WWE 12 preview

“Bigger, Badder, Better”. While you can easily compare that motto to Mark Henry, though I don’t think he will be better anymore, THQ had this motto in mind when introducing WWE 12. They wanted to take a brand new approach and try to redefine the wrestling game genre like The Rock redefined sports entertainment in the Attitude Era. With a new logo, new name, bad ass cover boy in Randy Orton; things seem to be in motion for the new WWE experience. I have been hyping this game for months due to my time with the game prior to release and now that I have had the time to dissect this game from the inside-out, I am here to give you our review. Does this game deserve a ballot in the Hall of Fame, or does it need to be covered with a paper bag? Let’s find out.

Gameplay has seen a nice change and one that will almost remind fans of the good old No Mercy days. THQ has gotten rid of the analog grapple scheme and moved it back to the face buttons. What’s nice about the face buttons is the ease of use for newcomers while still being in-depth for veteran players. The A button handles your grapples, B handles the irish whip, X is your strikes, signatures and finishers are done with the Y button, and reversals are done with RT. Now reversal windows are different depending on the characters attributes but I did find myself at times being unable to reverse a handful of moves in a match even when I’m timing everything right (as if they went Super Cena). Another problem I found is how soon you have to reverse running grapples. While you can easily just press A and grab them into a move, sometimes the CPU will perform a running grapple on you from just a foot away and can be impossible to react to.
The new “Breaking Point” submission system is a nice and welcomed change from what we’ve had the past few years and can make things pretty frantic if your wrestlers limbs are pretty damaged. It is well balanced with my only complaint being other wrestlers having the ability to do a cross-arm breaker (or Alberto’s finisher) even though it isn’t a finisher for them. The same can be said about the Lebell Lock but luckily I haven’t found anyone other than Daniel Bryan doing it. Speaking of limbs, the new “Limb Targeting System” does what it’s supposed to, I just wish there were different moves they could perform other then the same quick elbow to the head or arm twist followed by an elbow. More diversity in the moves would have been nice. Difficulty has seen a spike of sorts and if you’re accustomed to playing the game on Legendary in SvR11, well that’s your normal difficulty in WWE 12. Once you bump it up to hard or legendary the real drama and action truly begin. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible on normal though, just more of a challenge this time around.

The pacing of each match is what brings the gameplay together. No longer are you laying on your back after a few moves in the first minute. Characters get up quicker in the start of matches making the pace more like the real thing. As both characters get damaged throughout the match they will stay on the mat a little longer but not to the point where you think they’re sleeping. The new predator technology that has been added is certainly to thank for most of this and it helps WWE 12 feel more like a simulation type game then an arcade. If anything the best way to describe WWE 12′s gameplay is that it’s a lot more smoother than it ever was.
Even with the few minor complaints, I can’t help but continue playing. This is the best the gameplay has been in a long time and the most entertaining. Reversals seem about right even if at times you feel like you just can’t do a thing; But that’s wrestling right? You will literally write a story in the ring and at times in the most epic ways. Win or lose you’ll feel like you put on a great match only to pick other characters and do it over again and again. Add on that every match type ever made is available at your fingertips, and you’ll literally create an epic in-ring story almost every day.
Road to Wrestlemania has received a much needed change from the multiple different paths you can play through in years past. Normally the goal of RTWM is to play through some of the stories with the conclusion hitting at  Wrestlemania. But the developers at THQ thought it would be better if you went through the months it takes to get to the biggest stage in wrestling and more. Now on your path to fulfill your destiny(s) in RTWM you will encounter plenty of twists and turns using the likes of Shaemus, Triple H, and a user created character. These stories may be the best thing you’ll see compared to some of the recent storylines in WWE.

While only one main story of the three ends up being the most unique and entertaining, the thing that takes away from RTWM is the lack of control you’ll have when playing. Most of the matches just consists of you wearing down an opponent whether in the ring, backstage, or on the stage and having to press the Y button to go into a cut scene. Even in matches that you feel you must win will make you feel like you wasted your time when the end result for the story is you losing. There is no sense of surprise since you know something is going to happen once the Y icon appears over the opponents head and it truly takes away from the mode. It even feels forceful every once in a while that the match has to take a specific route in order for you to continue. Knowing how well the gameplay is in WWE 12, RTWM doesn’t seem to let you fully enjoy it and at times can get really frustrating.
The one mode you will sink most of your time into, whether by yourself or with friends, is WWE Universe mode. You pretty much have complete control of both RAW and Smackdown (including WWE Superstars) to do what you wish. You can create your own matches, tag team stables, or even PPV’s. You can even remove WWE RAW altogether and re-create WCW Monday Nitro. Heck if you want, you can get rid of the WWE period. WWE Universe mode is your mode and it never ends. What makes it more unique are the different scenes that randomly happen while you’re playing. Thankfully there are more cutscenes that come up other than a character buying a ticket to the show. You’ll see random surprise attacks, rivals joining the announcers table to watch your match, or you’ll see someone get carted out of the ring due to injury. What’s even better is when they decide to come back and beat the person that injured them in the first place. Interfering in matches has also been included so if you want to take out John Cena in almost every match he is in, go for it. Just be careful because if you’re trying to stay babyface, attacking Cena will more than likely turn you into a heel…a really cool heel.
The most I can take out of Universe mode is how much it’s been improved upon. With more cutscenes, the ability to make title matches whenever you want, and just the power to do anything. THQ has even helped by letting you go from match to match without ever going to the menu but that does mean you will be fighting matches that are randomly put together by the CPU. If you want to change all the matches, you have to do it one at a time and either simulate the match or play through it only to return to the menu and do it over again. They did make everything easier but I would have liked to change the match cards of say the entire show instead of doing everything one at a time.

