WWE 12: Why Revamped Franchise Will Be Best WWE Video Game of All Time

Set to hit stores on Nov. 22, WWE 12 is THQ's newest entry in a long line of WWE video games. While WWE games have long been entertaining, the Smackdown vs. RAW franchise had grown quite stale over the past several years.

It seemed as though only minor improvements were being made with each new edition, and hardcore fans of wrestling video games were beginning to voice their displeasure. THQ took notice and decided to re-brand the game as WWE 12.

A simple name change isn't the only difference, though. THQ went to great lengths to improve gameplay and graphics in order to make the most realistic WWE simulation of all time. From all accounts, that has already happened, but we won't know for sure until we play it ourselves.

In addition to plenty of technical changes, there are also tons of game modes that have either been added or improved upon. Here are three things that will make WWE 12 the greatest WWE video game in the company's storied history.

Legends Roster

While this may not appeal to current fans, WWE 12 has perhaps the most comprehensive roster of legends that any present-day WWE game has had. As a fan of the Attitude Era and the years preceding it, I love to use legends in WWE video games.

While the create-a-wrestler mode is so comprehensive now that you can create comparable models, it just isn't the same as having the character on hand with the character theme music, move sets and mannerisms. THQ did a fantastic job of including wrestlers spread across plenty of different eras.

Shawn Michaels, Edge, Eddie Guerrero and Brock Lesnar are more recent in that regard, but there are plenty of older wrestlers like Demolition, the Legion of Doom, Vader and Arn Anderson as well. THQ was also able to include legends who are playing a significant role currently such as The Rock, Kevin Nash, Booker T and Mick Foley. The possibilities for dream matches are truly endless thanks to this roster.

Create an Arena

It is something that fans of WWE video games have asked for for a long time, and it has finally come to fruition. WWE 12 will allow gamers to create their own arena, and more specifically, their own ring. Create-an-arena mode will be chock full of current and classic logos, so almost anything is possible.

Plenty of prototype rings have been leaked, including rings from essentially any WrestleMania and even classic WCW rings such as Nitro and nWo. This feature is especially good for players such as myself who don't always necessarily like to use the current roster.

Create-an-arena will allow the player to accurately play out situations from essentially any time in wrestling history. The customization doesn't stop their, either, as the guardrails and announce tables can also be changed or decorated. While it may not appeal to some, create-an-arena will be a heavily-used feature by hardcore gamers and WWE fans.

New Road to WrestleMania

Over the past couple years, Road to WrestleMania has been the premier mode for players of the WWE video game franchise. While WWE Universe mode was introduced last year and will return with new advancements in WWE 12, it is essentially only a series of exhibition matches.

Road to WrestleMania, on the other hand, allows for storyline advancement and follows a superstar over the predetermined amount of time. In the past, there has been several different Road to WrestleMania stories, each of them centering on a different character.

That will change this year, as there will simply be one comprehensive Road to WrestleMania that moves from one superstar to another. It remains to be seen for sure if this will be a positive, but it sounds excellent, as several stories will be intertwined and you can even utilize a created character in the mode as well.

In a game that looks to have made great strides, Road to WrestleMania certainly seems to be the greatest.

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