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TNA Impact! (X360)
Written by Sean Anthony
Saturday, 13 September 2008   
TNA Impact! (X360)
Audio:
 
 7.0
Visual:
 
 6.0
Gameplay:
 
 5.0
Story:
 
 3.0
Replay:
 
 5.0
Score:
 
 6.0
Platform: X360
Genre: Fighting
Players: 4
Website: http://www.midway.com/us/MidwayHome.html
Release Date: September 09, 2008
Rating: T


In the world of wrestling games there is only one known game to most which is WWE: Smackdown vs. Raw series which has done well and has made great advances from game to game. WWE has had this style monopolized for several years but the lone competitor in the wrestling world TNA Impact! Has finally made their gaming mark with the release of TNA Impact! The game.

Story:

TNA Impact! Has one of the oddest yet funniest storylines I have ever seen. You start getting ready for your upcoming title match when LAX comes up and tells you to take a dive. You agree of course so you don’t get your ass stomped but again of course you turn on that idea with a big “F That” and win your title match only to be knocked out and wake up in get this…Mexico. You then are taken under the wing of Kevin Nash who helps groom you and helps you get a TNA contract.After you get your contract you are tagged up with Eric Young of all people. It goes on from there but I will give you the first words of the game for Eric Young.

“Mmm…you smell like banana’s”

The storyline gets a C-, enough said.

Gameplay:

The gameplay is a hit and miss. Let’s start at the start of any wrestling game with the entrances. The entrances are beautiful and have great graphics but they only go as far as the entrance ramp and no further which definitely isn’t good. They also don’t utilize the entrance video’s such as Christian Cage’s countdown video or Team 3D’s video as well. This hurts them against rival WWE who heavily uses their video’s. I know that TNA doesn’t rely on entrance video’s or the such but you cannot create your own entrance as well as you would like and it just isn’t very detailed either.

The character creation is very shaky at best. You don’t have a whole lot you can customize and it seems very unpolished and that it needs some work done as well. The whole game seems to have a basic mechanics problem to where it must be compared to Backyard Wrestling which is something that isn’t good. Everything is simplified all the way down to the move-sets. The grapple system is nearly non-existent other than your several moves that you have with your strong grapple LB+Y or just the Y button for your weaker grapple moves. You have to unlock moves, characters and custom things for your created character.

You strike with you X button for punches and A button for kicks. You don’t use turnbuckle moves only strikes which hurts a lot especially since Black Machismo Jay Lethal uses the flying elbow drop in ode to Macho Man Randy Savage so you don’t have a good repertoire for your attacks in a general sense. It takes awhile to unlock good moves to add to your character and it becomes more annoying than fun. Not all is bad though. They keep things such as the AJ Styles Styling DDT or Sabin’s running enzeguri which are nice especially when you talk about the finishers. The finishers are the crown jewels of this game. From AJ Styles, Styles Clash to Petey Williams, Canadian Destroyer these are just some beautiful moves and are the real reason to play this game. Most of the finishers either have a submission or pin added to the end of them which is nice and saves you time from fighting with the B button to pin somebody. Also the little things are missing like no announcers at the table even though they’re talking and there is no referee to mess with which I do for fun.

All in all this game has hits and misses but overall I would give it a C. With the beautiful graphics and awesome finishers mixed with the shady grapple system and technically retarded tag team cpu partners this game isn’t too bad but is a work in progress. I’m looking forward to seeing their 2nd try at cracking this code. Not bad for the first decent wrestling game without a WWE sticker on it.

Graphics:

The graphics are very good and one of the high marks of this game. The characters have real looking sweat on them and the signature moves are beautifully made and sequence perfectly. The downside is during matches the graphics seem a little bit laid off like that decided to make the graphics secondary for the gameplay instead but the gameplay doesn’t add up enough to make the grade in that idea. Overall the Graphics get a B and are the highlight of this game.

Sound:

The effects in this aren’t too bad but are not something that helps or hurts this game. The voice overs are funny most of the time but your created character voice choices are just terrible. Your voice sounds like a pedophile who is really into chopping wood with no pants on and likes to drink coffee. This hitting effects and mat effects are pretty good but the entrance music is hard to hear and really sketchy also. I give the sound forthis game a C+.