Creation has always been a deep aspect of the WWE games and it continues in WWE 12. You still have everything from creating a superstar, create-a-finisher, the highlight reel, creating entrances, etc; but now you have the ability to create your own ring. Want to remake the old school Royal Rumble ring, you can do it. What to create a ring that looks like a barn with the theme being cows, moo sir. Want to put the face of Spongebob Square Pants on the ring mat, it’s possible (and scary). The only thing you can’t fix up is the ramp or stage but that’s fine. Hopefully something THQ expands on in WWE 13 but the creativity of the WWE community is certainly going to make for some interesting creations. If you think you aren’t that skilled or creative though, no worries. I don’t think I am but I managed to create a nice prototype of what I think the Wrestlemania 28 ring will look like in just 5 minutes. It’s really that easy. If you still think you suck, you can always download other peoples ring creations via the online community feature; which will also be full of characters, logos, finishers, or whatever else people come up with for you to download.
Online multiplayer has been improved and I was able to fit in a few matches. Games were actually running very well and with multiple opponents. The Royal Rumble certainly takes some time to get through but it was fun when playing with an enthusiastic group of friends. It should be noted though that compared to how many people will be hitting the servers on release day, I want to take some more time to truly test out the online servers before I make a complete conclusion. For now, it’s getting a thumbs up with a Mick Foley smile.
Presentation wise you’ll think you are watching a real WWE program. The presentation is just top notch. The predator technology certainly gets another nod due to the graphical enhancement as it brings the characters to life but this is truly the prettiest WWE game ever made. Randy Orton looks like Randy Orton (play-off beard or no beard), David Otunga and his giant manboobs are present and accounted for, The Undertaker’s entrance is still dark and creepy (even if it still takes forever for him to get to the ring), and John Cena still does his salute before sprinting to the ring even though I would have liked to hear more boo’s from the fans.

There are over 60+ characters to choose from, not including DLC, and every one of them look spot on. However you must be aware that THQ can only do so much for a franchise that changes things at the most random moments. A good example of this is Cody Rhodes. They have both the “Dashing” and Richard Jefferson mask wearing Cody in WWE 12 but as seen in last night’s Survivor Series, his entrance music has changed and so has his look. Not every character will look or have the same entrances as they do on the show now but give it to THQ for trying.
Before playing through PPV’s the introduction of the PPV is shown followed by a fireworks show which really gives it the WWE look and the announcing team of Cole and King do their job even if they do tend to repeat themselves after a while. It’s even nice to hear that Cole still kisses Miz’s ass or calls different moves “vintage”. Hopefully next year we can add Booker T to the broadcast booth because I can’t wait to hear “Here we go” or “What the hell” during my matches. Did I mention bigger belts? No? Well yes, the belts finally look the way they should around the waste of the wrestlers and the names are even engraved on every belt. Even better, there are more than 10 belts to choose from in this game including current belts, classic belts, and a few you won’t see coming.
I did find some slowdown issues within the crowd during introductions but it’s nothing compared to some of the graphical hiccups I ran into while playing the game. Floating superstars, running through the Elimination Chamber and into the crowd, some warping still occurs, and the referee does get stuck once in a while in a glitchy state where he seems to not know if he wants to go left or right. While the game looks great there are issues that will probably be patched on day one or very soon but it’s nothing that takes away from the experience. The ring ropes do have life to them as they move whenever a move is done in the ring but only when you play the Royal Rumble will you see the physics of the ropes be pretty funky at times.

WWE 12 is a great wrestling game. One of the most entertaining, and beautiful, WWE games I have played in a very long time. Road to Wrestlemania does take some points off as it was the most disappointing mode of the game and there are still a few issues here and there you may run into but the creative depth, the outstanding presentation, and the amount of fun I have had just playing this game makes it worth the $60 price tag. For any WWE fan, this game is a must buy. I give WWE 12 a 9 out of 10 (or 5 Little Jimmy’s out of 5) and that’s the bottom line cause this guy said so!