Another year and a new iteration of Jakks WWE franchise. And because we are treated to the next-gen console system, but what is here and how much you want to play it really depends on your fascination with the WWE wrestling franchises.

In some cases this is a limited game, in terms of the Diva portion, while the male wrestling is a bit more robust. And the fact that you can only have one career path is rather silly. With such robust options when it comes to all the moves you can select from to customize your grappler, having just one career is just wrong.

When it actually comes to creating a wrestler, there are quite a few options for customizing the look. (Up front, having fun creating a diva might be amusing, but if you are serious about playing the game, the diva gets five matches to win the title, and then you either wrestle the same matches over and over, or you transfer to the men’s side – where you will find yourself woefully lacking in physicality; you can win a match and boost your stats, but don’t expect it to be easy, or that enjoyable).

The game offers several modes of play; you can embark on a career, which favors the male wrestler while also driving along various paths representing the various arms of the WWE. But there is some confusion (the disc sent for this review was for the debug/developers machine, so no instructions) as to how you get ranked up. While on the career path to the ECW title, the created wrestler was one star short of qualifying for the No. 1 contender match. Many, many battles were fought without the character moving up and gaining that extra star.

Also as you move up the rankings, you will unlock other skills. Some of them are simply silly (like using the ref as a shield) while others will have practical applications in the game.

You can also undertake the Road to Wrestlemania, which allows you to take one of a handful of recognized wrestlers and then work through to the premier wrestling showcase event. There is also an exhibition match in which any wrestler can take on any other wrestler. The exhibition mode offers 14 match styles, which do bring some enjoyment and challenge to the game.

The tag team offers an interesting dynamic and is actually played out well. Not only will the computer run your partner (should you not have someone else to play with), but as the member of the team on the outside of the ring, you can go around and beat on the opponent’s ringside partner, thereby prohibiting interference.

At the heart of the wrestling game is the controls and they are intuitive enough, configured so that even newcomers should be able to pick up and play. The NPCs also act decently enough.

Graphically the game has some problems. Not only are there a few clipping issues and you have to really have the control mechanics down in order to charge an opponent who is diagonal to your position, but the character animations – at times – leave a lot to be desired. Notably, the open mouth bit when applying a submission hold is horrendous. Also, hair does not move all that well. If you put long hair on a character, the ends may move slightly, but the top two-thirds are glued in. Also, there is blood in the game, but only the male wrestlers will bleed.

The sound is decent, with some solid music (some of the tunes used by the wrestlers makes an appearance) though the announcing can get a bit repetitious.

Because of the disc sent to review the program was not retail, and test servers were not available for multiplayer at the times played, some aspects of the game could not be tested.

While some elements of the game could certainly have been deeper (the Diva section, which as it stands now just seems to have been tacked on to appease certain fans of the sport), generally speaking – in spite of some of the flaws – this is a decent game and should garner a few smiles here and there.

Gameplay: 7.5
The controls are intuitive enough but there was a bit of a delay at times in pulling off reflexive skill moves. The game also has load times, which can be prolonged if you allow the wrestler intros to play all the time.

Graphics: 8.0
The moves are decent, but contact is sometimes made and it does not appear that the wrestlers are near one another. The blood seems to flow from one area on the forehead and can be quite messy.

Sound: 7.2
Kudos for the musical score, but the announcing can get a bit repetitious.

Difficulty: Easy/Med

Concept: 7.5
The game has some solid features, but it feels like others were added in quickly without regard to game depth or even true functionality.

Multiplayer: N/A
Online could not be tested. A couple of controllers works well, especially with the fixed camera, but online offers the opportunity for tourney play.

Overall: 7.5
A game with decent entertainment value. The AI seems pretty tight and the game looks pretty good. Unfortunately online could not be tested. The single-player campaign is decent with a challenge that ramps up slightly as you move along. Still this game should have appeal to those who are fans of the sport.