Replay:

The replay value is minimal especially with WWE Smackdown vs. Raw feat. ECW 09 coming out soon here. This can tide you over but only if you’re willing to pitch out the $50 or $60 price tag. The online is decent but doesn’t change from the fact of a messy button system and annoying storyline along with a very small custom character ability to hurt it even farther. My overall grade for the replay is a D+ to a C- depending on your online addiction.

Overall:

It is greased up men fighting. What’s missing you ask?Greased up women. There are no female playable characters in this game which hurts it overall. I was hoping to see Gail Kim’s tight ass, the Beautiful People’s sexiness and Awesome Kong’s Maximus style body armor suit. The big highlights are the graphics engine, the finishers and the entrances even though they are short. The character creation is awful, the grapple system is hard to learn and difficult to master and the strikes are minimal with very little that add a big punch to them. All in all this game seems unfinished and is going to lose when compared to the Smackdown vs.Raw series because of the lack of in depth wrestling. This game is decent but that’s all it doesn’t get any better than that. I have to give it a B-. The game is solid and entertaining but lacks a few things when you look at it head on. The CPU is retarded and annoying, the story is hard to get through yet the gameplay is fun entertaining and at times very funny. This is a hit and miss type of game and it is definitely something to at least check out.

Overall Grade: B-

Starting Character


Unlockable Character

Achievements:

On Top of the World (5 points):Create a player in Story mode (Chapter 1).

Lucha Libre! (10 points): Win theMexican Gauntlet Match in Story mode (Chapter 1).

Welcome to America (10 points):Defeat James Storm in Story mode (Chapter 2).

King of the Gauntlet (10 points):Win the Gauntlet Match in Story mode (Chapter 2).

Welcome to TNA! (15 points): DefeatRobert Roode in Story mode (Chapter 3).

Climbing the Ladder (15 points): Wintwo Tag Team matches in Story mode (Chapter 4).

5150 (20 points): Beat LAX in Storymode (Chapter 4).

It's About No Limits (20 points):Win three X Division matches in Story mode (Chapter 5).

He's Not Phenomenal (25 points):Defeat AJ Styles in Story mode (Chapter 5).

This Is Awesome! (30 points): Becomethe X Division Champion in Story mode (Chapter 5).

A Heavyweight Price (35 points): Winyour first Heavyweight match in Story mode (Chapter 6).

The Bigger They Are... (45 points):Defeat Kevin Nash in Story mode (Chapter 6).

Start Your Own Streak (55 points):Defeat Samoa Joe in Story mode (Chapter 6).

It's Damn Real! (75 points): DefeatKurt Angle in Story mode (Chapter 6).

The New King of TNA (100 points):Defeat Jeff Jarrett in Story mode (Chapter 6).

Send'em Home Happy (15 points):Perform a signature move to excite the crowd

Highspot Risktaker (40 points):Perform 50 aerial moves successfully.

Don't Fire Eric (20 points): DefeatRobert Roode with Eric Young

Return of The Icon (5 points): Playas Sting.

X Marks the Spot (15 points): Win anUltimate X match.

Detroit's Finest (25 points): Win aTag Team match using Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin.

Mid-Card Contender (25 points): Win25 matches in any mode.

He's on Fire!! (20 points): Createan all flame clothing theme.

Shark in the Water (50 points):Defeat every wrestler on the roster with Shark Boy.

Planet Jarrett (20 points): Playagainst a real life TNA wrestler or someone who has.

World Wide Wrestler (25 points):Play 25 ranked matches on Xbox Live.

Jobber Nation (0 points): Lose 5matches on Xbox Live in one sitting.

Underdog Wins (30 points): Defeatsomeone of TNA Champion status on any Leaderboard.

Best of the Best (100 points):Achieve TNA Champion status on any Leaderboard.

Secret Achievements:

End of The Streak (35 points):Defeat Samoa Joe with Kurt Angle.

Cage Was Robbed (35 points): DefeatChristian Cage with Samoa Joe.

The Fallen Angel (35 points): DefeatSamoa Joe and AJ Styles with Christopher Daniels in an Ultimate X Match.

Ultimate X History Lesson (35points): Win 2 Ultimate X matches with AJ Styles.

Duckin' & Dodgin' (0 points):Congratulations on being the biggest wimp (in a normal exhibition match avoidyour opponent for more than a minute).