WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW 2007 Updated Hands-On

By Alex Navarro, GameSpotPosted Oct 2, 2006 5:10 pm PT

We put the figure-four on the GM, season, and create modes available in this year's SmackDown! vs. RAW.

After getting hands-on time with two different builds of WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW 2007 at both the Tokyo Game Show and X06, respectively, and after every Xbox 360 owner got the opportunity to try the game for themselves last week when a demo hit the Xbox Live Marketplace, you might be wondering what, if anything, is left to talk about with this game. The answer? Plenty. While we've previously discussed at length the game's new right analog stick grappling controls in earlier previews, and last week we brought you a look at the full roster, Xbox 360 achievements, and the new GM mode, there's still the new season mode, online features, create modes, and even more on the new GM mode to check out. Plus, with all the attention being lavished on the Xbox 360 version of the game, some might be wondering what's up with the PlayStation 2 version. Fortunately for you, we've gotten some hands-on time with all of the above in a near-complete build of the game.

Xbox fans might finally get a wrestling game worth its salt in SmackDown! vs. RAW 2007.

Though we touched on the new GM mode last week, there are even more new features to be found than what we initially discussed. Beyond the new interface and character profile data, a whole new way to design feuds has been included. You still create feuds by pitting wrestlers on your roster against one another, but rather than forcing them to fight in repeated matches until the game recognizes a rivalry, you can now manually select specific wrestlers and set up a rivalry within a menu screen. You have to create a rivalry between a heel and a face (a bad guy and a good guy), but otherwise, there's really no restrictions. You can set the length of the rivalry and even designate specific storyline types for that rivalry. There are six storylines available, including jealous friend, stalker, ungrateful rookie, rookie partners, legend killer, and outnumbered. Anyone who has spent much time watching the cyclical WWE storylines over the last few years ought to be able to glean from these descriptions what these types of stories entail. Unfortunately, like last year's game, 2007 wont let you see your storylines play out via the game engine. You can watch the matches but not the promos.

Feuding gets even crazier when you realize you have to hire writers for these storylines. Each available writer has specialties in certain types of storylines. You might find someone good at doing David-versus-Goliath-type stories or another that's adept at diva-related plots. Obviously, you can't just hire a billion writers and stay under budget, so you need to be selective about whom you hire.

SmackDown! vs. RAW 2007's season mode has also seen something of an overhaul. Unlike in previous years, you can now go through multiple seasons with a single wrestler. Eventually, storylines will repeat, but THQ claims that you should be able to go through at least a few seasons before that happens. When starting out, there are three storyline paths available to you, and they all depend on who you choose. There's a champion path for title holders, a challenger path for number-one contenders, and a general storyline for just about anyone else on the roster. Furthermore, the mode features branching paths depending on specific choices you make during a storyline. These choices are pretty obvious, as you're presented with a couple of specific options, like whether or not you want to side with a faction or fight them. Still, it's nice to have some clear control over where a season goes. All in all, there's around 36 specific storylines in the mode.

The new GM mode interface is much easier to deal with than the previous game's.

Like last year's game, 2007 features a huge amount of voice work from the WWE superstars that adjusts depending on who you're playing in which storyline. According to THQ, the lines aren't built generically. Wrestlers will use the mannerisms and inflections of their onscreen personas in each situation. At this point, we've only played through short bits of each of the available season stories, but the dialogue has been spot-on for the level of quality one would generally experience watching a WWE broadcast.

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81 Comments

  • kill3r_vanilla

    Posted Oct 28, 2006 6:57 am PT

    no custom soundtrack

    i was lookin forwards 2 it but they can still do it if they update the game by using ms poiints or some kind of update like they did with halo 2 with the maps

  • 345669

    Posted Oct 17, 2006 10:54 am PT

    Never really played wrestling games with interest before, however i'm hooked on the new demo, even though there is only one matchup. Would like the full version when its out.

  • Fawaz_roma

    Posted Oct 13, 2006 2:38 am PT

    FANTASTICAAA ,

    awesome THQ will never let think even for moments about the bads of all it games , GREAT

    gust Waiting

  • ronpez

    Posted Oct 12, 2006 4:56 pm PT

    ok, now i like to know information of new game the hitman...

  • devxwill

    Posted Oct 11, 2006 11:20 am PT

    got it pre-ordered, hoping its worth it!

  • niel_games

    Posted Oct 11, 2006 7:01 am PT

    i think the would be the best game of smack down..
    anyone agree with me??
    i can't wait to play this game..
    john cena vs edge ..
    who will be the winner???

