WWE Smackdown vs Raw

Wrestling has always been an odd sport, however it is also very entertaining and you never really know what is going to happen next, so maybe this is why the sport attracts millions of fans from around the globe and of course it's popularity means that yet another wrestling sequel was inevitable, but for this everyone should be thankful.

When you first load WWE, you are spoilt for choice as to which games you can play, all the usual suspects are there such as exhibition where you can enjoy a quick custom match against a friend or the computer, game mode where you can find general manager mode (which now has new additions such as the ability to send superstars to Heat and Velocity for improved popularity) or play through a season, you will also find other options such as create mode in which you can create a wrestler among other things and of course Xbox Live mode.

The in game action is where our interest lies though and there is plenty for us to talk about. Your character's movement is controlled by the left analogue stick and the right analogue stick is used to carry out moves such as grappling and throwing, R3 also introduces you to the new Ultimate Control Mode which lets you control the frequency and speed of certain moves, however it does take a while to get to grips with the controls but once you master them you will be wiping the floor with your opponents.

The in ring action is great fun, you can stamp on your opponent until your hearts content and I have to mention that the detail on the characters and the animation when they carry out their moves is fantastic, there are also plenty of moves to choose from such as throwing your opponent or if you wish you can knockout the referee, take the padding off the corner of the ring and smash your opponents head against it until he loses consciousness and the referee gains his. There are also plenty of characters to choose from, each with their own style and moves, you can even unlock classic characters (which without showing my age are the ones that I remember) such as Hulk Hogan and Rowdy Piper,

Something which really adds to the game is the ability to interact with the crowd, an example of this I can give you is, when I was playing an Xbox Live game and my opponent (who clearly had more practice than me) dragged me by the hair and threw me over the barrier into the crowd, he then proceeded to unfold a table and place my wrestler onto it, he then climbed on top of the fire exit and leapt onto me, resulting in the table and probably my characters back breaking, this was all topped off with a chair being rapped around my head before he went back into the ring and started to show off to the audience, this really adds to the authenticity of the game and makes it more than just a simulation of a wrestling game.

One thing you notice when playing is that your characters stamina will go down pretty fast and while he is taking a breather, this gives your opponent an opportunity to do some moves on you, to regenerate your stamina all you need to do is hold down the B button although I have found that when your stamina is depleting, perhaps it is better to go out of the ring to regenerate.

Xbox Live mode gives you two choices for games, ranked and player match, these games are very enjoyable and mostly lag free, it is also very easy to find an opponent, however it is probably best to have some practice first (as I found to my cost).

Although most of the above is positive there are a few small niggles with the game, firstly the wrestler rosters are slightly out of date, but if like me you are not a follower of wrestling this may not matter too much, although I am sure enthusiasts would prefer that these were up to date. My main gripe with the game though is the loading screens, it seems to take forever to get from the dashboard into the action and every time an event happens in the game up pops the loading screen, however it doesn't interfere with the action so once you are in the ring this is easy to forget about.

To summarise, THQ have made a game which replicates WWE as closely as possible and have done an excellent job, when you combine the graphics on the Xbox 360 with the sound of the crowd and the commentary you would be forgiven for thinking you were watching TV, although this game may not be for everyone, if you enjoy your wrestling or beat'em up games then this will keep you entertained for a long time.