The problem which faces most WWE games is the turnaround time expected by THQ. Each developer has a year to churn out a game. In the case of Anchor, developers of Raw 2, this was clearly not enough and they were forced to release one of the most lethargic and buggy wrestling titles seen in recent years. With Yukes already having Smackdown! Shut Your Mouth as a relatively decent foundation to base this years iteration on, their 12 months has enabled them to produce the most refreshingly decent WWE title for some years.

The first standout feature of Here Comes the Pain is a much-expanded roster. Whilst many Superstars have been missed out due to time and system limitations, the roster is still diverse enough to keep play fresh. For the first time in the series the size of wrestler you have chosen affects the kind of things you can do. For example, cruiserweights can no longer lift heavyweights, and heavyweights now find their speed impaired even further. This adds diversity to the title as a game with Goldberg is significantly different to one with Ultimo Dragon, for example.

This year, each character's moveset has been bolstered with standard wrestling techniques. In Shut Your Mouth, many wrestlers found themselves compromised in many situations and whilst each wrestler still has his or hers strengths and weaknesses, the weaknesses aren’t as pronounced and potentially game-ruining as they once were.

Similarly, many characters also had the disadvantage of only being able to perform special moves when certain criteria were fulfilled. Now, the game takes a few liberties and allows you to perform such moves with more lenience on triggering criteria, with the game automatically moving you and your opponent once the camera cuts. For those moves which are still reliant on positioning, it’s now possible to drag your opponent across the canvas.

The countering system is much improved. Now, rather than desperately hoping you’ve countered with a weird button-direction combo, countering is a matter of pressing the correct shoulder button. Finishing moves can now be countered also, and without Smackdown! points of your own. This lends to a far more open style of play, with matches no longer being a foregone conclusion, regardless of how much punishment you’ve taken.

Weaponry has become far more solid this time around. Now, you’ll no longer see ladders falling as if made of paper or chairs passing through your body. Collision and physics are much improved making hardcore matches a far more enjoyable prospect. New weapons are available backstage including the rather entertaining forklift truck as well as lethal scenery such as punchbags and the WWE production truck.

Another significant change to this year's title is the inclusion of damage zones. You can now target individual areas of your opponents body in order to try and wear them down. You’ll now see Superstars with injured legs struggling to run and kick, whereas head injuries can leave a wrestler dazed and confused. Too much damage to the head can cause your opponent to be cut open, a new feature which not only adds further authenticity to the title but also enables a whole new game type in the shape of First Blood matches.

First Blood isn’t the only new match type available in Here Comes The Pain. We now have the Elimination Chamber which allows 6 wrestlers to partake in an extreme cage match as well as ladies’ Bra & Panties matches, where the aim of the match is to remove your opponents clothes. The latter mode may seem a tad tawdry to non-fans, but not only does it add further authenticity, it also helps bulk out a much-improved diva division, with women now having their own season mode.

Here Comes The Pain’s season mode is much improved over its predecessor. No longer can you win the World Title at the first Pay Per View and hold onto it for years on end. Now, you have to work your way up, collecting belts as you go and getting into numerous storyline skits that keep your focus on completing stories, rather than collecting gold. Each story was written by the WWE writing team, so you’ll see some familiar events taking place as well as entirely new ones. There is certainly far more variety than last years McMahon vs. Flair brand-split tedium.

Travelling in season mode no longer consists of 10 minute slogs over to Times Square only to find nobody (or, even worse, Shawn Stasiak) waiting. Now, everything is controlled via a menu system and you already know if there is someone waiting at a location. As you go through season mode, you earn money which can be spent on unlockables such as new arenas, new attire and also various WWE legends including George Steele, Ted Dibiase and classic, old-school Undertaker.

And let's not forget the fabulous multiplayer modes. You and 5 friends with a multitap can now take part in any match type you so desire, so it will be possible to have a six-man Hell in a Cell with weapons. Add that to copious amounts of beer and crisps and you’ve got an all-nighter on your hands.

Several paragraphs of improvements and new features down and you’ll have noticed that not one of them involved graphics or sound. For this reviewer, that’s the most refreshing thing about Here Comes The Pain. Yukes have made so many improvements where it counts that the admittedly impressive graphics and sound pale into insignificance when trying to get your head round what’s changed.

Of course it’s not all a bed of roses. For a start there isn’t quite enough emphasis on the cruiserweights, with only 3 of WWE’s cruiserweight division making the cut. With Nunzio, Kidman, Jamie Noble, Spanky and Shannon Moore all missing, the scope offered by selecting a cruiserweight for season mode is limited. Indeed Yukes have assumed the belt to be a mid-card heavyweight title and as such you’ll see the likes of The Big Show winning it every now and again, which is somewhat odd.

Elsewhere, the legends seem a tad tacked on. Not only do they lack their proper entrances, some of the people they’ve included struggle to be classed as legends. Hopefully next year will see some expansion on this mode. Elsewhere, the sound is lacking bass and whilst the clipping issues are in no way as bad as last year, it still rears its head every now and again.

But ultimately WWE Smackdown! Here Comes The Pain is a truly decent wrestling game. It’s not No Mercy. The game is far too arcade-oriented to be compared with Aki’s seminal “sim”, but it certainly stands out in its own right.

With another year, who knows what Yukes could achieve? That they’ve taken the Smackdown! engine online in Japan, via Pro Wrestling Online, could be an indication of where we’re heading next year. In the meantime, jaded grapple-fans will find much to love about Here Comes The Pain. It restores some much-needed faith in THQ’s franchise and stands out as a great game in its own right.