WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW 2008 - more hands-on

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Set to get wrestling back to the top

That the SmackDown games have become stale in recent years is undeniable. The last couple felt particularly bogged down with samey-feeling characters, an ill-conceived stamina system and, in last year's outing especially, bafflingly idiotic AI- which Lead Programmer Reiji Satowent so far as to apologize to us for. The series couldn't even think about entering the next generation without a kick up the ass. The good news is that it just might have got one.

You might have read about the eight different fighting styles. These - Powerhouse, High Flyer, Technical, Brawler, Submission Expert, Showman, Dirty and Hardcore (which are the ECW mob's forte) - are all designed to make each grappler feel suitably different to others, forcing players to think tactically during each bout. Curiously, each wrestler will actually be an expert in two different styles, and you'll have to pick just one to specialize in for the match ahead. Triple H, for instance, can be either a Powerhouse or a Brawler, and you'll have to select just how you'd like to scrap.