With decent production values and a diverse wrestling engine, TNA iMPACT! initially seems like wrestling fans have finally received a sequel to the N64 classic classic WWF No Mercy. Digging deeper, and dealing the atrocious AI, one quickly comes to realize this feels more like a beta than a finished release.
iMPACT! does one thing right. It captures the frantic pacing and style of the federation. Almost all TNA bouts are high-flying and rapidly paced. Thankfully, the game handles this admirably. The original and competently designed engine is up to the task.
As with No Mercy, there are two types of attacks: strong and weak. The modifier is set to LB, increasing the strength of both strikes and grapples. This is quick to grasp and intuitive to use. The left analog stick handles what type of maneuver is delivered to your opponent. At first, this all works beautifully. Matches carry a natural and realistic flow. It’s later on into the story mode (where you unlock everything) where things quickly take a tumble.
It’s bad enough that the story here is simply terrible, even by pro wrestling standards. You must use a created wrestler instead of a TNA star. You’ll play a guy stricken with amnesia after a backstage assault, and must rebuild your star status by moving up the rankings in TNA. Early matches are against opponents who don’t offer up much of a fight. Later fights are not as easy.
Of course, it’s expected for things to get a little tougher. However, iMPACT! isn’t even remotely fair. The reversal system is the problem. Only a few moves can’t be reversed (using the RB), and anything you try against the major TNA roster will be fruitless. It’s even worse when you manage to reverse one of their moves, only to have the reversal reversed (it’s so ridiculous, it doesn’t even sound right when you read it).
Most matches, you’ll need to resort to the chairs that lay around outside the ring to gain an advantage. When those run out, you’ll have to stick with simple, repetitive moves such as a hip toss to stand a chance. Beating Jeff Jarrett in the final match is truly an achievement.
Much of the story mode is padded with useless matches against no-name wrestlers. It’s as if the design team went into their own meager create-a-wrestler and found some of the worst designs imaginable to throw at the player. Some cinematics in the story mode aren’t even animated.
Maybe they needed to make the story last, since that’s it for actual modes of play. Exhibition matches are limited to only three match types, and none of the TNA Knockouts, the expansive roster of female wrestlers, made the cut (even though an actual exclusive match is included on the disc as an extra). Online matches are likewise too simplistic.
As for using your creativity to create missing combatants, it’s useless. The list of moves is incredibly slim, and unlocking them takes hours. Most of your story will play out using a meager selection of attacks, making it repetitive in addition to being cheap.
As for the presentation, something captured so well in the competition from THQ, this falters as well. Wrestler entrances are short, mostly a few seconds. The character models are nice, but suffer from ugly texturing. Likewise, the arena is populated with fans that fare well at a distance.
iMPACT! comes off as more of a beta. With the lack of gameplay modes and match types, this feels unfinished or rushed to the market. If this does become a yearly update, this is a fine base to start with, but expecting people to fork over $60 for what amounts to an early first run demo is a bit much.
Tags: midway, review, thq, tna impact, wwf arcade game wrestling
