WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW 2007

"The SD vs. Raw brand continues to go in a circle"

Game Play

The game play overall is a letdown. The main thing is that the game has new controls. Although, if you prefer the older controls, you may switch them if you choose to. The commentary is beyond horrible. If Tazz is talking, and you start taunting, Tazz will stop himself in the middle of his sentence and say how you are wasting time by taunting. In other words, the commentary did not improve over the last couple years like everyone was hoping for. The game play itself is not very impressive. If you did Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels, you would not know if you were playing the first Smackdown vs. Raw, Smackdown vs. Raw 2006, or Smackdown vs. Raw 2007. Most of the gimmick matches are the same, and the money-in-the-bank match has been added. While the gameplay isn't awful, it is getting extremely stale.

Game Play Grade: 7/10

Graphics

This is one of the strongest points of the game. The graphics look highly realistic. The blood now shows up on the canvas, as well as dripping down from the faces of the wrestlers. After the match, you will see up-close shots of the wrestling sweating. These graphics are amazing, and the people that made this game really took advantage of the power of the XBOX 360.

Graphics Grade: 9/10

Sound

The sound on this game is in the air. The speaking lines during the season mode sound very realistic. Surprisingly, the in-game music is very good. One major flaw in the sound is that you cannot give your created wrestler any music that is on your XBOX 360.

Sound Grade: 7/10

Create-A-Wrestler Mode

There are many good things about this mode. There are several options as far as outfits go. The detail on the face is incredible, and if you are good at making CAW's, you will have a field day with this. However, there is one big negative. If you wish to trade CAW's online, they cannot have logos on them. For example, if you created a DX-style Triple H, if you put DX on his tights, you would not be able to trade him online. Another thing that kills this mode is the fact that you cannot use tracks on your XBOX 360 as your entrance music.

CAW Mode Grade: 7/10

Season Mode

Besides the gameplay, usually the most important feature to those playing WWE video games is the quality of season mode. Players find intrigue in the storylines that take place. There are more storylines this year than the past two years. However, there are a couple storylines that are so incredibly unrealistic, that you will be wondering whether you are playing a WWE game, or if you are stuck in a dream. Speaking about unrealistic, you can be The Boogeyman or The Undertaker and have tons of speaking lines. You cannot go more than a full year on one show. After a full year, you will automatically be traded to the opposing show. Some wrestlers are not selectable in the season mode. Two notable wrestlers not eligable for this are Umaga and The Great Khali. Why they couldn't have Estrada talk for Umaga and Daivari talk for Khali is beyond me. Overall, season mode can be fun, but it really is the definition of unrealistic.

Season Mode Grade: 6/10

General Manager Mode

Once again, general manager mode can be very frustrating. One main thing is to hire writers, then use storylines such as "Legend Killer" and "Diva Jealousy" to promote rivalries between your superstars. However, the storylines that you start out with are not clearly explained at all, and it will leave you with much confusion. Once again, general manager mode will not be very exciting. The only improvement made is that you can play any matches that you make.

General Manager Mode Grade: 7/10

XBOX Live

If you are going to get this game for XBOX Live, think again. If this game was meant to be awesome online, it is truly embarassing. While playing the games, the lag is so bad, especially if you are doing a match with multiple wrestlers. Trading CAW's is alright, but the fact that all logos must be removed takes a lot out of them. Playing this game on XBOX Live can be highly frustrating.

XBOX Live Grade: 5/10

Overall Thoughts

Overall, this game has its ups, and certainly its downs. The game play seems so similar to the past couple of years. However, what has been done with the graphics is quite pleasing. The music is fine, but listening to the announcers is so irritating that you might want to mute your TV. They totally blew the CAW mode by not allowing logos to be traded via XBOX Live. Season Mode can be fun, but it is so lame in how unrealistic it is. General Manager Mode can be fun, but boring at the same time. And on XBOX Live, the lag just kills any fun that this game can have.

In conclusion, if you have never owned a Smackdown vs. Raw game, and are a big WWE fan looking for a new XBOX 360 game, you might want to consider picking it up. If you owned either of the previous two, do yourself a favor and save $60 by not picking this game p.

Overall Grade: 7/10

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 11/28/06