WWE ’12 Review

The character story mode is basically three chapters where you take control – for the most part – Sheamus, Triple H, and a character you create. While the story mode is well written, for a game that is based off of a show that quite possibly boasts some of the worst writing known to man, it does little offer a filling experience. Very few times throughout the whole story mode do actually have to fight somebody and pin them. Much of the time is taken up beating them up and then pressing an action button to see your character either pin them without your help, or lose due to an interruption by another character.

Another problem I had with the story mode is that every now and again you will be forced to fight somebody backstage. It is to be noted now, that fighting somebody backstage in this game is possibly the most horrible experience I’ve ever had to go through. These backstage brawls tend to be tedious and infuriating. The main idea is to ‘finish off’ your opponent within a certain area. Not only are you limited by what moves your character can do outside the ring, but this limitation seems to spread to how well the character handles as well. It felt as though you were trying to control a bull, pumped up on testosterone, inside a china shop originally designed for midgets. Not to mention how tedious it all was. Oh, I did mention it? Fine.

The saving grace of this game seems to be the highly customizable Universe mode which just allows you to use and abuse it. From inserting guest interruptions, to simulating fights in a arena you designed yourself; if you happen to have enough time on your hands then this could very easily allow you to pass your time boredom-less. In all fairness, once you’ve found your footing with this mode you will have little interest with the ‘…Wrestlemania’ mode.

For people who have enough friends to warrant a go of the multiplayer mode, there are more than enough game play modifications – from steel cage to a modest three-way – to allow for more than few rounds of hate fueled yelling as each of you in turn is thrown off the side of a big metal cage.

WWE ’12 offers up pretty much everything you would want from a wrestling game. 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.