WWE SmackDown vs. Raw is the biggest fighting franchise of all time. Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Tekken; they're all playing second fiddle to a bunch of big, sweaty men pretending to fight. Because of this surprising fact, THQ takes their yearly updates to the series very seriously, and has a number of improvements planned for the 2011 iteration of the hit franchise. At a recent media event, a member of the team developing the game showed off some of the new updates to the game, and explained what they're doing to make this year's version better than ever.

The first, most notable change is in the graphical engine. Just as is the case with most yearly sequels, the developers usually end up reusing assets instead of rebuilding everything from the ground up. This year, however, THQ has decided to redo their fighters, attempting to make the WWE stars look more like humans (with, you know, muscles and skin) and less like plastic action figures. They've done a phenomenal job, and while some fighters are still going to look better than others, there's no denying that the developers have really stepped up the presentation. When fighters move, their muscles flex realistically, something that really stood out as a marked improvement over other iterations.



There have been major improvements to the physics system as well, meaning that objects, when used in the ring, shatter realistically, and can be interacted with more naturally. The match shown off was between The Undertaker and Randy Orton, fighting for a briefcase full of money that was hanging above the middle of the ring. Because of this, there were a number of tables, ladders, and chairs in the ring to use, all which were ideal for showing off the game's upgrades. Everything just appears to work together better, and it's easier to use these objects to create more thrilling experience. Tables and ladders can be placed in the corner, just as always, but the objects now break more realistically or, in the case of ladders, bend. At one point, the Undertaker picked up Orton and powerbombed him into it, bending the ladder. Later, the Undertaker choke slammed Orton from the top of the ladder in the middle of the ring. Some finishing moves can be executed from atop a ladder, which should help players create their own moments.

The idea of letting players create their own memorable moments is a focus of this year's game, though the developer didn't really go too deep into how they were taking advantage of it. There was mention of being able to record and share highlights, but it wasn't really explained all too well. That said, it's an alluring prospect, and something we're excited to hear more about.

All in all, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011 looks to bring a lot of necessary updates to the series. There are no attempts are revamping the gameplay, but when dealing with the most popular fighting franchise of all time it might be best to leave things as they are.

WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011 is due out for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on October 26th, 2010.