STEEL CHAIRS AND WHEELBARROW NECKBREAKERS

Imagine a steel chair slamming into your face at 100 MPH; in a good way, of course. That is what TNA Impact does to you from the very first match you play. You can either jump right into a match with some of your all time favorites like Sting or the “Samoan Submission Machine” Samoa Joe or you can take part in the expansive story mode that will take six to ten hours for you to complete depending on how fast you pick up on the nuances of the game. And it’s those little nuances that make this game one of the most enjoyable wrestling games to come out in years.

Unlike another popular wrestling brand’s video game series, TNA Impact is more of homage to what makes wrestling games as great as they are. It combines over-the-top non-stop action with an engaging storyline and a versus/online mode to keep you coming back for more with friends and strangers alike. Add its stunning visuals and this game is a winner through and through.

The first thing you notice is the awesome graphics. For the first time ever, the crowd is not a sea of sprites, but instead every person is a 3D model that comes to life as your match progresses. The details of every wrestler and every move they make are as sharp as a honed blade and the facial expressions are remarkably detailed. Add in that every wrestler and commentator voiced themselves (and did it well) and you feel like you’re watching TNA sometimes instead of playing it.

To create this sense of realism, there had to be a few cutbacks, though. Such as limits on your weapon selection and on exactly where you can go with the wrestlers. Aside from the immediate area outside of the ring, you are confined to fight in-between the ropes. It would have been nice if you could have gone up the ramp or into the crowd like so many of the great matches of the real TNA. Also, your only weapon is the customary steel chair, with a handful always scattered about the ring.

This limits your hardcore experiences, but it does give you a chance to focus on your moves. And every wrestler has his old standbys. Kurt Angle performs the Angle Slam with precision and if that doesn’t work, he’ll break out a series of submission maneuvers that almost make you want to tap your chair in hopes of making it stop. Kevin Nash comes across with all the power you would expect from all 7’ of “Big Sexy”. And all the guys from the X-Division fly high and fly far from the top ropes.

Only thing about the moves is sometimes the enemy A.I. gets a little reversal happy, though, and if you have trouble mastering the reversal yourself, you might get frustrated at times from this. It’s hard to find that mix of needing reversals and just being able to go for your moves in a wrestling game and this is another game in a long line that might want to look more into that. Maybe a reversal meter to go with your finisher meter?

The other thing that stands out by itself, but isn’t without fault, is the story mode. The fact that they have a complex story mode is amazing in and of itself because a proper story is something that has been lacking in wrestling games for a while. This might be the best game since WWE: No Mercy (largely considered the best wrestling game of all time) for the N64 just because it has a really compelling, well written story mode to it. The only thing it lacks is open-endedness. The story suffers because you are not in control of the choices your wrestler makes. You just keep winning and advancing through one story. A few options or consequences for losing would be nice.

Overall, this was a great first installment. TNA and Midway should be proud of this game. It’s fun, engaging, and aesthetically pleasing. It needs work though. They need to find a way to expand where your wrestler can go and what weapons he can use, they need a little more variation in the commentary, and they need to expand the story mode for this to be a complete smash hit. Otherwise, if you are a wrestling fan and a looking for a little old school, in your face, off the top rope action, you need to get this game.

Rankings are based on a score of 1 to 10 with 10 being the best.

Graphics: 10.0: This game is beautiful. Everything about it was great visually from the wrestlers’ entrances to the crowd to the wrestlers themselves. This game could not have been better visually.

Audio: 10.0: In terms of audio, this game could not have been better either. Having every wrestler and announcer voice themselves was great. The commentary got a little repetitive after a while, but it didn’t take away from the experience so I can’t take away points.

Plot/Plot Development: 8.0: The story mode is expansive for a wrestling game and really draws you in. The only problem, and it’s a big one, is that the story is too linear. You have no choice in how the game plays out aside from you winning or losing in the ring and having to either replay the match or continue on.

Gameplay: 9.0: Stellar. Only a handful of notable glitches to think of. Even the easy setting made the wrestlers somewhat difficult to beat unless you master the timing for the reversal button. Making you rely on the reversal or the steel chair in some matches to win though became tiresome, but I can’t blame someone for making a difficult, old-school wrestling button masher.

Replay Value: 7.0: A lack of options in the story mode make this a less than ten hour ride, but the multiplayer and online options are the bread and butter of wrestling games for the most part, anyway.

Overall (not an average): 8.5: TNA and Midway have the makings of a hit franchise on their hands, but it needs some work. More options in the story mode, more creative reversal format, more weapons, and more diverse commentary. Basically what every good first installment inspires from its fans. THEY WANT MORE. That alone means that TNA Impact might just be the must have wrestling game of 2008.

-Ray Carsillo