WWE 12 for Xbox 360 Reviews by Gamers

This year's WWE title was supposed to be a rehash of the entire series with new "Predator Technology" and greater customization. The gameplay doesn't feel as drastically different as advertised from the old series. The Smackdown vs. Raw series was getting stale and while there are improvements, the biggest change is the name and this still feels like another step in the old series.

This year's Road to WrestleMania mode is much more interesting and probably the biggest improvement. Using original stories and a bigger focus on cut scenes within matches, the story is much more involved than in previous years. The main complaint with this mode is the use of the "Y" button to trigger scenes within matches breaking up the action. Very few matches are traditional "pin your opponent and win" matches and instead you just beat up your opponent until a symbol appears above their head to trigger the scene and advance the story. The story can also get repetitive fighting the same people multiple times. Overall, it's an enjoyable experience the first time through to experience the cool story but lacks replay value.

Luckily, Universe mode is where the replay value increases. For wrestling fans, this is the chance to mold the WWE into your vision. Customization is greatly improved including the ability to use WCW and classic belts on your shows. Even with the customization, the game will still allow random people to run in on your matches in almost every match. Customization will allow you to fix this much easier than last year's version but it is still a hassle to play through these matches.

The controls and gameplay remain mostly the same despite all the advertising of improvements. New camera angles and animations that no longer transport your wrestler to the middle of the ring are new but don't fix the gameplay problems. This game is a disappointment by being considered a "new" direction when many of the flaws are the same.