In case you’d forgotten, because surely you already knew, WWE SmackDown! vs RAW 2007 is next-generation exclusive to Xbox 360. Admittedly this has added greatly to our enjoyment of world class wrestling antics here at the Leipzig GC, but even if you’re not feeling smug the game is still amazing.
Although we could fill Xbox.com with descriptions of how amazing it all looks (Triple H and Co looking so real it almost feels wrong to stare!) we came to Leipzig to know how this thing controls. It’s sweet. Okay, possibly you need more detail.
Commiserations to anyone who already mastered the complex button combinations required in previous iterations of Raw. You won’t need those any longer. Grappling is now taken care of using flicks of the sticks in conjunction with shoulder buttons. Quick techniques, such as takedowns, require nothing more than a nudge Up, Left, Down, or Right on the right stick. Stronger grapples require a combination of the right shoulder button, and right stick. The latter reach out and take hold of your opponent, taking slightly longer to execute and so demand sensible timing. Since your biggest obstacle now is remembering exactly which move is triggered by whichever direction, WWE SmackDown! vs RAW 2007 becomes much more about tactics instead of perfecting your finger ballet around the buttons. It’s like your mind is hardwired to the game through the controller – think first, twitch later!
Focus is also required when you have your opponent caught in a strong grapple, because from here you can lay on all your best combinations: twisting arms, bending legs, and generally mangling the other guy through a series of suplexes until they start crying for mummy. Interactive holds are the icing on the cake, triggered by clicking down on the right stick (R3). If timed to perfection these are the ultimate in humiliation, resulting in the finest displays of a wrestler’s trademark moves.
We can’t wait to take this craziness online with Xbox Live. Our Booker T will annihilate all comers, you have been duly warned!
