Sam HersheyAnd now for the main event: The Wolf's Den Reviews TNA iMPACT!
November 6th 2008 07:38
Okay, yeah, I know it's been over a month so I'm going to try to do something new here...I am setting a day, Wednesday or Thursday (probably write on Wednesday for a Thursday publishing), which will be the day I post around here, the way I used to do it was I would watch the hit counter and wait till it dipped below 100 but that doesn't seem to be working so..
anyway...we got a game to review, not a great one but...
Graphics: To be honest the graphics are not really that bad for the PS2, most of the wrestlers look like what they should and there are very few if any glitches in the graphic system. Sadly compared to what other wrestling games have put out the graphics are not exactly what many of you people would consider top notch. Still, not bad for a PS2.
Gameplay: NOW we hit the problem...THE BIGGEST ONE IN THE GAME...I really don't know where to start with this, so let's start with the AI...it is BROKEN to no end, want to do something other than a kick...make sure the computer is stunned or else they will reverse it...and this is on the "Backyard" (Easiest) Difficulty level. So basically matches come down to a kicking contest...natutally this thing about every move being blocked unless the opponent is dizzy doesn't apply in your favor, you know, in case you were wondering.
Since we briefly hit the controlls, let's do them next...your wrestler has about 4 moves while standing, not counting their finisher, on the ground you have 2 moves one at the head and one at the feet...and oh yeah, 4 moves, the most annoying one...strike, which is done about the same area as a pinfall, so you will have just pulled off your finisher, go to pin your opponent...and stomp them instead because you were like 1/4 of an inch off from the pin spot. That is if the game doesn't somehow teleport the guy over to the other side of the ring after he hits the mat (yeah it did that a few times). There are also several tutorial movies staring TNA superstars to help you learn the controls. The movies aren't too bad, would have preferred if you could do something other than watch, but they do the job.
The roster isn't too bad either, what ticks me off here is that save for a few top teirs most of what you get is a bunch of midcarders and also rans...most of the rest of the roster requires you to go in to story mode and play through....which only unlocks mostly (you guessed it) MORE mid carders and also rans....IF it doesn't unlock some two bit guy the game made just to give you an opponent (or a reason to brag about the roster size).
You have a small varitey of arenas...at first you have the Impact Zone...and ONLY the Impact Zone. The rest you have to unlock by going through the story mode.
Speaking of small, you have very few match types here...you have standard, tag team, 3 way and 4 way...oh yeah, and the Ultimate X. No Hardcore match (but all matches are basically a street fight with no DQs or rope breaks anyway)...but the biggest one is no ladder match or 6 Sides of Steel...I mean, okay, Monster's Ball might have been tough to do, same with King of the Mountain...but give me a wrestling game in which there is no cage match ANYWHERE!
Since we briefly hit the story mode in the last two sections let's do that one next. You play as Suicide...according to the movie at the start Suicide is/was one of the tip top TNA Superstars, nobody could beat him...he ran roughshot through the federation to the point that TNA had to give him a title shot. It was at this point that he was approached by LAX and told to take a dive "or else". He told them he would...of course he didn't take the dive and as he is leaving with the belt LAX beats the stuffing out of him. As you take over Suicide is waking up in a hospital bed south of the border with no memory of what happened or who he is. The really sad thing is, done right this could have been one awesome storyline as clearly the object is to find out what happened that night and then to get revenge. Sadly this was not done well...barely any cutscenes or story advancement to go with the matches, and no branches (you must win the match or replay it.). Or maybe the REALLY sad thing is how poorly written the story is. In the right hands (maybe the TNA writers) this storyline could have been great...PPV Caliber it's not.
So there you have it...personally I would have loved to have said that while Vince and the WWE have the championship again this year but they need to watch their backs cause TNA iMPACT! is a strong number 1 contender, I can't, Diehard TNA fans, who run from anything with WWE on it like it's infected with the plague, may like this game. Most of us though will most likly just want to wait till next week for Smackdown VS Raw 2009.
For TNA iMPACT! the den sends out: 2 Wolves
Things that increase the size of the pack
Quite a few TNA Superstars
The superstars in the game are well done
Story mode has an intresting foundation
Tutorial videos are well done, star TNA superstars (who even crack some rivalry jokes at times)
Things that Shrink the Pack Size
Most of the roster is either mid carders or people the game simply made up
The AI is broken worse than a story line by Vince Russo
Limited moves, and even so the controller doesn't do what you want most of the time.
