THQ return to the world of the squared circle with the rebranded WWE 12, and while it's a step in the right direction, all is not quite right with the colourful brawler.
Its been a while since I graced the squared-circle in a video-game sense, Im not even sure if the squared-circle is still an accepted term in wrestling squared-circles. But after THQ claimed that WWE12 was going to be Bigger, Badder, Better it felt like the right time to moonsault my way back into the genre is moonsault still a thing? As you may have guessed from the opening paragraph my wrestling knowledge has diminished greatly since the days of the Road Dogg Jesse James and Bad Ass Billy Gunn, so coming into WWE12 I was more concerned about how it played rather than if it recreates the existing wrestling world on a purely superficial level. Which, apparently, is precisely why I was chosen to review it. The good news is that it plays pretty well. The speed of the game feels a lot slower than previous additions to the Smackdown Vs Raw games which for someone who grew up playing N64 wrestling titles this is a good thing. As a result everything feels heavier making the power moves feel more substantial although there is certainly still room for improvement. It's a step in the right direction.
The grapple system, which all matches centre around is intuitive and simple to use - press A to start the grapple and depending on position of the opponent or direction of the analogue stick, a wide variety of moves will take place. The problem arises with the reversals, whilst the AI seems to be able to pick and choose when it wants to reverse leaving you sweating every time you go into a grapple that ultimately removes your personal involvement within the match; yet on the other side when you yourself are trying to reverse, its as much a game of chance as the lottery. Hit RT as soon as it flashes above your head and youll reverse, although the nanosecond it is on screen either leaves you pointlessly button bashing or hovering over RT whilst the match is still going on. Reversals are necessary, but it is unfortunately a massively flawed system. As anyone who has played a wrestling game will know, through no choice of their own characters will often move with abilities far beyond that of man. Developer YUKES has tried to alleviate that problem with inclusion of their new Predator Technology. Designed to improve ring physics, character animations and move transitions it certainly improves on past titles, but it is definitely a work in progress. This isnt a major issue as this new engine is an impressive enough step-forward that I should stop getting frustrated at my characters inability to enter a ring because someone is standing close by. The Road to Wrestlemania is the single player campaign mode that puts you in the role of three individuals that complete a three act structure taking you all the way to Wrestlemania. The Villain Act has you in the role of the Albino Warrior Seamus. The Hero act features everyones favourite hero (cough) Triple H, and the Outsider act puts you in the shoes of a user-created character. Everything has been scripted and lasts a respectable 12 hours. However... With the script restrictions in place you might expect an engaging story tightly sculpted to provide the highest level of satisfaction. What you get is a disjointed experience that has some strong elements of story and excitement, but often fails with uninvolved QuickTime events at the end of scripted set-pieces. It will have you under the control of other wrestlers in a match you can only lose to benefit the story. This is perhaps a little too close to the real thing by further making you feel that you are never in control. For Wrestling obsessives there is the Universe mode, and whilst not having the scripted set-pieces of the Road to Wrestlemania, it does allow you to take the role of Vince McMahon and customise every facet of the world from arenas down to jock-strap tassels. Dont want to be Vince? Be Ted Turner and really put the cat amongst the Hardy Boyz. The inclusion of TV camera angles into WWE12 is a masterstroke, and it goes a long way to making the power moves seem more intense. Physically the wrestlers are more realistic than previously inflated versions and the ring entrances are as close to the real thing as can be. But whilst other sports titles can get away with a dead behind the eyes look, Road to Wrestlemania has placed too much importance on cut-scenes that youll see all too often the failings in character animations and appearance. The first thing I noticed when I began playing this game was the audio - now I may have been spoiled from playing too much of the excellent NBA2k12, but the commentary and crowd noise are so noticeably not related to the action that a kick to the leg feels the same as a tombstone. Audio shouldnt be too noticeable but it should still enhance other elements, and here it does the complete opposite. THQ boasted Bigger, Badder, Better and its hard to argue they havent fulfilled all of these claims, but having come into this as someone who expected a completely new game I have been left slightly disappointed. Age-old problems persist which suggests its the nature of the beast and we need to wait for developments in technology to truly iron out glitches. But this is a valiant effort and wrestling fans will drool over it. Non-wrestling fans would also get something from this game but would soon be asking, Why wont he shut up? Much like the real thing. WWE 12 is available to buy on XBox 360, PS3 and Wii now.