do so much more with it, which makes it more of a challenge all around. You can buy different story lines for rivalry purposes and other little things as well. The only negative about it is that it is a bit of a challenge to actually get past Survivor Series with your best guys not hurt and still have a nice chunk of cash under your belt.

CAW-6
Yeah it get's a six. This is usually my favorite part of the game, but this year was such a let down. They took away so many different parts and moves, and only added a select few of new things. It also hurts for anyone wanting to use their CAW online, due to restrictions that the company thought would be a good idea. For instance, you can't have more than around 20 parts on your guy and you can't use words and logos on him. The only reason it doesn't get less than a six is because I am still able to make all my old CAW's, at least so far.

OVERALL-9/10
With the negatives I've mentioned I still think this game pulls a nine. I've heard about glitches in the game, and I've really only ran across a few of the many I heard. The biggest one being if I change a look on my CAW, the front grapples change and so you have to fix them back. Other than that the game is a winner. I've heard rumors of patches coming out for the game, so you might also take that into consideration when purchasing the game.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/21/06