WWE ’12 is one of the freestyle wrestling games that has left a distinctive mark on fans of the series. 2011 marked a fresh start after the SmackDown vs. Raw series, with improvements in control, wrestler movement, and match atmosphere, along with the presence of stars such as Randy Orton, John Cena, CM Punk, The Undertaker, and Triple H.
WWE ’12 Game Information
- Game Name: WWE ’12.
- Release date: November 22, 2011 in North America.
- Developer: Yuke’s.
- Publisher: THQ.
- Category: Sport and Freestyle Wrestling.
- Original Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Nintendo Wii.
- Game modes: single player and multiplayer.
- Cover star: Randy Orton.
WWE ’12 Story
Road to WrestleMania offers an interconnected storytelling experience that spans approximately 18 months within the WWE Universe, spread over three chapters that include rivalries, alliances, and dramatic surprises.
Chapter One: Sheamus
The journey begins with Sheamus, an Irish wrestler aspiring to establish himself among WWE’s top stars. As events escalate, his relationships and rivalries within the shows change.
Chapter Two: Triple H
The events move to Triple H, where the results of the previous chapter intersect with new conflicts and developments that affect the course of the story.
Chapter Three: Jacob Cass
The story concludes with Jacob Cass, a character whose appearance the player can customize before embarking on a journey to fame and participating in major shows.
Cinematic scenes and dialogues contribute to an atmosphere that is close to the stories of WWE TV shows.
Gameplay and control
The game relied on the Predator Technology system to provide smoother transitions between moves and improve the response of in-ring wrestlers. The most prominent additions include:
- Redesigned control system to perform movements more easily.
- Improve wrestlers’ movement and interaction during matches.
- Developing competitor behavior and artificial intelligence.
- Limb Targeting feature to focus on specific parts of the opponent’s body.
- Breaking Point system for surrender movements.
- Comeback feature to get back into the confrontation atmosphere.
- Improve the execution of special and final moves.
WWE ’12 gameplay modes
Road to WrestleMania
The main story phase that connects Sheamus, Triple H and Jacob Cass on a long journey to WWE’s most iconic shows.
WWE Universe 2.0
Lets you follow RAW, SmackDown, and major events, with the ability to edit matches, wrestling lists, competitions, and alliances.
Exhibition
Quick matches mode, where you choose your wrestlers, arena, and match type for a live experience, especially with friends.
Popular Types of Matches
The matches vary between individual and group matches and special styles, the most prominent of which are:
- One on One and Tag Team.
- Triple Threat and Fatal 4-Way.
- Royal Rumble.
- Hell in a cell and steel cage.
- Ladder Match, Tables Match, TLC Match.
- Extreme Rules and Last Man Standing.
Notable gladiators and legends
The game features a large group of stars of that period and beloved names among wrestling fans, including:
- Randy Orton, John Cena, and CM Punk.
- The Undertaker, Triple H, and Rey Mysterio.
- Sheamus, The Miz, Kane, and The Big Show.
- Christian, Alberto Del Rio and Daniel Bryan.
- Sin Cara, Cody Rhodes, Mark Henry, and Dolph Ziggler.
- Stone Cold: Steve Austin, Eddie Guerrero, Booker T, Kevin Nash.
Other names are available within the add-ons, depending on the version and installed content, such as The Rock, Shawn Michaels, and Macho Man Randy Savage.
Creating wrestlers and rings
Customization options give you the ability to design your wrestler, adjust their looks, outfits, moves, and enter the ring. Create an Arena also allows you to design arenas and customize their colors, logos and details to recreate the atmosphere of your favourite shows.
Graphics and sound effects
WWE ’12 improved the wrestlers’ appearance, movements, shooting angles, and lighting compared to a number of previous releases. The arrival music, fan chants and commentary support the atmosphere of the matches, although there are occasional notes of the response to the counter-movements and animated transitions.
What sets WWE ’12 apart from previous releases?
The game marked the launch of a new identity for the series years after the name SmackDown vs. Raw, with the development of control, story mode, and expansion of WWE Universe options and customization, while maintaining the spirit of classic wrestling games.
Is WWE ’12 worth trying today?
If you like old WWE games, here you’ll find a slate of stars associated with memories of that era, multiple match genres, and a long story arc. Despite the recent releases excelling in graphics and some technology, WWE ’12 still has a distinctive character with its fans.
How to run the copy by launcher
After opening the launcher, select the path of the game file in ISO format located in the Game folder, adjust the graphics settings to suit your device’s specifications, and launch the game.
