Undoubtedly, the crown jewel in THQ’s gaming year is Smackdown Vs Raw. It’s one of it’s biggest money spinners, drawing money from the millions (and millions) of fans within the WWE Universe. Now the major details about this years outing have been revealed and what details they are. Brace yourself, because this like The Miz, is going to be nothing short of awesome!

For the past few years, there have been many complaints about Smackdown Vs Raw being the cut & paste wrestling game, with a few additions and a few features removed. This year, THQ

attempts to alleviate the consumers fears and put on a spectacle like no other.

• Causing Havok with Weapons

This was THQ’s massive selling point when they showcased the game at E3. We have already seen Havok already in Smackdown, but not many of us cared a great deal about it because it was simply in the ropes. Whilst it was a nice little touch, it wasn’t anything ground breaking. So that’s why THQ took the system and made it ground breaking!

From what I understand, every weapon in the game features Havok physics. Tables, ladders, chairs, ring steps, sledgehammers, the works. They don’t all work on the same way though. Ladders can now interact with the ropes, so if the ladder falls over it may just end up leaning on the ropes, allowing you to put Shelton Benjamin to shame with a high flying move that’ll dazzle your opponents. If it falls on the floor, there are different scenarios for that too, where sometimes the ladder won’t shut and you can throw someone on that ladder with a suplex or powerbomb to make it shut whilst doling out the mad pain. You can obviously also do this when the ladder is flat on the floor too.

Tables work in almost the same way, with the added bonus of being free to break at any time (At least in TLC matches, Table matches aren’t so easy). So no longer do you have to build up a signature and slam your opponent through the wood with a canned animation, now you can use pretty much any move to your advantage and your opponent’s pain.

• Your Own WWE Universe

Ever since the achievement/trophy list was leaked (Partially) people have been wondering about what exactly the mode is. Well, wonder no more. Essentially on the face of things it’s the outcome of if Smackdown 2 made sweet sweet love with GM mode and they had a lovely little baby they named WWE Universe. Rather than being a mode you have to select, it is available right from the outset in place of Exhibition Mode.

What the mode does is incorporates Rivals, Friends, Storylines and Rankings, whilst putting together cards that build feuds around them. Which is pretty much what Smackdown 2 did, but with less emphasis on randomness and more on making things authentic. To help with this, stories will be tied together with cut scenes that can happen before, during or after matches to add another level of realism to the mode.

In saying that, if you’re not interested in this type of thing, simply click the right stick at the main menu to get your regular exhibition mode back. But remember, the Universe will always be waiting for you!

• Hell in a (bigger) Cell

One of the most frequently complained about match types has gotten an overhaul! From the most obvious change, which is the bigger, more factually accurate cell to the fact that weapons have no been included means that the most die hard fans of this match have finally gotten their wish!

I love the Hell in a Cell match, but the one issue I have with it is the ease that opponents (and yourself, for that matter) can exit the cage. Within the first 20 seconds, I could already be climbing to the top of the structure with designs on making my opponent famous. This isn’t going to be the case anymore because the cage now lacks a door!

This doesn’t mean that you can’t escape, but now it’s more realistic. How many times have you seen someone plough through the cell door with their foot and escape? This time around, THQ/Yukes have decided to take things in the direction of Legends of Wrestlemania by making the walls breakable. (I’m sure Jericho marks will exclaim “BREAK THE WALLS DOWN!” every single time, haha!)

From there you can climb up the cell as normal and put your foe through the roof of the cell as you normally would be hell bent on doing. According to reports though, there are new moves that you can use to send your hapless foe plummeting off the cell in Mick Foley style fashion. These haven’t been fully revealed yet, though.

• Road To Wrestlemania; Now with Forks!

This is the bread and butter of the story based grapple-fest. Introduced in 2009, Road to Wrestlemania has put a selection of superstar specific, authentic WWE Storylines in front of your nose to tempt you in. In previous years we’ve explored the supernatural with the Undertaker, had a brand war, relived a slightly modified version of Mickie James’ debut storyline and tried to figure out just who was trying to eliminate Chris Jericho.

This year is no different… Except in the fact that there are a multitude of endings, side quests galore and actual free roaming in the backstage area! And if that hasn’t whet your appetite for story based shenanigans, this years Road to Wrestlemania puts you in the shoes of a WWE Superstar like never before! Whilst roaming you may encounter Randy Orton having a conversation with Stephanie McMahon over the phone, then you scamper off to Stephanie’s office to hear the other half of the conversation in real time!

From what has been leaked, Road to Wrestlemania brings to you storylines for Christian, John Cena, Chris Jericho, Rey Mysterio and a storyline with The Undertaker. As much as I know I’m going to enjoy this mode, I kinda feel disappointed that after two outings of this mode, we’re back to John Cena (Who has appeared in all 3 Road to Wrestlemania outings), Undertaker, Chris Jericho and Rey Myserio (all of whom are on their second appearance in this mode).

• High Risk = OHMYGOD!

The highly anticipated new position for Create a Finisher has been revealed, with this years spot going to corner grapples! Bryan Williams teased us at E3 by mentioning that we could create Doug Williams’ Chaos Theory- For those who don’t have a clue what it is, it’s a rollup into German Suplex -with this years mode.

Not only is that feasible, but according to reports the Pepsi Plunge is also able to be made using this mode satisfying the hunger of the hardcore fans who have longed to see that move debut in a wrestling game without having to edit animations (I’m looking at you No Mercy modding community).

Those who want more stuff for the other positions can lay their fears to rest as Bryan has assured us that neither of the other positions have been neglected. Oh and now the speed of moves can be increased or decreased by 1% margins. He knows us too well.

• Create a Superstar

Now, not a great deal has been revealed about upgrades to the create a wrestler side of things, but what we can announce is that patterns have been put back in the game. This doesn’t mean that the paint tool is gone though, as the paint tool (Once I found out how to use it) has proved to be my biggest ally when it comes to creating my own custom characters.

Also according to Cory Ledesma, there are a few new sliders when it comes to editing the general look of your chosen character, allowing things to become even more realistic! And besides, CAW Stat grinding is a thing of the past. You can now give your superstar the stats you want as soon as you’re finished creating it.

• Saving the Best ‘til Last!

And finally, the online feature set. Previous years, battling your friends online hasn’t been easy. We all know the stories behind the lag. Even I had a match where lag made it absolutely impossible to play, with the game pausing every second because the lag was so horrendous. THQ have made it their goal to abolish the bane of the online community and to make things comparable to local multiplayer.

On the other side of the online features is the Community Creation server. Last year we all went crazy with uploading superstars, custom characters and unusual creations ranging from Pikachu to Moppy even to a wrestling candy heart (Yes, I made all 3). The major issue was that once downloaded, you couldn’t edit entrances, change moves or alter the look of your downloaded superstar.

This thankfully is no more, with everything being customizable once downloaded. This doesn’t mean people can re-upload your superstars without giving credit, that’s still a big no-no. But it does mean that you’re now flexible with making things as accurate as you want.

Also you’ll be able to upload paint tool logos, move sets and much more once you’ve finished creating them! Good times indeed!

Smackdown Vs Raw 2011 hits shelves in North America on October 26^th 2010 and European shores on October 29^th. Keep your eyes peeled on GamerRAGE as we’ll be adding new content as we get it and our review will be up on October 29^th.