Customer Reviews

TNA Impact!

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

The Good:

* A compelling storyline that lets you build your own character.
* Competitive Multiplayer.
* Awards for wrestling in style forces you to use different moves.
* Ultimate X Match is a great addition to a wrestling game.



The bad:

* Frustratingly cheap computer at times.
* NO TNA Knockouts.



The Bottom Line:

Thirsty for wrestling? Give this title a try. This game actually awards you for wrestling in style instead of using same move over and over again(button-mash) to beat your opponent. While the Story Mode is fun, there are moments where you will want to throw the control through your flat screen(please don't!) Even on easiest level, it took me literally hours to defeat certain wrestlers. I know that Samoa Joe is great but how fair is that when all he needs to do is hit a finisher on me once while I had to perform 4 finishers and unleash 16 chair shots on him just to barely beat him? The Story Mode doesn't end your game experience. Once you are done, give online a try. Despite minor glitches, the online play went smoothly. If you are a wrestling fan, you will definitely enjoy this title.

For the better part of an entire year, I was hyped up to this game. The announcement that there would be no Knockouts was the only thing that soured me a bit.

Then I read a Midway Q&A session on IGN.com regarding the game, and almost every response Midway gave either consisted of "No, this game will not feature that" or "We hope to include that in the next game!"

Missing a lot of things though it may be, Midway showed just how much fail is in this product when they spend an opportunity to hype it up by basically crapping all over it and all but telling us "don't buy this yet---it's only the beta version of the sequel coming in four or ten years~!"

Then the game itself. The graphics are good, but what game isn't these days? You can't give a game a pretty rating just for graphics alone---imagine how Final Fantasy: Spirits Unleashed would have been received if the graphics of the movie were considered a part of how good it was.

Even then, the graphics look nowhere near as good as the now-apparent pre-rendered screenshots plastered across the internet. I absolutely could not tell that James Storm character was supposed to be James Storm, while for the most part, all the wrestlers look how they're supposed to, but don't break the barrier of shock and awe. They are more in the league of Smackdown vs Raw 2007 or 2008.

That said, compensation appears to be made for the above-average graphics, by immense cuts in game content. 25 superstars is no real big deal. When all those superstars have the exact same generic taunts and the same puddle of moves to pick from, THAT is a big deal. A bad big deal.

The controls are a sloppy and contorted mess. Arguably this could be from a several year-long accustomment to the controls in WWE games from Day of Reckoning to Smackdown vs Raw 2008, but either way, it's simply not very functional for the R button to be for running, and for the strong-grapple button to be on the opposite side of the controller from the base grapple button itself.

The controls are designed in such a way that it will take a very long time to grow accustomed to them, much less to master them. Maybe this is due to my clumsiness and retard-fingers, but even I was able to get over the switch of L button for blocking strikes, R button for blocking grapples in SvR07 after a transition from WWE Day of Reckoning 2 (where it was the other way around) within a short while of gameplay. As such, when you are thrust into the ring early on, your only chance of winning is the basic punch/kick/basic grapple until you can figure out how to do more complex maneuvers without the computer utterly destroying you while you stand around stupidly.


The moves actions in-game are indeed fluid, but only for as long as the opponent is standing. As soon as they are knocked down and fail to immediately come back up, the fluidity is broken. As far as I can tell, there is absolutely no way to pick your opponent up when they've fallen---only to stomp or punch them, drop elbows or whatever other thing, or do ground grapples involving the exact same arm locks and such.

The "fluid" motions as well must be fluid if you consider just how slowly they come about. The controls do not react immediately, and once you've set about trying to perform a punch or a grapple, there is no going back. As such, if you're lightning-fast on your button mashing like I am, you'll be angered to no end by how sloppily your character tries a meek little punch, only for the enemy to back away quickly, then come right back up and hit you while you're still recovering from throwing that first punch.

Midway apparently HAS reason to brag about how "fluid" their grapples are as well---there are only about two or three of them the player can perform! Compared to the dozen or so that can be done in the WWE equivalent, the game pretty much only needs one button and two directions on the analog stick to fluidly perform the exact same suplex or jawbreaker or hurricanrana quickly and efficiently.


Counters are apparently the only area where the uniqueness of TNA's in-ring talent is on display. Amazingly, the moves are all very ordinary and basic, whereas the counters show off some of the most insane, unique, and innovative maneuvers TNA wrestlers can do. Counters.


The sound is terrible. Obviously something like sound isn't really of big importance to a game that does it right, but in this game they've really done something wrong for sound to get mention. The audience has only three or four noises they make---and they are NOISES, because this crowd never quiets down or gets louder---the generic white noise of screaming, a gasping sound effect used millions of times in various movies and TV shows for the past hundred years, and slightly noisier, but no more louder, cheering. The punch/kick sounds are comical in nature, sounding like something you'd hear in Street Fighter II or Final Fight for SNES.