  • shadowmagx

    Posted Oct 10, 2006 11:06 pm PT

    i must say that this is one game that will keep me entertained for endless hours, but the only shame is that commentary or songs are not played during types of hardcore matches like street fights....but they have more details in it which should be really fun.

  • pcanepa

    Posted Oct 9, 2006 4:23 pm PT

    yes this game will be the best so far. ive been waitin for a wrestlin game to come out, and now with online... it makes it so much better. i cant wait. this is gana be great.

  • GamermArter

    Posted Oct 9, 2006 2:23 pm PT

    like to say at this game will be the best so far!!!!!!!!!

  • naruto767

    Posted Oct 8, 2006 2:58 pm PT

    wwe yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Howell123

    Posted Oct 7, 2006 5:33 am PT

    Like every year we always get one thing we always want that's not in the game! and it looks like this game will be EXACTLY THE SAME! still gonna get it tho!

  • sasuke55

    Posted Oct 6, 2006 11:19 am PT

    It does suck yes but after the 80th time looking at your created wrestlers entrance I bet you would skip by it.

  • superjord

    Posted Oct 5, 2006 6:35 pm PT

    OMFG look at the fanboy right there below dude why are you buthurt that SvR isn't on the PS3 calm down dude wait till next year jeez they always 100% of the time make upgrades from last years gome on all consoles its just a little differences here and there but DUDE! COME ON! GET A LIFE DON'T BE DISSIN THIS GAME CUZ YOU WON"T PLAY IT ON THE PS3! just wait till next year and then you'll jump of the wall leaving skidmarks in ur undies playin SvR 2008 on ur PS3 so there

  • davidboggs2005

    Posted Oct 5, 2006 1:59 pm PT

    thier proaly goign to make the ps3 svr 2008 like realy good grafix way better then this and actualy fight in the whole crowd and custume soundtraks their just giving the xbox users their trash so what theve done so far ant to waist look at the pictures the wresilers dont even look like them its pathetic this game is pathetic for a next gen game it sucks theri just trying to make the 360 look bad to the ps3 but it wont wrok to many good games coming for the 360 sooooo xbox wins thq your plane fails lol lol lol.

  • davidboggs2005

    Posted Oct 5, 2006 12:59 pm PT

    its just the same ass all the others period.

  • S_DOT_X

    Posted Oct 5, 2006 6:02 am PT

    That's true about the guide button to play a song during ur entrance, i mean cmon though who should have to go through all that, after wasting all of our time on xbox 1 with raw 1 and 2, and that abomination wm22, you would think that thq would try harder to to sell us another lack-luster steaming pile of sh**.Especially now that they have smackdown for the first year on an xbox console the should go out of theyre way to make every lost fan of xbox wrestling games back, and even going out the way to make this game the BEST EVER being canceled on ps3 we should have custom soundtracks. PERIOD!, i mean we spend over $50.00 for a game that doesnt meet all the standards it should, they always take the cheapest way out, i mean HOW MANY YEARS ARE THEY GOIN TO REHASH THE SAME BS COMMENTARY????. I keep telling myself "they're gonna change it next year, and still they dont" even if they kept the old stuff and add jbl and joey styles to the mix it would be a little better but its like they dont try. For god's sake they dont even talk about the match, i'd love to hear jr say WHAT A HELLATIOS BACKBREAKER or just cream his classic line OHHH MYYY GOODDD!!! instead of hearing king and jr, have the same meaningless arguements not everymatch but ever match FOR 3 YEARS!!!....i dont know things could be a little better but im not complaining, i hope its still a great game, even though i wouldnt mind a date push back to make it really worth my money

  • S_DOT_X

    Posted Oct 5, 2006 5:54 am PT

    the one thing that really bothers me is backstage brawls and stuff i mean i loved the old smackdown games where that stuff was all on one match, why should you be confined to ringside in a hardcore match i loved smackdown 5's hardcore matches, climing on top of wwe now york, and riding the undertakers motorcycle, they should make more backstage areas and put them all in the hardcore match, why should we have to pick one place and stay there, i swear i love the series but they need to change some things, its was much more fun to run from place to place laying wast to my opponent in a hardcore match i miss the fun aspects of the game my favorite one was climing on top of the fist lol anyone remember that? even as good as this game looks there are going to always be things left undone or not done correctly so you gotta take the bad with the good i guess, the game may shine in the graphics, controlls and and create modes but only to cover-up the rehashed feeling the commentary and match types give the game

  • Warp-9

    Posted Oct 5, 2006 5:00 am PT

    Raw vs SD on X-Box..........

    About freakin time!!!!

  • Ryu_Hayabusa1

    Posted Oct 5, 2006 1:39 am PT

    I MUST BUY THIS GAME FANTASTIC

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