WWE 12 Review

We’ve never denied being big wrestling fans. Although our mothers told us we’d ‘grow of out it’, we’ve long realised that we never will. To that end, the WWE run of games always gets us, at the very least, intrigued.

From terrific highs such as WrestleMania 2000, to horrendous lows like Day Of Reckoning, there’s a rollercoaster ride to be had when you go on a nostalgic pro-wrestling videogame ride.

As of late, aside from the very highly appreciated All Stars, it’s all been about SmackDown vs Raw, finally shedding that moniker to evolve into the much easier and more digestible WWE ’12.

In the same way as Yuke’s has shaken off the name people associate with the past, so too have many of the series’ long-running problems. We’re the first to admit that THQ’s engine is a little past its prime, but new animations, eradicating the bizarre little follies like constantly falling through a part of the ring, streamlining reversals and just making it feel fluid when chaining moves together results in a far better and less frustrating experience.

The new ideas work as well too. Refocusing Road To WrestleMania to incorporate three interlinking stories – you’ll jump from Sheamus to Triple H to your own creation – rather than throw a few short stories together is a pretty good replication of WWE TV, and the depth of WWE Universe mode means there’s a lot to get involved with.

The problem comes with the evolution that we’re still waiting to happen. This does play a lot better than any of its most immediate predecessors, but seeing what’s happening with UFC and being so familiar with over a decade’s worth of this design has meant the cracks still show. The only way to fix them is to start again from scratch. 

Fans will still eat this up, such is the great roster and sheer amount of content that’s been tailor-made for them. For those approaching it new, or just gamers who appreciate a good fighting game, however, WWE ’12 may not make a whole lot of sense.