Although Smackdown! vs. Raw 2007 is a good wrestling game in its own right, to call it next gen would be blasphemous.
Once again, its great to see this series finally come to the XBox. The past few WWE games were horiible, to say the least, and a multiplatform version of the best game possible was the way to go in the first place. If you've played the past PS2 versions, then you already know what to expect from this game. You'll get a ton of wrestlers to choose from, a story mode, a GM mode, some creation modes, and lots of options for match types and such. The Smackdown series has always had these things, and every year you get minor improvements that only make the experience more enjoyable.
The season mode allows you to choose a wrestler and take him through a series of WWE storylines that include matches, interviews, interruptions, and backstabbings. All in a days work in the WWE. The whole thing plays out pretty well though, and besides the hit or miss voice acting, you'll find yourself playing through again with another wrestler just to see some storyline options you may have missed out on.
The create modes are just as expansive as ever. You can literally spend hours here creating your own wrestling stars, entrances, belts, and stables. The GM mode is definitely more for the type of people who like play management sims. Its a good diversion from the regular season, and can be quite addictive once you get going with it.
Although the control of the game is a little different, it really doesn't cause the gameplay to be any different. Instead of using buttons this time around for grapple manuevers, you now use the right stick. This will take some getting used to, but it becomes second nature after a while. All in all, it doesn't make the game any better or worse than it already was.
Although I like this game, I feel as though there are some things that should be addressed that keep this game from being the next gen classic that it should have been. Although I don't rule this out as a possibility for the future, there seems to be no option for downloadable content. In the world of professional wrestling, things are constantly changing. This game should have updates every now and then that can help reflect some of these changes in game. For instance, Booker T is now referred to as King Booker. This is a very popular heel persona right now, and it would have been nice to have some type of update to make the proper changes. Plus, with the rise of downloadable content, new wrestlers could be downloaded to add to the roster. This is a feature that should have been added, but wasn't and cause the game to be stuck in the last generation because of it.
Another thing that bothers me about this game are the graphics. Yes, these are the best models from any wrestling game to date. However, that's not saying much. Some of them, like HHH, look good, but then you have some others, like John Cena that look down right awful and scary. But sure, most of them look good, but come on, this is the next gen of gaming. They should look better than good. They should look fantastic. All in all, the graphics give me the impression that the games assets were lifted from the PS2 version and given an extra coat of polish and passed off as next gen graphics. And after seeing what Fight Night Round 3 does on the 360, I have to believe that more could have been done here.
Basically, if you are a 360 owner, and are looking for an excellent wrestling title, then you have no choice but to go for this game. The Smackdown vs. Raw series has always develivered to its fan base and that will continue on the 360. If you are on the fence about whether to fork out the extra cash for this one or the PS2 game, then think of it this way: If you want a game with slightly better graphics, achievements, and better online play, then you want the 360 version. Otherwise, save yourself some gas money and wait for the real next gen of wrestling to hopefully come out next year.
What I like: Smackdown! vs. Raw is finally on an Xbox! No more crappy wrestling games! Plays just like the PS2 game but with slightly better graphics.
What I don't like: Plays just like the PS2 game but with slightly better graphics. Doesn't take advantage of the potential of Xbox Live Marketplace and downloadable content.