"Weeeeeeelllllllll, its the Big Show!" Those few words send a chill down the spine. One can only imagine what it must be like to face up to the giant that is the world's biggest athlete in the ring. A scary proposition in reality, but in the game world, it is actually quite fun.
WWE '12 is the latest release in the wrestling game genre and by far the best of what before now was a rather bad bunch.
Developers Yuke's should be given a mighty pat on the back for giving the title a proper revamp and one which is more than likely going to appease die-hard fans of wrestling (and those who are not too keen on the 'sport' - including yours truly).
In the past it was far too easy to pull off moves and defeat an opponent. Now we have a game which brings serious realism straight from the ring to your console - both in the gameplay and graphics.
The gameplay is fantastic in comparison with the past and gone are the days of being able to perform the same move over and over again, as well as not being able to fight back when a finishing move is being performed. The game has become a lot more tactical, calling on players to use their heads while fighting rather than just the punch button. The way in which the ropes move when action is taking place in the ring is another addition which impressed me.
I especially enjoyed the new feature whereby you can target specific body parts, rather than just the face. Targeting the right arm or left leg will force your opponent to pick up progressive injuries in those areas, giving you the edge as the match gets tougher - this then ties in with the different moves your superstar can perform, as the deteriorating physical state of your opponent opens up a different group of moves with which to break your challenger.
One thing which did annoy me, however, was the slow reaction time of some of the wrestlers. These slow reactions allow your opponent to get on top rather easily, but as I said above, if you are tactical about your fight then small problems like these fall away very quickly.
Apart from the obvious single matches, which range from a cage fight to the royal rumble (pretty much all the matches have been included), there are some interesting campaigns which you can partake in. "WWE Universe" affords you the opportunity to play a whole host of pre-booked matches ('booked' is a wrestling term for 'scheduled'), while "Road to WrestleMania" takes you on a journey in and around the wrestling fraternity as three different stars, before eventually reaching the holy grail that is WrestleMania. In this particular section I thought the wrestlers managed to translate their in-ring personas flawlessly into the game - it felt as if I was watching the real thing at times.
While I enjoyed the single player options, nothing beats being able to fight against your friends. Two or more players really unlocked the potential of the game for me and gave me a new-found appreciation for the wrestling genre.
Having foolishly bought wrestling titles in the past only to regret my decision almost instantly, I am thoroughly impressed by the progress which this genre has made. So all that is left now is for you to round up some friends, grab a few cold ones and beat the living hell out of each other - you won't be disappointed.
For fans of: Wrestling titles
Rating: 7.5 howzits out of 10
- Andrew Hallett
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