WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007 is perhaps the most important SmackDown release in years. No more is the series confined to the limits of the PS2 - it's leapt into next generation gaming on the Xbox 360 - but has it brought with it a rash of problems that have plagued the series for years, or has it started anew, beginning a brand new wrestling legacy?

With a move to the Xbox 360 the most obvious upgrade expected is going to be the graphics and overall realism and immersion of the game, and in that respect SvR 2007 mostly delivers. Wrestlers look more detailed than ever, with multiple facial expressions, multiple levels of blood and incredible looking sweat and fatigue effects as the matches progress. Limping and overall move selling also plays a bigger part; you'll see injured limbs through animations where characters walk slowly holding their leg or arm, and smaller wrestlers hurt themselves when trying to kick or swing at bigger guys. Yukes still hasn't managed to find a way for long hair to not go through the wrestlers bodies however, and created wrestlers - while improved - don't sweat, or have nearly as detailed attires.

However, when you get a wrestler somewhere outside the ring, such as the parking lot area, the lighting effects come into play and simply look phenomenal. The detail in the characters' muscles really stand out and truly make them look even more like their real-life counterparts. As for the rest of the game, it hasn't been updated quite so much. Whilst the audience looks better and has fewer repeated models than before, they are still very low res compared to the rest of the game and it stands out big time. The technology powering the game hasn't seemed to change much either, and though you can do more dynamic things, such as ripping apart the announce table or going into a crowded area behind the barricade, the experience largely feels like it always has, but looks much better. In terms of looking and feeling more like a WWE broadcast, not a whole lot has been changed, with the exception of a few more camera angles and new animations.

Of course, this isn't taking into account the entrances - this time nearly all the animations for each and every entrance are spot on and they really show off the added power of the 360. Dynamic lighting effects from the arena, as well as the fireworks, reflect beautifully off the wrestlers, and some wrestlers are even oiled up, while others aren't. On one final note about comparisons to WWE TV, it seems developer Yukes has listened to complaints about matches going on too long - longer than most average WWE matches - and modified the damage system to a point where wrestlers take damage extremely fast compared to recent games. For a devoted wrestling fan this is horrible news and it's hard to have a singles match that doesn't end in under ten minutes, which is a real shame.

While the graphics have reached a new high, the sound of SmackDown hasn't changed a whole lot, with the exception of strenuous grunts added to the wrestlers during high-impact moves. The music is generic rock and rap with a couple good tracks, but most gamers will likely replace it with their own tunes or none at all. Unfortunately the announcing hasn't even been changed, with almost all dialogue taken from SmackDown vs. RAW 2006, and some from the original SvR. Voice acting for most wrestlers makes a return as well, with a gradual improvement over last year's efforts - it must be said however that some of the characters deliver some hilarious lines and the writers really have done a good job of remembering specific storylines from years gone by and paying homage to them, mostly on the SmackDown side of things.

SmackDown vs. Raw 2007 backs up its superior visuals with superior gameplay - things have changed drastically this year, and mostly for the better. For starters, the control layout has been completely reworked and remapped (though if you have difficulty adjusting you can put the control layout back on the classic SmackDown setup). In what I like to describe as a stroke of genius, Yukes has given players the ability to once again execute basic wrestling moves without the use of a grapple beforehand, so players can unleash snapmares or armdrags simply by tapping the right analog stick in a specific direction. If you connect, the hard to counter move is unleashed, but doesn't do a lot of damage.

Four sets of strong grapples are still available as well, for those bigger, match-stealing moves. Holding the right bumper and moving the analog stick in any direction initiates a strong grapple, from which you can drag your opponent around, strike them a few times, or execute one of four moves for that grapple set (the clean/dirty set returns, as well as Submission and two other different sets for each wrestler). The best and most innovative edition to the grapple system this year, however, is the Ultimate Control Moves.

From any strong grapple position, a simple click of the analog stick sets up the victim for one of these new UCM moves. There are about a dozen different setups in all and each one offers a variety of possibilities. For instance, one UCM puts your opponent between your legs, setting them up for a powerbomb. From here you have the choice of lifting them up for a 360 spin powerbomb, where you decide how long the 360 spin lasts and when you slam them down, or a Razor's Edge style bomb where you can walk around the ring carrying your victim, positioning them exactly where you want or even powerbombing them outside the ring. When you combine all the different UCM set ups - such as fall away slam, fireman's carry, or suplex - with the various areas of the ring (apron, turnbuckle corner, outside near the announce table, on the top of a cell) you can get some truly great results, without having to struggle with making sure the enemy is in the perfect position and then finding the move in your moveset. It really is the best thing to happen to SmackDown in years and makes the gameplay that much more dynamic and fun, offering plenty of new possibilities.

The same can be said about the new Hotspot system; while it existed in a sense before, Yukes has gone all-out with the various Hotspots found around the ring this year. To initiate one you need to grapple a foe, or grab them on the ground, and bring them to specific areas around the arena to unleash key moves; for instance dragging them to the corner turnbuckle starts a 10-punch Hotspot or taking them to the accounce table sees the player strangling them with the camera cables! All of these involve movement of the right analog stick to do the repetitive motions of the moves, and most can be reversed with careful timing. It's another great addition to the series, but could use an optional initiation button instead of instantly going into the Hotspot move when you drag them into a Hotspot. One of the Hotspots actually leads to a whole new area outside of the ring, full of tables, fire extinguishers, trash cans and even scaffolding from which you can leap. Particularly pointless in matches with count out or DQ, this area adds a lot to Hardcore battles and other non-traditional match types.

