WWE Raw vs. Smackdown 2007

WWE Raw vs. Smackdown 2007 is the best wrestling video game to come out in the past year.

It is also one of the only wrestling titles to come out this past year.

This isn’t bad for wrestling fans, but it’s not that great either. While Raw vs Smackdown 2007 is an excellent game, it’s very similar to last year’s version, and indeed, the whole "Smackdown" series itself.

Since THQ has the licensing for WWE games, and WWE is by far the most watched wrestling organization, there is little reason to change what has been working because there is not really any competition in wrestling games. Hence, the world has Madden NFL games,

The game does have some upgrades compared to last years version of Raw vs Smackdown. The General Manager mode puts players in charge of the show. Players can now send their wrestlers to Heat and Velocity to work on their techniques and gain popularity (much like sending a player to the minors in baseball) There is also the ability to hire writers for better storylines.

Other improvements to the game include:

• More than 40 original storylines for the season mode, where users pick a wrestler and try to bring him to the top, facing a number of obstacles on the way.
• “Money in the Bank" Match
• Some new wrestlers (and more that can be unlocked)

One thing that Raw vs Smackdown didn’t do very well was the roster accuracy in the game. Some of the gimmics are not up-to-date, like Booker T not being King Booker, which he has been for quite a bit of time now. The whole ECW brand that is on WWE programming now, isn’t in the game and many of the game’s superstars are branded on the wrong show. The game also includes a number of wrestlers like Mark Henry, Joey Mercury, Kid Kash and the game’s most dominant wrestler, Kurt Angle, who are no longer with the company, while it omits Jeff Hardy, Spirit Squad, Charlie Haas, among others who are prominently on WWE television. This may seem like a minor thing but wrestling fanatics love to choose from a large selection of wrestlers and in Raw vs Smackdown 2007 there really isn’t one.

The negatives and the feeling of a being a little bit outdated aside, WWE Raw vs Smackdown 2007 is still a fun game that players will enjoy. The season mode is very addicting and with all the new storylines it will keep the players entertained for awhile. I’ll be anxious to see what THQ does with Raw vs Smackdown 2008, however, as I feel wrestling fans may start to get sick of the same game with a new year.