It's time to layeth the SmackDown once again, as THQ's latest WWE extravaganza hits shelves next week. WWE SmackDown Vs. Raw 2010 features a number of returning modes, including Create-a-Superstar and Road To WrestleMania, along with a few new additions to make the wrestling experience feel fresh and exciting. We recently went hands-on with the game at a press event in California to smell what THQ and Yukes were cooking.

Hurt you? No, no. I just want to hug you.Click to see more images from the game...

First, Create-a-Wrestler was greatly expanded. You'll spend hours building wrestlers, whether you include yourself as an up-and-coming wrestler, recreate a famous face (like Ariel from The Little Mermaid and Mario, as a couple of fellow attendees did) or go over-the-top with something completely outlandish. (We put a big-fingered guy in a chicken suit and called him "Muthaclucker".) From there, you can put your wrestler through a number of modes, including Road To WrestleMania.

As you push your wrestler through his or her career, you'll improve one of eight different attributes to improve their performance: Strikes, Submissions, Durability, Charisma, Speed, Hardcore, Technical and Grapple, with specifics for each category. Technical gives you savvier moves to use on opponents, while Grapple makes it easier to grab opponents and throw them around. Choose carefully, though. What works against one wrestler doesn't necessarily work against the others.

THQ also made improvements to the Create-a-Finisher mode, with more take-offs, landings, grabs and other moves to select from. So if you ever dreamt of doing a one-and-a-half flip shooting star press slam, here's your golden opportunity.

Two new additions round out the creation features: Create-an-Entrance and Story Creation. In the Entrance mode, you custom build your wrestler's animations as he or she heads to the ring. You can then upload these through Xbox Live or the PlayStation Network, sharing them with your fellow users (along with your created wrestlers, finishing moves and highlight reels). The Create-a-Story mode is much deeper, letting you choose emotions and responses from wrestlers, then setting up the dialogue that follows. This is perfect for gamers who watch WWE programming with a passion and yell at the TV, "I could've written a better storyline than that!" One developer even showed us a cut scene where Michael Cole got hit by a passing car.

If Creation isn't your speed, SmackDown Vs. Raw has other options. There are over 50 WWE superstars available from three different brands (WWE, SmackDown and ECW), and you can tweak their outfits, tattoos and in-ring attire. In addition, various match types are here, from the popular Ladder Match to the fiery Inferno Match. Furthermore, Road To WrestleMania is back, featuring a spot for your created wrestler, along with Triple H, John Cena, Randy Orton, Shawn Michaels/Undertaker, and for the first time in the series, WWE Diva Mickie James. Last but not least, you can still take on challengers online through Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network.

Welcome back to WWE, Christian.Click to see more images from the game...

Thus far, the controls are excellent. You'll utilize the face buttons and right analog stick to execute weak and strong punches, rope maneuvers, running moves, grapples and more. A newly added Training Facility lets you work on these abilities any time, so you can learn Irish Whips (quick turnarounds) or whatever else you can't figure out. You can also adjust your computer opponent's difficulty and stance, in case you want to test something specific, such as a submission hold or Undertaker's "old-school" ropewalk. We had no trouble pulling off these devastating maneuvers. There are some minor collision detection issues, but other than that, everything feels spot-on.

THQ also did a superb job with the game's presentation. The wrestlers look just like the real deal, from Undertaker's slow walk to the ring to the Big Show's massive arms. Sometimes the wrestlers overlap each other in the ring (especially when the match involves two big guys like Show and The Great Khali), but the game still looks good. Finally, more attention was given to crowds and locales, from specific WWE arenas to idiots holding signs that read "The guy behind me can't see".

We didn't get to hear too much of the in-game commentary during our hands-on session, but the dialogue is clear and hardly repetitive. Some wrestlers also lent their talent to the game. (At one point, Santino Morella, coming off a quick victory in the ring, grabs a mike and begins telling bad jokes, as only he can.) In addition, the crowd sounds excellent, with wrestler-specific chants and loud boos for the bad guys. Each grappler's theme music is also here, not only playing before and after matches, but also randomly in the game's menus.

There's no question that THQ has another hit on its hands with WWE SmackDown Vs. Raw 2010. We'll have the final verdict next week, so brush up those grappling skills and get ready for WrestleMania. It's gonna be a real slobber-knocker.