WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW 2007 Updated Hands-On
Time to play the game! We get our hands on the new analog controls in SmackDown! vs. RAW 2007.
The Undertaker is stalking Triple H around the ring. The Game has had a rough go of it so far, and the Dead Man has no intention of letting up on the former WWE champ. Since the beginning of the match, Undertaker has been taking it to Triple H with a variety of suplexes, choke slams, and pile drivers--at times, it feels like he's just toying with Triple H, holding him up in the air, dragging him across the ring, and only slamming him back to the mat after he's humiliated him a bit. At one point, 'Taker has Triple H out of the ring and in the crowd, tossing him into monitors or up against gigantic stadium speakers. The crowd loves it; one old lady even tosses her cane to The Undertaker so he can bash Triple H over the head with it. These are just a few examples of the kinds of interactivity that THQ's WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW 2007 will feature. We had a chance to see the game in action and get a hands-on look at the new controls, and we came away impressed with what we've seen so far.
With SmackDown! vs. RAW 2007, the Yuke's development team behind the game has taken a step forward in the game's control, moving the vast majority of the grapple moves to the right analog stick for easier access by players. Last week we took a look at exactly how these new moves are controlled, and now that we've had time to play the game for an extended period of time, we can safely say that the analog controls do add something to the gameplay. For one thing, the moves seem that much easier to access--a quick flick of the thumbstick is measurably easier on the fingers than holding down combinations of buttons. For another, the game seems to be pretty responsive to your input when compared to the old button system from previous versions of the game.
So how do the controls work in practice? For the purpose of explanation, we'll use a virtual version of Kurt Angle and his default moves to discuss the different grapples you can pull off. The first set of moves, quick grapples, is pulled off by moving the right analog stick while in the vicinity of your opponent. When standing in front of your opponent, pushing the right stick left or right has Angle perform a simple knee takedown. Push up on the controller and Angle will flip his opponent over his body and onto his back. Finally, pushing down on the right analog has Angle wrap his opponent up and deliver a quick knee to the stomach. The quick grapple move set is different when you are standing behind your opponent. Pressing left results in a slam, pressing right executes a reverse suplex, pressing down results in several strikes to the lower back, and pressing up puts Angel's opponent in a choke hold.
Strong grapples are executed by combining the right bumper and the right analog stick. In Angle's case, pressing RB and down will make Angle twist his opponent's arm, RB and up will have Angle lock up with his foe in a traditional manner, left and RB will have Angle grab his opponent's head and give him a kick to the gut for good measure, and RB and right will put his opponent in a front face-lock. When you are behind an opponent and try a strong grapple move, you will simply turn your opponent around to face you, setting you up to be in a proper strong-grapple position.
The strong grapple is really just a setup for the subset of moves that you can pull off once you have your foe locked up. In the case of Angle (or any of the other WWE superstars that will appear in the game), that can range from a variety of suplexes and slams to painful-looking submission moves. Which moves are available to your wrestler depends on his or her style, though it's important to know that not only can you set up your move sets from scratch for your created wrestler, you can also edit the moves of any of the current superstars to your liking.
The variety doesn't stop at the strong grapples and its associated move sets. From any strong-grappling position, you can access a host of specially designed interactive holds by clicking on the right analog stick (pressing the R3 button, as it's known). Depending on where you are located inside (or outside) the ring, you'll pull off a specially designed move that you will be able to control yourself. Let's take a look at some of Angle's special interactive moves.
From a standard lockup position, Angle's interactive grapple move is the fireman's carry, which has Angle place his opponent up on his shoulders. Once he's up there, you can move the right analog stick in a circle, and Angle will begin to spin around; the faster you turn the stick, the faster Angle will spin. Once you set down your opponent, he will be dizzy and stumble around the ring, giving you the perfect opportunity to really lay into him. If you have your opponent in an arm twist and press the R3 button, Angle will scoop up his opponent and then slam him down on his knee repeatedly. Here, you control exactly how many times Angle slams his foe by pressing up and down on the right analog stick. As a variation on that move, you can first push down on the controller, then up, and Angle will toss his foe over his head.
The interactive moves available to you depend not only on your strong-grapple choice, but also on your position in the ring. If you're close to the ropes, you might be able to toss your opponent crotch first onto the top ropes, then violently shake the ropes up and down to give him a truly painful ride. Another move lets you rake your opponent's face across the middle or bottom rope. With your opponent in a vertical suplex position, you can push him up and down, demonstrating your raw power for the crowd, before letting your opponent crash to the ground. If you've got your opponent prepped for a power slam, you can walk him over to the edge of the ropes and then slam him outside of the ring, a truly devastating move. In cage matches, you'll have the ability to drag your foe's face back and forth across the steel grating of the cage itself. The scope of the different moves and the variety for each makes this feature pretty impressive right from the outset.
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