General polish has been applied to the wrestling mechanics, which definitely showed in the match we so shamefully lost. The animations aren't quite up to the photo-realistic quality of the graphics, but a couple of more months in development could fix that. Enhancements to the crowd were noticeable, however, with individuals showing different gestures and even holding up signs specific to the wrestlers and events of the match.

The single player career and online multiplayer will likely make the Smackdown vs. Raw 2008 experience; consequently, our hands-on with exhibition mode leaves us with little room to judge the promise of the full game. The core gameplay seems solid, even if the animations still need work. We'll have more for you following the game's release early this autumn.