WWE '12

Some control improvements and fleshed out game play modes highlight the deepest WWE videogame experience yet.

A great step forward for wrestling game that we think will convince the fans. Those who haven't played wrestling games too often have a great chance to approach them again, as WWE 12 changes a lot in comparison with previous Smackdown vs RAW entries.

If you are a WWE fan then this game belongs in your library. If you aren't a WWE fan you should definitely still check out this title. Even if you have no interest in watching the product on television this is a really fun title that you might find yourself enjoying. This is a title that has something for everyone. Be sure not to miss out.

WWE '12 is the best fan-service game in the business right now, and I think the rest of the game development world could learn something from such a pure, wholesome dedication to giving fans what they want.

WWE '12 is more polished than the previous installments in the series, right down to the graphics, music, sound effects, and the expanded gameplay options.

What THQ has done here serves its audience spectacularly. WWE '12 retains and improves upon the already-great presentation of its predecessors, capturing a likeness of wrestling that is uncanny. And it plays just as well as it looks. This should be considered a milestone for the wrestling simulation genre. It's certainly a much-needed breath of fresh air.

WWE 13 might not have any real competition when it comes to wrestling video games, but nevertheless it’s a great wrestling game and any fan should have this in their collection. The Attitude Era game mode was so nostalgic I smile thinking about it. Reliving those moments is worth it alone.

WWE '12 takes the plunge and ditches the Smackdown vs. Raw 2011 moniker, mixing things up and slamming down the franchise for the three count. The overhauled system is a positive first step towards advancing the series, and the customisation is still second to none. So, pop on some tight pants. It's time for some wrassling.

Once again, I will continue to stress WWE has done the right thing giving exclusive licensing rights to THQ. If you purchased SvR 2011 and are wondering if you should be rushing out to buy '12 - I would say give it a rental and make your decision based on that.

WWE '12 is a step in the right direction. The arcade controls make the game more accessible, there's a nice selection of superstars and the multitude of options for content creation is incredible. However, many gamers simply want to play, and unfortunately, the restrictive Road to WrestleMania campaign is the biggest weakness. I note that with a wooden expression (like an ingame superstar) and have to deduct points. A shame: the game offers tons of wrestling atmosphere and is a must-have for WWE fans.

This is the best wrestling simulation of this console generation. The game certainly has some problems, but overall, WWE '12 provides a very solid base for a new wrestling franchise to be built upon.

You'll notice WWE '12's wider accessibility right when the first bell rings. Controls are far easier to grasp (they're almost as newb-friendly as WWE All-Stars') and matches flow naturally, which is great given how minimal the HUD is

It's clear that Yukes and THQ put a lot of effort into the reinvention of this cash-cow franchise. A lot of the things that they've managed to accomplish are fantastic, particularly in the areas of presentation, customization, and gameplay. There are certainly some problems that will need to be ironed out prior to next year's installment, but overall, WWE '12 provides a very solid base for a new wrestling franchise to be built upon.

WWE '12 is the best game of the series. It is the more polished and a very solid base for a new wrestling franchise to be built upon.

A technically sound, fun and varied show wrestling game. There's a lot of content and you can always create (or download) more yourself. [Jan 2012]

If you're a wrestling fan, this is a must.

The game definitely has a bigger roster, badder presentation, and better gameplay. The new controls are easy to pick up and fun to play.

WWE '12 is simply the best wrestling game ever made. THQ promised big changes and they have delivered. It's not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, with Road to Wrestlemania, online issues and the odd glitch to name a few faults, but they have done enough to justify both themselves and the WWE itself.

WWE '12 is one of the best wrestling simulations made in this generation, with lots of content and a well-balanced gameplay. The only remorse is poor hit box implementation.

Even if it doesn't revolutionize wrestling games, WWE 12 is the best wrassler around and mixes things up enough to not feel stale. It owes much to SmackDown, but everything it borrows is still great, just slightly used. If you wanted a completely new wrestling experience, wait for the next challenger to WWE to give it a shot (and probably fail).

The best THQ-made WWE game to date, but there's still room for improvement. Regardless, fans of professional wrestling are sure to have hours upon hours upon hours of fun with WWE '12.

A welcome step forward for the series, even if there are still problems to fix in the physics simulation and online play. WWE fans won't however be disappointed and will find it a fresher and spectacular game.

At the end of the day, WWE '12 gives fans exactly what they want: a cohesive and fun wrestling game. There aren't a whole lot of different ways to do that.

WWE '12 looks great, sounds great, and even comes with top-shelf presentation, and if it were not for the brutally difficult reversal system, the single-button system might not seem so bad – but the two together make for a game that is frustrating as heck and without any real reward.

Definitely an improvement over Smackdown vs. Raw 2011. I think a little more of a shake-up in the modes used for this game would have been great, but I'll take the improved animation and controls that this year's entry offers up.

