The series has moved from Smackdown to Raw, but it's still not quite the main event of Wrestlemania.
As they've managed to do every year, THQ have captured the feel of the squared circle and its associated antics to the finest detail. The entrances, graphics packages, in-ring action, commentary – all of the aspects of the WWE product are faithfully represented in the game, from The Undertaker's extravagant entrance to Michael Cole's grating commentary. However, despite the sum of these constituent parts creating arguably the best representation yet of the WWE universe, when broken down into their individual pieces, the same issues that have always plagued the WWE games of the past remain. It's completely understandable that, due to the ever-changing nature of the WWE, it is hard to keep the game up-to-date with the real life product; entrances, ring attire, stables and even ring names can change on a constant basis. However, aspects of some superstars are incredibly out-dated or poorly-represented; for example, Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel are still shown to be Nexus members on the pre-match menu, and Ricardo Rodriguez's voice is questionable compared to that of the real life announcer. Whilst these are clearly niggles which will bother nobody bar the most dedicated WWE fan, it does seem as though the developers see some of the smaller superstars as less of a priority – ironically like the WWE itself. Some other issues are more of an annoyance – commentary is even more repetitive than in years gone by, with some lines repeated numerous times during the same match, and others spoken with little relevance to the actual bout at all. It still also feels disjointed at times, less as full sentences and more as words spoken consecutively with a different tone for each. However, whilst these issues can detract from the overall experience, THQ still have been very successful in creating the most faithful recreation of the WWE's television product to date – both visually and audibly - a feat which of course should be applauded. From a graphical standpoint, this is also the most impressive WWE game to date. The new 'predator technology' claims to have created the most realistic and ground-breaking visuals seen in a wrestling game, and for the most part it is hard to argue said claim. The superstars look closer to their real-life counterparts than in previous entries, bar some minor issues such as the physical proportions of some of the characters, and the arenas for the most part look as stunning as WWE manages to construct in reality. However on the other hand, the crowd still does not look as detailed as the superstars or the arena itself, and some other objects in-game (such as Alberto Del Rio's car during his entrance) look unrealistic and neglected from a visual stance. During cut-scenes and the in-ring action, there are still problems such as the game registering a collision whereas visually there didn't appear to be one, and the championship belts (of which there is a ridiculously large number) always appear to be going through materials or even a superstar's waist, which just looks absurd. Overall though, things have improved for the most part. However none of the afore-mentioned points would matter if the game didn't play in a way be-fitting to the excitement of WWE, and it's the in-game gameplay where THQ/Yukes appear to have brought about the most change. Grapples are now initiated with a simple press of the 'A' button, and by pressing 'A' again combined with a direction on the left thumbstick, it's possible to pull off an impressive number of moves, depending on where you are in the ring. More submission moves are now possible too, completed by simply holding down the 'A' button next to the relevant body part. Speaking of body parts, you're also able to target the head, mid-section and legs of an opponent separately, allowing you to strategically wear down an opponent before going in for the killer submission. By simplifying the controls as they have, relying on the main controller buttons as opposed to the right thumbstick, THQ have created a control scheme which is much easier to work with; the action feels much more fluid and moves can flow from one to the next with some easy button presses. Collisions between superstars, though on occasion flawed, also work well, and it's now possible to break up normal grapple moves too, adding more to the strategy of the game. There is also barely any HUD to speak of, save for the words 'Signature' and an 'F' icon to signify an available finishing manoeuvre, and this further helps what you see on your television screen look less like a game and more like an actual WWE show.
