Similar to NBA 2K7, THQ's WWE SmackDown Vs Raw 2007 was playable at this year's E3, albeit in very limited form, and just like my favorite hoops series, the latest iteration of the popular wrestling franchise was thrilling, gorgeous, and a bit disappointing, simply because there are a lot of features and other details that THQ will not discuss right now. But thus far, the game is enjoyable to play, and only a colossal mishap would result in it being less than stellar.

In SmackDown Vs Raw, I could only fight as Kurt Angle or John Cena. That was definitely a let down, made worse by the fact that it was just a standard one on one match (no tables, ladders, chairs, chainsaws, or Papa Shango style Voodoo magic), but it was just enough to give me a small taste of what to expect as well as provide me with the opportunity to get a feel for the new gameplay mechanics.

The biggest feature is pulling off moves with the right analog stick. Unlike in the previous SmackDown's, when you lock up with someone you'll punish them by moving the analog stick in a certain direction and it's incredibly easy to get the hang of. Plus, you now have the option of deciding how long you want to keep someone in certain maneuvers, so if you want to bust out a Davey Boy Smith like suplex (where he holds the guy up in the air for several moments), you now have that option at your disposal. But beyond that, there's just a wealth of things to do, and since Yukes as separated wrestlers into specific classes (Divas and luchadors, for example), the game is much more realistic and varied, so you won't see Rey Mysterio power slamming the Big Show. That's something that Yukes has seemingly been working towards in the past (and their efforts show in the last two games), but this time, it appears that they've really nailed it.

I'm also impressed with the 20 plus environmental hotspots within the game, though I wasn't able to really get a good look at them in the E3 demo. Basically, there are these spots within the arena that when triggered allow you to pull off specific moves. Take, for instance, the ring post. You can drag your opponent outside the ring, bring him to a ring post, grab him or her by the back of his head and ram his face into the cold, hard steel. Or you can just take the fight into the crowd. During the demonstration, Kurt Angle brought Cena to this specific point near the fans and just clotheslined him over the barricade into this enclosed area that had a table and some sort of electrical box. They battled for a bit, then Angle put him onto the table, climbed to the top of the box, and performed a moonsault, crushing his opponent through the hard wood. But you can also throw the other wrestler into the electrical box, sending thousands of volts through his body, or you can grab various weapons from the crowd (bottles and such). You can't battle throughout the entire arena (and I question whether I'll actually bother to go into the crowd because of that), but I'm getting the feeling that this is something that Yukes is experimenting with that, while it won't be included in this game, it will more than likely appear in SmackDown Vs Raw 2008 or 2009.

As for the rest of the game, it plays exactly like SmackDown. THQ insists that the final version will feature fluid animations and more bells and whistles, but by and large, it feels very much like the previous few SmackDown titles and that's definitely a good thing. It also looks fantastic. Yukes has done a really excellent job with the character models, which sport lifelike skin textures and realistic looking sweat. Plus, the entrances are outstanding (the two that I've seen), and the 1,000 plus polygonal fans just add to the overall experience. But during play, the wrestlers are still hampered by stiff movements, and because of gameplay restrictions, it's possible that they won't become more animated.

So here's the deal. SmackDown Vs Raw 2007 is going to be a fantastic game, but I also think that it's a transitional champion, because what I'm seeing (better animations, 1,000 polygonal fans, hot spots, battling in the crowd) is a lot of excellent ideas that are going to seem a bit limiting this year, but will be expanded upon in future editions of the series. With that being said, this game is going to be a hell of a good time, but I'm already looking forward to SmackDown Vs Raw 2008 and 2009. THQ and Yukes have been steadily building towards this ultimate wrestling experience for several years, and I think that they're almost there.

As for 2007, I'll return with updated coverage as soon as THQ gives up the goods.