There's no question that the series' PS3 debut will be the best looking SmackDown yet, but it's the gameplay features which will make or break it on next-gen. The new Extreme Rules Match - where you actually get to select your weapon of choice when peering under the ring - is undeniably riotous, but really it's just a revision of the Hardcore matches found in previous games. And will it be too difficult for beginners? In the past, SmackDown was easy for newbies: D-pad and X for strikes, D-pad and O for grapple moves. Now there's a lengthy learning process required for any SmackDown newbie, one only likely to get more complex this time around, and long-term that could prove to be the series' downfall. But it seemed to work well on the 360, so let's wait and see.
Verdict: Mid-card certainty.
There's no question that the series' PS3 debut will be the best looking SmackDown yet, but it's the gameplay features which will make or break it on next-gen. The new Extreme Rules Match - where you actually get to select your weapon of choice when peering under the ring - is undeniably riotous, but really it's just a revision of the Hardcore matches found in previous games. And will it be too difficult for beginners? In the past, SmackDown was easy for newbies: D-pad and X for strikes, D-pad and O for grapple moves. Now there's a lengthy learning process required for any SmackDown newbie, one only likely to get more complex this time around, and long-term that could prove to be the series' downfall. But it seemed to work well on the 360, so let's wait and see.
Verdict: Mid-card certainty.
