THQ is continuing its series of WWE wrestling games for GameCube, but this year there are some big changes. For starters, the name is new; calling it "Wrestlemania" every year didn't seem right when it isn't released for six months after the actual event, so this year's game will be called WWE Day of Reckoning. The game also introduces a much improved story mode and the usual array of graphical and gameplay upgrades.

The publisher says it listened to feedback from fan message boards, media reviews, and focus groups to determine where improvements needed to be made in the next game. Day of Reckoning focuses on the story mode, which was widely considered to be a failure in Wrestlemania XIX. The new mode will take your character from the minor leagues all the way to becoming WWE World Champion at Wrestlemania. Along the way, you'll have to train and build up attributes, earn a WWE contract, garner fan support, work through the competition, and eventually wrestle in the big TV matches and pay-per-view events.

The graphics have been revamped considerably over last year's game. The wrestlers have been given new body models with much more detail, especially in the muscle contours and faces. Specular highlighting has also been added to simulate the look of sweaty skin, and the effect makes a big difference even at a glance. There are more lights in the arenas, not to mention 3D crowds who hold up different signs for the various characters. The on-screen information has been streamlined to show momentum, health for each body part, the special move meter, etc., and it all takes up a small portion of the screen's bottom corner. Many of the hand-created animations are being redone to look more natural, including the awful walk animation from XIX.

Over 40 WWE superstars will be present in the game, including many unlockable characters and the new addition of WWE Legends. Each wrestler is rated in areas of strength, speed, stamina, countering, submission, and charisma. Wrestlers can give and take damage to specific body parts, which will affect the success rate for submission moves. But using a submission move no longer brings up a stoic cinema; instead, players will fight in a button-tapping tug of war, with a meter inching towards either "Submit" or "Escape". The same mechanic has been applied to pulling off clothing in the new Bra & Panties matches, in which female wrestlers fight until one of them has been stripped down to only her bra and panties. Other gameplay improvements include a new move that steals momentum from the opponent (another new feature), as well as weapons that cause more damage than in other games, but wear out after just a few hits.

Everyone knows that presentation is key in a wrestling game, and Day of Reckoning has new features in this regard too. A set of closer camera angles mimic the way wrestling is shot for TV, and numerous camera tricks are used to show off flashy moves. The camera pans around during submission holds, zooms in on the victim's anguished face, and even goes into slow-motion at key moments. There are flashes of inverted color at the impact of a huge powerbomb or suplex. Blood is back, too, and it will show up after particularly brutal moves. Finally, you can expect the newest licensed soundtrack of WWE intro songs.

Keep checking PGC for more information on WWE Day of Reckoning up to its release this fall.