As is the case with the points brought up so far though, there are some large annoyances – there is still no manual targeting system to speak of, meaning if you wish to target one opponent in say, a triple threat match, your character may automatically move towards the other, and this can be a huge source of frustration when it comes to trying to take on two (or more) foes at the same time. There is no conceivable reason why a manual targeting button – the 'back' button for example – could not have been added to solve this problem. It's been done in past WWE games, and it seems like a silly mistake to have removed it again. Whilst applying submission holds is now carried out more easily, actually causing an opponent to submit (or indeed, escaping a hold) is simply a case of button-mashing, trying to fill up or empty a 'Breaking Point' meter to cause a tap out or to escape a hold. Winning a match using this archaic playing style feels cheap, and can make what was otherwise a competitive match come down to 'who taps fastest'. Another problem comes when trying to kick out of a finisher - whereas a normal kick-out can be attained by either button-mashing again or carefully stopping a moving needle in a highlighted area of a meter, when you are pinned following a finisher the meter doesn't even appear until at least halfway through the pin attempt, which can also feel very unfair.
One thing the WWE games have always provided is a large amount of gameplay options. There are several dozen match types as always, including the famous 'Hell in a Cell' and 'Elimination Chamber' matches, and these can be further customized to create even more types of match. The WWE universe mode also returns, and this time it is independent of the exhibition matches you may wish to create yourself. That's not to say you can't customise the Universe mode – any superstar can be adjusted to turn face/heel, change brand, you can award championships to whomever you wish – you're given a large amount of freedom in customising the roster you way you want to. It's also now possible to interfere in non-title singles matches, targeting one or both opponents and creating a rivalry, although irritatingly when you target one superstar, the other may attack you and prevent you from taking them down for no good reason. This aside, the WWE Universe mode is the most enjoyable gameplay mode on offer.
It's a shame that the same cannot be said for the latest 'Road To Wrestlemania' mode – only half as many story arcs are available as in SvR 2011, and in terms of storyline quality it's unlikely that the WWE – for all the poor storylines it may have had during it's time – would attempt to recreate these in reality. On offer are three choices – a villain story as Sheamus, an 'out-sider' story with Triple H, and a hero story, using a new (and incredibly bland) rookie wrestler called 'Jacob Cass'. Whilst for some players these can be an entertaining diversion from the Exhibition/Universe mode, there really is no incentive provided for following any of them through to the end. If THQ had allowed you to use a creates superstar as the 'hero' story, or provided more freedom as opposed to the linear offerings on show, the 'Road to Wrestlemania' may have been a more enjoyable ride.
Something which has always been impressive about the WWE games is the creative options available; every year, more and more designs and move-sets are added, allowing you to create almost any type of superstar you can dream up; there literally are countless combinations. Sadly, it's still not possible to customise already existing wrestlers, save the colour of their attires, but it's still an impressive tool. The create-an-entrance and create-a-finisher options also make a welcome return, permitting you to create ridiculous finishing moves and even more ridiculous ways for your creation to make his/her/it's way to the ring. You can also create your own entrance video, though unfortunately this feels much more limited due to the small number of choices you have. The new addition is 'Create-an-Arena', and whilst it is possible to customise the ring and ringside area in numerous ways, it's a shame you cannot do the same with the titantron – you're limited to a pre-set red/blue combination. That being said, 'Create-an-arena' is still an enjoyable new feature, one that will undoubtedly become more varied and advanced in future iterations. Online, you are able to again share your creations online, and download the creations of other players from the WWE Universe; you can also rate them accordingly and edit them further.
So, is WWE '12 a worthy purchase? The answer is yes – but, as is the case with any purchase, it depends on what you were expecting from the game. If you were expecting a total re-vamp of the WWE video game franchise, you'll be disappointed – though the series has evolved, it has done so to a smaller degree than perhaps its developers would have you believe. The gameplay feels more polished and friendly, and the finished work feels closer to the real WWE product than ever before, but this is not a total re-imagining of a series which had arguably grown stale. Rather, it is for the most part a new coat of paint, a brushing-up of previous outings – and WWE '12 still manages to feel fresh, even to seasoned Smackdown VS Raw veterans. To put it from a WWE perspective – the series has moved from Smackdown to Raw, but it's still not quite the main event of Wrestlemania.