I COULD have given the game a two or even three star rating if not for the crux of the massive bag of issues this game is; the fact that the opponent will seemingly always be better than you no matter what, always.

I started the game playing as Chris Sabin vs Shark Boy, and in said match, I was very new and experienced. I tried a balanced workout of punches and kicks first, followed by experimenting with grapples, and trying to figure out how to do other grapple moves. Not only did I utterly fail to do anything but snap suplexes, but because I was kicking the crap out of Shark Boy with only the most basic of moves, he easily countered some of them, built up a full iMPACT! bar, and performed his finisher and pinned me for three.

The next match I was AJ Styles vs Rhino. This bout went even shorter, as despite the fact that we both battled each other equally, my pins barely made two, whereas Rhino's one pin got me at 3 in less than 3 minutes.

Then I go to story mode, where the most damning thing happens: I spend a good 15 minutes utterly destroying this obese clown named "Benny" or some generic name like that, with 80% of all strikes and moves in this match being done by me on him, and I grab him up in my finisher and pin him, and he kicks out. After a more sustained and concentrated beating, not only does he kick out AGAIN, but he manages to pull off his finisher on ME and PIN ME FOR THREE! After getting in almost NO offense, he somehow BEATS ME!

This happened THREE TIMES IN A ROW! After finally beating him somehow, I move on, and THE SAME THING HAPPENS! I squash my next opponent, and yet they perform enough moves on me (seven moves on me out of 6000 on him is still enough to get you a full iMPACT! bar) to perform his finisher and beat me.

UPDATE: This only seems to get worse as you progress in storyline, as bigger-name stars are even bigger jerkasses to beat, as in one scenario where I LITERALLY squashed James Storm (as in, got over 90% of the matches' offensive moves placed on him), and just because he managed to counter 10% of my moves, HE is able to get a finisher, hit it on me, and pin me for three. Trying to break out of a pin by wiggling the control stick is such a frantic ordeal, I've cut the skin of my palm just trying to keep an opponent down for a pin by wiggling the control stick. Or rather, smashing it back and forth wildly.


This is pure BS. When you're pinned, the game gives you a motion of the analog stick wiggling back and forth in order to break the pin. The only problem is it doesn't tell you WHICH analog stick this is, and "wiggling it gently" is as effective as not wiggling it at all---you have to ram it back and forth as fast as you can.


And so, Midway releases to us a Beta test of a future release. And it is a great many things; and many of those things are what was once just a verb, but has now become a noun as well: Fail.

TNA Impact is a good game for a video game wrestling fan. I have played every Smackdown game and they have had their ups and downs. For a first attempt, this TNA Impact game is really good. It has a solid story mode. It is easy to pick up. It has good variety of arenas, etc., TNS superstars etc.

Nitpickers will talk about each wrestler not having enough unique moves, and technical comparisons, etc., but this is a good game. I would not trade it for SVR but be fair - SVR is in its 10th edition or something like that. I am excited to see what TNA Impact 3 looks like in a couple years if people would calm down and simply enjoy the game. I think a price cut going into the holidays with SVR coming out is a good idea; but give this one a chance and enjoy!

TNA Impact is a wrestling game that has arcade style action with easy to play controls makes this game really fun.I have been waiting to get this game for half a year and this game is great when it comes to the detail of the wrestlers and great story mode.I am a fan of the Smackdown games since the beginning of the series,but the games don't change enough for how much they charge.This game has awesome controls,they made the moves easy to do and the moves look realistic.

This game has a great story mode,you start out as Suicide,a masked wrestler who gets jumped by wrestlers who give him a beat down,he is covered in bandages and then you create your own character.The character works himself up from Mexico to a TNA wrestler.The story mode is not serious it's suppose to be chessy.This game took two years to make because they scanned the wrestlers and moves,so this game looks really good,it uses the same the same game engine as Unreal Tournament 3/Gears of War.

TNA Impact has 25 wrestlers to pick from or you can make your own wrestlers,it's a good creating mode,but it's not really that deep.I like the Ultimate X match it's great concept,but it is hard to win because you have to press the A button about three times when the meter swings in the middle.Their is not really many types of matches:tag team,Ultimate X,single,and submission,it's still fun to play.The only two things I didn't like about this game is that the opponents reverses alot and their isn't any TNA knockouts.

Pros: arcade style wrestling,finisher moves,easy to use controls,great graphics,good creating mode,enjoyable story mode

Cons: not enough matches,opponents reverse too much,no TNA knockouts

The graphics get a 4.5 of 5...the last .5 is because the characters do not actually touch during matches, there is a small space between them.

