Smack it down to the ground, WWE style

THQ promised that WWE ‘12 would be the game to reinvent their tired series, and it seems that with this new entry they have succeeded, at least in part. This is a game which recreates the almost absurd dramatics and stage-play that wrestling is famous for: from The Undertaker’s chilling entrance to some of the, sometimes hilarious, match modes.

The ‘campaign’ within WWE ‘12 is the ‘Road to Wrestlemania’ which puts you in the shoes of three different characters: Sheamus (the villain); Triple H (the outsider) and Jacob Cass (the player-created rookie wrestler). The Road to Wrestlemania occupies a fairly sizable chunk of the game (roughly twelve hours) but it is at times frustrating. To mimic real life pro-wrestling this game mode has backstage fights, promos and even scripted events in the middle of matches. These scripted events can often be the most frustrating element of this mode as quite often I found myself fruitlessly trying to pin an opponent, when all that was required was a contextual button press.

To mimic real life pre-wrestling this game has backstage fights, promos and even scripted events in the middle of matches

Gripes about Road to Wrestlemania aside, the other single player mode, WWE universe, should provide many hours of enjoyment. This mode provides a section of the game without a story, allowing the matches to be shown in a calendar format allowing almost complete customisation and allowing for what the game should be mainly about (the wrestling) to come to the fore. Feuds and alliances will be formed in this mode and should keep you coming back for more.

The multiplayer mode is great fun as playing against a human opponent is much more enjoyable than competing against the AI opponents in WWE ‘12. When against the AI the difficulty occasionally spikes with the only reason seemingly being to punish the player for having become better at the game. However, the AI can be easily tweaked using a large range of customisation options. Competing against a human opponent is still the best experience for a match in WWE ‘12, and the almost lag-free online multiplayer makes it even easier to enjoy this.

In terms of controls the game is very easy to pick up with its intuitive control system. The A button is used to grapple, B is used for punches, kicks, Irish whips and pins, whilst the Y button controls the wrestler’s signature and finishing moves. The game also supplies button prompts for countering moves but these flitter onto and off the screen at such a speed that the countering system is somewhat down to chance, unless you have lightning-fast reflexes. The ability to target specific limbs is also a welcome addition as it adds an almost tactical and strategic feel to the gameplay.

The vast customisation options in WWE ‘12 really give the game a unique touch; you can create your own character from scratch

The customisation options in WWE ‘12 are vast. You can create your own character from scratch, altering their appearance, entrance, move set and finishing move. There is also an option for creating your own arena for use in the game. These customisation options really give the game a unique touch when you watch your wrestler come on using their own entrance rather than a stock one.

As a complete package WWE ‘12 is worth your time. The impressive customisation options, the large roster of over 60 characters and the solid core gameplay make this game a tempting package for anyone with the slightest interest in wrestling.