WWE 12

Most helpful review WWE 12

• WWE 12 Disappointing

   

  By Hybrid3415 (2 reviews) , 30 Nov 2011

  [Highly rated reviewer]

  [Highly rated reviewer]

  So I’ve been excited for WWE 12 for months, back when I heard they were stripping the whole series back to basics and brining in “Predator Technology” which would allow players to interrupt moves, instead of standing there watching them happen. The tag line for the game is “BIGGER! BADDER! BETTER!”, this game must be incredible.
  
  Wrong. It’s mediocre at best. I can only assume THQ and YUKES paid game reviewers to score this game into the high 90% or 9/10 domain.
  
  Where do I start?
  
  Road to Wrestlemania
  
  In previous WWE games, this mode was simple. You pick any wrestler you like, or your own creation, the game starts on the RAW the night after Wrestlemania. You then play through an entire year to the next Wrestlemania. In previous years, a lot of the dialogue was just text you had to read, as the real-life wrestlers obviously wouldn’t have time to voice all the characters. I didn’t mind this, it wasn’t an issue for me, as when they did eventually get the real-life wrestlers to voice their characters, it was clear they couldn’t act for toffee.
  
  This year, you get to play three years of the Road to Wrestlemania mode. Incredible! All those stories, all that voice acting, it must be amazing. It would be, if you could actually play as a character of your choice. In the first year you play the “Villain Story” as Sheamus (Which is stupid, as Sheamus is actually a huge Face character at the moment), the second year you play the “Outsider Story” in which you play Triple H returning from an injury, and the final year you play as your own created wrestler, but you’re forced to name him “Jacob Cass”. So even in the one part of the game where you think you’ll have creative freedom, they limit the name, so you end up creating a wrestler which fits the name. I don’t know if “Jacob Cass” is an actual wrestler, but I made my character look like a reject from WWE Tough Enough, when I actually wanted to make a huge, masked, muscle power house.
  
  Create Modes
  
  This year there are your usual “create” modes such as “Create a: Logo, Superstar, Finisher, Entrance” and so on. The latest addition is “Create an Arena”. Who cares!? When you’re selecting your characters for the ultimate match up, let’s say “C.M Punk Vs. The Undertaker, IronMan match for the WWE Title!” Who cares what arena it’s held in? It’s like on FIFA, how many players actually care if the game is played in a certain stadium? It strikes me as one of those modes, they could’ve done without, and just spent more time on the areas which are still poor.
  
  Online Mode
  
  “WWE ’12 Server is not available. Please try back later.” - You should get used to this message. Since it’s release, I’ve not been able to access online for more than 2 minutes. Tops.
  
  New Control System
  
  The old system was simple: X was your strike button, O was your grapple button. Combine these with either up, down, left, or right to perform variations of those moves (e.g X+Up would be clothesline, while X+Down would be dropkick) You had total control over what move you wanted to do. If you wanted to repeatedly do a pile-driver on your opponent, then you could, just keep doing O+Right (or whatever the combination was.) This year, the moves change depending on how beaten up the other guy is. So I was getting quite comfortable with doing a few arm drags, and powerslams, when suddenly the moves changed to a weird side slam and kick to the head move?! Let me do the moves I want to do!
  
  The reversal system has been condensed. It used to be “Hit L2 for reversals of strikes, Hit R2 for the reversals of grapples.” This year, it’s simply “Hit R2 for a reversal.” However, please ensure you hit R2 before your opponent has even thought about the move they’re going to do, otherwise he will just keep hitting you with move, after move, after move, after move, until your index finger slowly wears away to the bone from mashing R2 so hard.
  
  Predator Technology
  
  The big one that the developers have been banging on about. It allows you to interrupt moves and create new double finishers. What they didn’t mention is how AWFUL the hit detection is! I broke up a grapple between Triple H and The Miz using a STEEL CHAIR and they both stepped back and shook it off, as though I’d just slapped them both with a fish. Another time, I had R-Truth, upside down, ready to drop him on his head in a pile-driver, when C.M Punk attacks us both, and R-Truth just magically flips upright and attacks the crap out of me.
  
  Round-up
  
  Basically, I appreciate that THQ and YUKES have gone back to basics to re-do the wrestling game which has been going for 10 years or more. But guys, come on, just hold back a year, get the core elements up to scratch, listen to the fans who play the games, give them what they want, and fix the bugs. I understand they work hard and fast to get the games out, because the roster is forever changing, but just focus on the big names who aren’t going anywhere soon, like John Cena, C.M Punk, The Rock, and so on, just make a roster of the main players, then worry about the wrestlers no one EVER plays as like Tyson Kidd or Justin Gabriel. If people really want those guys, they’ll make them via the “Create-a-wrestler” mode.
  
  I hope next year they get their game together. Literally.

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