Gameplay is alright...3.5 of 5

Storyline gets a 2 of 5...you have to use a created wrestler in story mode, the only choice is what the person looks like and the moves he does, you cant even change the name of the character, which is Suicide(I wanted to do that myself after only five minutes of play)...

Create a Wrestler is horribly organized and there are a limited number of choices to make as far as attire and physical appearance...2 of 5

Just to show how bad it is Gamestop sold the game for 60 dollars on its release date...and the trade in price was 20 dollars...a game that has been out for 3 weeks is still earning 30 dollars, those that decide on prices knew this game was a bomb before they released it on the market.

You create your own guy to story mode and unlock achievements and characters. The first few matches are easy. Then you get a tag team partner. Later matches take several rematches to beat, at least for me, but the story continues forward regardless of how many rematches on the same guy until you eventually win the match. It froze twice on two stints in Japan and then near the end- a la Nintento- blow on it, etc and some dirt just needed to be cleaned. You can get by with just punches and a couple power moves, plus chair shots help if you can get them all off. I had completed the story cycle in about one week two hour session a day. Overall, a decent wrestling game for fans of the TNA promotion.

The game looks great, but the controls take away the fun factor. Too many flaws and problems make this game a pain in the rear. A Ok rental, but not worth buying.

This game has far to many glitches to be released. The way to kick out of a pin sucks and it is not worth 60 dollars! you can only play 1v1 online when the box says you can play all kind of modes online. Stay away from, if you really want to play this game just rent it. Also does anyone have the Code to unlock Mike Tenay?

There was a lot of hype for this game for many wrestling fans. It doesn't quite live up to it.

The Bad:
-The game still has a few bugs, I mean I was once gored by Rhino but he came no where near me.
-The reversal engine needs work. I'm not sure what it is but the player can never reverse a reversal.
-The Create a Wrestler is really limited
-The wrestling moves are really limited. A lot of the wrestlers have some of the same moves. They motion captured over two hundred wrestling moves but for some reason they weren't put in.
-The Story mode screams Vince Russo. (run-ins etc.)
-The controls are a bit awkward but once you master them you'll breeze through the game in no time and it becomes more fun.
-A lot of things that were promised were not put in the game like King of the Mountain, more moves etc.

The Good:
-The graphics are incredible
-The create a wrestler may be limited but they look real.
-Ultimate X
-The wrestling moves look incredible. With AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, Samoa Joe, Low-Ki, and Colt Cabana doing the mo-cap work they should.
-Even though the reversal system needs work, the reversals are logical and look great.
-No cut scenes during matches.
-The game is actually fun once you master the controls.
-The gameplay isn't too slow or sluggish
-Wrestlers move around the ring realistically.

All in all this isn't a bad game but it could be a whole lot better. This game feels like Midway rushed it out before it was completely finished,which is sad considering how long they've been working on the it. Hopefully Impact 2 will improve on all the errors and bugs. I would rate this below Fire Pro Wrestling Returns, and No Mercy, but above Smackdown vs. Raw 07 and 08.

When you think about wrestling game franchises, WWE is probably the one you immidiatly think of. So when a new wrestling game that isnt WWE people take notice. In this case TNA wanted to overthrow professional wrestlings most well known company with their own game.

TNA is as you would expect, a fast paced wrestling game, and you would be right. Its action is much faster paced than the smackdown vs raw series and at times has a very arcade style feel. This really was a good choice because this better replicates the action in TNA, making it feel more emersive. Along with this it has a great pick-up and play nature that any beginner can play, but can be mastered by people who have played it longer. Something else that really is noticeable were the superb graphics and smooth action. Besides this things are a bit more realistic in the way that finishers can be interupted and so fourth. The graphics (in my opinion) exceed those of smackdown vs raw by giving the wrestlers an even more realistic look (with a couple of exceptions). While the gameplay has a much more free flowing nature to it making counters and attacks feel more continuous.

Though these all sound like great reasons to buy this, there are some flaws that will put a lot of players off. One glaring flaw is the huge lack of custimization. If you've played SvR then you have become a custom to extensive creatablity such as indepthly creating your own wreslter, making there extensive move list then giving them a flashy intro that you can even add your mp3s to as theme music. Well in TNA you can make a wrestler from a limited amount of selections, give them a move list from a small amount of manuvers, and give them one of the short premade entrences. If you are all about creating your own wrestler, then this wont convince you to buy it. Besides this, the story mode is on the short end, and it seems it is missing some things that have become standard in wrestling games, such as tag partners coming in together or preforming double team moves (this really surprised me due to the game containing some popular tag teams and some of TNA's best wrestling happens in tag team matches)

This game can be extreamly fun, especially when you are playing with friends. TNA Impact has brought some great ideas to the wrestling genera and if they expand on them and give the user more creativity this could easily compete head to head with Smackdown vs Raw.