Finally significant progress has been put into place, as the game's backbone is starting to feel sturdy enough to carry the weight of expectation.

WWE 12 is not a revolution. It's another Smackdown vs Raw with polished controls and a creation mode full of possibilities. But it has some online problems and an awful Road to Wrestlemania mode.

That said, WWE '12 is a decent offering that gets the job done without much fuss and deserves to be in any WWE fan's collection.

The most disappointing aspect of WWE '12, however, is that an apparently meaty online component is completely borked.

From a ridiculous story mode, to highly customizable arenas, characters, and game play, WWE '12 is able to stand tall with its various flaws and still provide a feel good game that – if given the chance – provides lots of TLC (Tables, Ladders, and Chairs) to you and your friends when you are so bored that seeing muscle-ly men try to 'take each other's backs' becomes a better option than having to go outside and find something to do.

Falling back into an old style of controls, WWE '12 is streamlined and technical, but its baiting "Predator Technology" needs to shake its ring rust.

Bigger, badder, better. WWE 12 is the game that depicts best this brutal sport, although it still has some flaws in its control that should be polished next year.

Overall WWE '12 is a solid game, but far from perfect with a dozen graphical glitches and camera issues holding it back.

Yuke's has the talent and ideas to do much more with the WWE license if it would just reset its template. [Issue#79, p.76]

WWE '12 is fun. It's a great combat game, and excellent for those that aren't marks for the innards of wrestling. You know, the "real" stuff. There's no doubt that THQ and Yuke's could make a game for those purposes, where stories are better told and interacted with, and the actual business of pro wrestling is out there for players to toy with. That's not on the cards here, as wrestling stories are told through action, and players have to connect a few dots themselves.

To paraphrase Bret Hart, it's the best there is, the best there was, but next year's will probably be a little bit better again.

Even though some things need to be tightened up, WWE '12 shows that the video game side of the franchise is still improving.

Yuke's tries to start over, but doesn't fully succeed. It's still a game full of content, but the new control and physics systems still have a ways to go.

The developers took a gamble in revamping their wrestling series, but it didn't quite pay off. Fans will love the expansive roster, variety of match options, extensive customization features, and the assortment of painful looking strikes, signature moves, and submissions. Yet the imprecise reversal system, online issues, and cheap A.I. will irritate everyone else.

The radical re-imagining promised by the creators of WWE ʼ12 does sometimes shine through some of the choices made here, but it will probably take even more future installments for us to be able to see it properly.

This WWE franchise overhaul is held back by some serious control issues.

After a few years of steady improvements, WWE '12 marks the end of that era by delivering the worst overall game in years. It does a few new things relatively well, but really messes up some things that were done very well before, like the Road to WrestleMania mode, backstage fighting and the object interaction from last year's game.

WWE 12 is a reboot for the brand, but doesn't add and improve enough on the Smackdown series. In the end, it's still too poorly animated and just not that entertaining to play.

The presentation in WWE 12 isn't exactly brilliant. Facially, the superstars look pretty close to their real-life counterparts, but their skin has the texture of store mannequins.

Still, this is the first year where I feel like I can actually recommend a WWE game in earnest. Granted, it's a caveat-laden recommendation, but a recommendation nonetheless. Considering how long it's been since one of these games actually felt playable, let alone enjoyably so, it's almost worth putting up with the various peculiarities and more antiquated elements just so you can actually have fun wrestling again.

You have to give Yuke's credit for aiming high. The wealth of content and customisation options on offer is absolutely staggering and wrestling fans that wish to ignore the game's main campaign mode will certainly find plenty to entertain them here. WWE 12, however, isn't in the same league as the series' high-water marks. It is the nucleus of what could be a great game.

WWE '12 only introduces a few welcome elements. Setting up opponents for finishers with wake-up taunts is fun, the new comeback moments are a nice way of getting back into the match, players can now target specific limbs during grapples, and new creation options (like the new create-an-arena) make the series more customizable than ever before. However, none of these can make up for the awful Road to Wrestlemania.

There's change at last for the WWE games but relatively little of it is for the better, in a game that is frustrating in terms of both action and wasted potential.

All things considered, WWE '12 is a step backwards for Yuke's. Luckily they can return to the RAW vs. SmackDown brand next year and pretend like this game never existed. I encourage them to do just that. More importantly, I encourage you to avoid WWE '12 because games are supposed to relieve stress-not cause it.

Undoubtedly prettier and more incisive, this WWE 12 still suffers from some deep technical issues that undermine the fun. Even though the gameplay really did benefit from an added dynamism, it lost in terms of precision and variety. The matches, are less enticing and more repetitive, and sometimes chaotic when there's more than 2 brawlers on the ring.