Most of the new features from last year return in this edition, with some modifications; opossum pins are still here, with a minor button change due to the new controller layout, but the ridiculous sleeper hold in the middle of the ring from last year has been scrapped - for the better. Luckily, dirty and clean players must still play to their respective styles to gain momentum; for instance, a clean player will see a drastic loss of momentum if they use a weapon but a huge boost if they reverse a weapon attack. On the subject of reversals, long time fans of the series will find that a lot of care has been put into how they work and leave opponents afterwards. Many grapple reversals now lead into other grapple positions and set ups that in turn can be reversed by the original move initiator, leading to long strings or reversals with various outcomes, instead of one specific reversal animation. Many new animations for ground reversals have been added as well, helping matches flow better and become less predictable and repetitive - and thank the wrestling gods that you can now reverse leg grabs from the outside of the ring!

It isn't all great news though - unfortunately with a next generation system come old generation problems - the season mode, while entertaining, hasn't changed much with the exception of the storylines becoming even more ridiculous. Every year the mode seems to dwindle further and further from the season of Here Comes the Pain, and doesn't even resemble Know Your Role's great mode anymore. Furthermore, the Hell in the Cell match type has yet to change - the weight detection has some questionable logic and very often defies reality. The Create-A-Wrestler mode, while improved, is a long way off from how it should be on a next generation console. Created wrestlers look good, with some gear actually appearing as gear, but tights still seem to be plastered onto the bodies and the mode is severely lacking color options and new gear. If anything we've lost a lot of gear this year and the inability to take a created wrestler online if he has any logo on him is simply ridiculous, limiting your creativity. You still seem to warp from place to place around the ring when moves call for it as well, especially obvious in the new Ladder and Table matches; double stacked tables have a special finishing move that can be initiated from the ground and ends up warping players to the corner of the ring and the tables to the middle. Likewise, a Ladder finishing move can be done with one player on the ladder and one on the ground, instantly causing both to appear on the top of the ladder.

Some of the other new moves have beautiful animations with no jumping problems though, like Shelton Benjamin's famous ladder run-up in the Money In The Bank match. The ladder and table systems have also been completely reworked after years and years of demand for it - tables and ladders can be dragged with ease to reposition them, tables can be stacked on top of each other with the push of a button, ladders can be setup in all-new ways in the corner and against another ladders, and players will find the way you go about winning them has been drastically improved like the Cage match was last year. Table matches for instance require a finisher, and a battered opponent to even put somebody through one, throwing out the ability to stand on them and perform any move (this can be done on the accounce table however), instead replacing it with character-specific finishing moves that are done while an opponent is leaning against a table. Of course, jumping from the top rope through one is always an option as well! On the other hand, Ladder matches no longer see every wrestler replicating a 'Jeff Hardy' and hanging from the belt in mid-air, instead replacing it with a new method that requires players to reach for it and hang on by finding the 'sweet spot' on the joysticks. Running up leaning ladders can also lead to a player grabbing the belt out of the air, but the way it works is much smoother and makes more sense than the previous method we had for years and years.

Though intimidating, the General Manager mode has had some very good changes implemented. Taking note from the very popular Japanese series Fire Pro and the text-based wrestling company simulator EWR, the GM mode allows players to once again draft a roster and put together the best shows possible. The menus system works basically the same as before, but now feuds can have up to four people in them at once, as well as storylines to explain them. Writers can also be hired to boost ratings by bringing in fresh new stories and scenarios, while you can also choose to book Heat or Velocity shows to help push the less popular talent. It's a shame that you still can't determine who wins a match beforehand, and that alone will ruin the mode for a lot of players, but otherwise it's an entertaining feature that does a good job pleasing those who demand it.

The most improved feature is easily Create-an-Entrance. It's a crying shame we can't use our own music from the hard drive as we could in WWE RAW 2, but the fact that Yukes has gone to great lengths to make sure it is as easy and pain free as possible is very admirable. With almost no loading time, you can pinpoint exactly where you want pyro, lighting and nametags to come in by simply watching the intro and pushing the corresponding button; you can light up the stage with fireworks exactly at a specific animation or point in the music.

Though it still only allows four players instead of six, the online mode works a great deal better than last year's. Removing lobbies altogether, you simply set up or search for the match type you desire and get a list of matches awaiting players. There's no more odd lobby jumping and friends can easily host private matches or find each other's room in Ranked bouts. Unfortunately the game is a bit touchy when it comes to lag and the slightest glitch on the host's connection can make the game stutter, but for the most part play is smooth online and even includes options to allow or disallow created wrestlers, or ban players of a certain rank from joining.

WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007 is a good jump to the next generation - especially compared to the series' leap to the PS2 with Just Bring It. Graphically it looks wonderful and plays just as well, but next year Yukes really needs to scrap a lot of the built-in aspects and redesign from the ground up, such as the CAW and Season modes. The gameplay is a huge jump in the right direction and offers the most freedom and fun of any SmackDown title yet, while the match types have finally had the overhaul we've been hoping it would get for years. It might not be exactly what gamers expect considering the leap to a much stronger console, but for the diehard fans a lot of these changes were essential this year and it's absolutely fantastic that we finally got them. SmackDown fans will still find plenty to be upset about in this version, which seems to be the case every year, but this is the biggest effort to make the game feel brand new in a long time and if you're a wrestling fan, you'll find it difficult not to submit to the temptation of picking this up - after which you'll find yourself grappling with it for a good while to come!

Reviewed by Christopher Martin for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).