WWE SmackDown! vs RAW 2007 review

It was a sad day for all the PlayStation-faithful wrestling fans when, earlier this year, THQ announced that the PlayStation 3 version of WWE SmackDown vs RAW 2007 was being canned. On the bright side, however, while we won’t see a next generation SmackDown this year, we at least have a great current-gen version - and it is, without a doubt, the best SmackDown yet.

Of course, that’s what folks said about last year's game, and it was true then. But what makes this year’s game even better is that THQ, not content with leaving well enough alone, has gone in and tweaked everything. And nowhere is this more evident than with the gameplay, which has undergone some considerable changes.

The developer's goal for this year was giving the player even more control, and with this new grappling system that utilizes the right analog stick, they've mostly succeeded. Just flick the stick in a direction to do a quick move like an arm drag; hold R1 and flick the stick to get into a lock up, where you can do more powerful moves, including moving your opponent to one of the many "hot spots" strewn about the arena.

For example, you can maneuver your opponent into the corner, then start doing a ten punch - only you control the punches by moving the right analog stick up and down. Naturally, there are even more elaborate things you can do, giving you a better sense of control than in prior wrestling games.