"WWE '12" - the last WWE game by THQ for ever

A little over two years ago, John Cena, professional wrestler, wrestled at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri. Speaking of Cena, he voices his own real-life character in a recent video game.

“WWE ‘13” was released on October 30, 2012 in the U.S. for the Wii, 360 and PS3. “WWE ‘13” was developed by Yuke’s and published by THQ, and it is rated T (Teen) for blood, crude humor, language, mild suggestive themes, use of alcohol and violence. The genres of “WWE ‘13” are professional wrestling and sports. Single-player and multiplayer (online) are the major game modes. The cover pro is CM Punk.

“WWE ‘13” is the second installment in the “WWE” series, but is the fourteenth in the combined series, with “WWF SmackDown!” (2000) as the first installment, and “WWE ‘12” (2011) as the prequel to “WWE ‘13”. There will not be another “WWE” game in the future, at least not published by THQ, thanks to the company filing for bankruptcy last December.

The Predator Technology engine does return from the prequel. Also returning is the Creative Suite: players can create custom wrestlers, arenas and stories. Finally, Universe Mode once again returns. This mode allows the player to use all created wrestlers and arenas on any show.

WrestleMania does not return from the prequel; the mode is replaced with an all-new mode: Attitude Era. Another new feature is WWE Live, which deals with audio. Downloadable content is available. “WWE ‘13” was nominated for the Best Individual Sports Game at the 2012 Spike Video Game Awards. More wrestlers than ever before are available in the newest game.

Positives for “WWE ‘13” include Attitude Era, Universe Mode, WWE footage, variety of wrestlers, gameplay, customization and graphics. The lasting appeal lasts too long because there are so many options. Negatives for “WWE ‘13” include commentary, camera angles, crowd audio, video/animation problems and user interface. Metacritic gave it a Metascore of 74 out of 100 for the Wii, 78 for the 360 and 76 for the PS3.

Even though “WWE ‘13” has some downsides, it is still worth buying, unless you are not a fan of the WWE games and/or do not like wrestling games. For those who don’t fit those qualifications, this game is perfect for you and can be purchased here in St. Louis.

“WWE ‘13” is about $60 for the 360/PS3 and $50 for the Wii at Target, Walmart, Kmart, Best Buy, Toys “R” Us, Hastings and GameStop. The paperback strategy guide is about $18 and is available at Walmart, Hastings, GameStop and Best Buy. A pre-owned game at Best Buy and GameStop only costs $49 ($30 at Hastings) for the PS3/360 and $45 for the Wii and great used deals can also be found at Amazon.com and Hastings.

Please contact me at my email address below for any comments or questions you might have.

Official website: http://wwe.thq.com/

Wiki website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WWE_%2713

IMDb website: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2177250/?ref_=sr_3

Facebook website: https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/TheOfficialWWEGames?fref=ts

More articles by Trevor Roe: http://www.examiner.com/video-games-in-st-louis/trevor-roe

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