Intro
My most recent disappointment was Legends of Wrestling last month. I anticipated some old-school goodness, but ended up with good whack to the face as I tossed the disk across the room. The much hyped Wrestlemania X8 was destined from glory from previews. My first impression without even laying hands on the game, was that it was produced by THQ; which happens to feel the brunt of most of my video game angst. Set up as the major leading in wrestling games, they also have volleyed themselves as one of the crappiest developers in the world. Needless to say, my attitude prior to play was quite "extraordinary".
Can you smell what the Rock is cooking? Mmmm... Tacos!
The first time playing this, I was sure to include a friend who knows the show like the Bible. His first impression was a good one, claiming the game does the show justice. He also claimed that much of the "drama" still permeated the style, which is good for you wrestling-junkies out there. I was also informed of the whole "WWF/WWE" thing which really threw me for a loop...
When it comes to wrestling games, and sports titles for that matter, success or failure surrounds one aspect of video gaming... control. For the most part, THQ stuns me and the gameplay is actually enjoyable. In general, the game relies on good old-fashioned button mashing consisting of the two major buttons. So, we have the punch/kick stuff going on as well as the finesse/grapple moves. And where would a wrestling game be without the "signature" moves that each character has? The signature moves were done brilliantly, even though achieving the move took little thought by the developers to produce. An "adrenaline" meter (sigh) fills as the action unfolds. So near the end of your opponent's health, you can put the nail in the coffin and execute that final special blow.
Where I had to give kudos to THQ was for the fact that they are paying attention to real fighting games. Much of the gameplay is button mashing, but I am starting to see elements of Street Fighter and King of Fighters starting to influence these hybrid fighting games. The best example is the use of the shoulder buttons. No offensive move is 100% guaranteed, because if timed right the defender can counter the move to avoid the whack. This keeps the game moving, interesting and more life-like.
Experimenting with button combinations for moves was really good, but in the same breath terribly frustrating. Since the majority of combos are a combination of more than one button press, I found myself doing something totally different than what I intended. Instead of suplexing someone, I ended up running into the turnbuckle with a nice faceplant. Aside from the quirky button-combos, I found the control and physics to be enjoyable and reasonably fun... at least when playing a human opponent.
This leads me to my biggest gripe with the game. The AI was unforgivably horrible. The intelligence for opponents was simply insane. Standing in one place won't tempt your opponent to attack you. I stood there for five minutes as the guy just walked in circles looking like a mad sheep. At other times, I laughed my hat off as other opponents would climb on the turnbuckle all pompous like and meet their doom as they missed me completely. It's not that I have Jedi like instincts, it's because I was on the opposite side of the ring...
To make things worse, THQ has, yet again failed make a decent create-a-player function. Many fans were hoping for the classic series to continue the Playstation legacy of the create-a-player, so what you got is what you got. The customization is fairly mind-boggling, but the induction of your character is not only cheesy but also ruthlessly stupid. I would stick with the pre-rendered characters. It's not a terrible thing, for there is a hefty lineup of players to choose from. Those willing to fork out the dollars on the game, will be a bit disappointed in the single player modes even though there is every conceivable match imaginable; but the multiplayer options (up to four) really make the game a blast to play against friends/foes.
Blood and guts splattering on the crowd!
Ahhh.. I wish. Wouldn't that just make a game brilliant if you could wallop someone as brain matter splattered on the crowd? Well, you won't find that here simply because wrestling is somewhat family entertainment. I mean, I personally don't get it but supposedly families just love the sport/drama. Anyway, onto aesthetics...
As my buddy was critiquing the game next to me, he was most excited about the intros (again, don't ask me) for the players. The pseudo-motion video was awesome, along with some kickin' wrestler-specific soundtracks. Most of the visuals are definitely next-gen touting some sweet lighting effects and dynamic damage to the ring and items that might enter the ring (chairs, signs, etc.). The damage continues throughout the match... nice. The character modeling was mediocre, and even I could tell what character was what. But as my friend mentioned, that it seemed that size didn't matter. While the real-life counterparts have different body styles, the game seemed to take one model and go from there. Hoping for more of a distinction much of this was loss in the cloning of the wrestlers.
Other than the decent graphics I felt the game was still a bit unpolished. I found many times the performance was fair but things would "magically" move. Players on the ground would move like they were on an ice-rink and mysteriously move. This happened a good bit during multiplayer modes and in tag-team matches. The audio however, was a bit less impressive as the graphics. Now again, the intros were good, the voice-overs good but the worse part had to be the graveyard of a crowd. After finally getting into the game, I was ready to pull off the finishing blow to my opponent and wanted to hear the crowd roar... Looking around the crowd looks and acts like they are watching an opera and not Wrestle-freakin-mania X8. Argh! Anyway, the pitiful crowd really squelched any highlights in the audio category...
66 Says:
As with most wrestling games, it's best to give this a rental prior to purchase. Die-hard fans will receive loads more fun than non-fans. Just because I'm not a WWE fan doesn't mean I can't appreciate a good butt-whoopin' game. Heck, one of the best NES games ever was their flagship release of Pro Wrestling. I still remember good 'ole Fighter Hyubusa smacking around Starman like a wet rag...
The bottom line here, is to remember what you are looking for and what you expect. This is full-on rental material. It was a blast to play with friends, but the single player modules really left me wanting a lot more. High-five for THQ trying to use the create-a-player, but I felt it was fairly shallow. Others, however, may find that to justify a purchase. The game still was quite fun, but I can't see paying 60 clams for it...