Glitches can cause your opponent to end up half way across the ring when they are knocked down (they hit the ground and then teleport across)
Most of the arenas must be unlocked by playing through story mode
Speaking of which story mode IS NOT well written despite the good foundation (but as mentioned must be played through in order to gain most of the in game wrestlers/arenas)
Limited Match types...several matches you expect to see a wrestling game are missing.
anyway...we got a game to review, not a great one but...
THE WOLF'S DEN REVIEWS
For Multiple Platforms (PS2 Version Reviewed)
Graphics: To be honest the graphics are not really that bad for the PS2, most of the wrestlers look like what they should and there are very few if any glitches in the graphic system. Sadly compared to what other wrestling games have put out the graphics are not exactly what many of you people would consider top notch. Still, not bad for a PS2.
Gameplay: NOW we hit the problem...THE BIGGEST ONE IN THE GAME...I really don't know where to start with this, so let's start with the AI...it is BROKEN to no end, want to do something other than a kick...make sure the computer is stunned or else they will reverse it...and this is on the "Backyard" (Easiest) Difficulty level. So basically matches come down to a kicking contest...natutally this thing about every move being blocked unless the opponent is dizzy doesn't apply in your favor, you know, in case you were wondering.
Since we briefly hit the controlls, let's do them next...your wrestler has about 4 moves while standing, not counting their finisher, on the ground you have 2 moves one at the head and one at the feet...and oh yeah, 4 moves, the most annoying one...strike, which is done about the same area as a pinfall, so you will have just pulled off your finisher, go to pin your opponent...and stomp them instead because you were like 1/4 of an inch off from the pin spot. That is if the game doesn't somehow teleport the guy over to the other side of the ring after he hits the mat (yeah it did that a few times). There are also several tutorial movies staring TNA superstars to help you learn the controls. The movies aren't too bad, would have preferred if you could do something other than watch, but they do the job.
The roster isn't too bad either, what ticks me off here is that save for a few top teirs most of what you get is a bunch of midcarders and also rans...most of the rest of the roster requires you to go in to story mode and play through....which only unlocks mostly (you guessed it) MORE mid carders and also rans....IF it doesn't unlock some two bit guy the game made just to give you an opponent (or a reason to brag about the roster size).
You have a small varitey of arenas...at first you have the Impact Zone...and ONLY the Impact Zone. The rest you have to unlock by going through the story mode.
Speaking of small, you have very few match types here...you have standard, tag team, 3 way and 4 way...oh yeah, and the Ultimate X. No Hardcore match (but all matches are basically a street fight with no DQs or rope breaks anyway)...but the biggest one is no ladder match or 6 Sides of Steel...I mean, okay, Monster's Ball might have been tough to do, same with King of the Mountain...but give me a wrestling game in which there is no cage match ANYWHERE!
Since we briefly hit the story mode in the last two sections let's do that one next. You play as Suicide...according to the movie at the start Suicide is/was one of the tip top TNA Superstars, nobody could beat him...he ran roughshot through the federation to the point that TNA had to give him a title shot. It was at this point that he was approached by LAX and told to take a dive "or else". He told them he would...of course he didn't take the dive and as he is leaving with the belt LAX beats the stuffing out of him. As you take over Suicide is waking up in a hospital bed south of the border with no memory of what happened or who he is. The really sad thing is, done right this could have been one awesome storyline as clearly the object is to find out what happened that night and then to get revenge. Sadly this was not done well...barely any cutscenes or story advancement to go with the matches, and no branches (you must win the match or replay it.). Or maybe the REALLY sad thing is how poorly written the story is. In the right hands (maybe the TNA writers) this storyline could have been great...PPV Caliber it's not.
So there you have it...personally I would have loved to have said that while Vince and the WWE have the championship again this year but they need to watch their backs cause TNA iMPACT! is a strong number 1 contender, I can't, Diehard TNA fans, who run from anything with WWE on it like it's infected with the plague, may like this game. Most of us though will most likly just want to wait till next week for Smackdown VS Raw 2009.
For TNA iMPACT! the den sends out: 2 Wolves
Things that increase the size of the pack
Quite a few TNA Superstars
The superstars in the game are well done
Story mode has an intresting foundation
Tutorial videos are well done, star TNA superstars (who even crack some rivalry jokes at times)
Things that Shrink the Pack Size
Most of the roster is either mid carders or people the game simply made up
The AI is broken worse than a story line by Vince Russo
Limited moves, and even so the controller doesn't do what you want most of the time.
Glitches can cause your opponent to end up half way across the ring when they are knocked down (they hit the ground and then teleport across)
Most of the arenas must be unlocked by playing through story mode
Speaking of which story mode IS NOT well written despite the good foundation (but as mentioned must be played through in order to gain most of the in game wrestlers/arenas)
Limited Match types...several matches you expect to see a wrestling game are missing.
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