Smackdown vs Raw 2007 Review
The world of professional wrestling has a lot of fans out there both in USA and other parts of the world. On the other hand, the world of professional wrestling games does not really have that many fans. Smackdown vs Raw 2007 is a game that might change some people’s view on this topic. My girlfriend, who likes games like Rogue Galaxy, Final Fantasy or Legend of Zelda, was impressed a little with the game. I must say that I am a big fan of WWE and TNA and I was looking forward to playing this game and as soon as I put it in my Playstation 2 I was quickly grabbed by it. The game is highly addictive, especially for fans of simulated, spectacular and acted fights like in professional wrestling. Smackdown vs Raw 2007 comes with some new elements, an improved look and a whole lot more.
Just like with every game in the series, Smackdown vs Raw 2007 comes to the table with new features, improved gameplay and a look that is very impressive. This is one the closest to reality fighting games I got a chance to play up till that point in time. Probably the most important new feature we can notice is the fact that grappling is now done by using the right analog stick. This actually makes everything faster and better because you can quickly and easily switch from one simple grappling move to a more difficult one, making everything smoother. Don’t expect revolutionary uses of the right analog stick like in Fight Night or NHL 2K7. Expect something better than in previous games in this series. Another big inclusion in the game is environmental elements. You can interact with several areas like the commentator’s table, ring post, you have a new area to fight right in the middle of the spectators in special matches (like hardcore, No DQ etc). Hell, you can even grab a fan sign and break it. The R3 button of the playstation is also used to perform special moves in any grappling state that will drain stamina but will be spectacular and the fans will love it, increasing momentum. There is also a downside to this as it is quite strange how performing a series of powerbombs will drain stamina slower than performing an arm lock to another move.
Another well improved aspect of Smackdown vs Raw 2007 is a better Season Mode. You now have 40 storylines that will appear, which are pre-made with a possibility to even choose different ways to go with the story like joining a stable or not. You will thus see storylines involving betrayal, a female superstar cheating her partner, getting involved in the Royal Rumble and so on. The advantage is that you will not get bored until you really know them all but the downside is that there is no calendar and you might end up missing important events. For instance, I only got to play the Rroyal Rumble on the third season mode game I played. Hopefully Smackdown vs Raw 2008 (unofficial title) will fix this. GM mode is also very well built and now has some very interesting new features that I will leave you to find out for yourself as this game mode was my favorite.
A great feature I personally enjoyed a lot is a basically endless reversal system. You have two types of reversals, one for grapples and one for strikes and you can end up going from counter to counter for a long time if you get experienced. This also turns annoying when talking about what happens when you get hurt. You can end up being hit or slammed and not be able to react because of long animations. This leads to impossibility in using the above mentioned reversal system.
A really funny fact I found in Smackdown vs Raw 2007 is regarded to Kurt Angle. This superstar is currently one of the best in TNA and in the game he is also one of the best but he is included in the game (and he is very good). Talking strictly about the roster we can see it is a little disappointing as several figures in the WWE haven’t even been included in the game. For instance we can play with Umaga but Estrada is nowhere to be found. Also, you might end up with your game running very difficultly (especially in matches with many superstars involved) and loading time is incredible. On PSP it is actually incredibly long.
The most disturbing part of the game is the follow-up attack. The CPU player will simply wait a long time before following up on you if you are down. This makes it all seem too laid back instead of giving a real fighting feeling. Leaving these problems aside I must say that this game is the best in wrestling games so far. Smackdown vs Raw 2007 is a game I have been waiting for and although it sometimes disappointed me, on the whole it was a tremendous experience and still is.