WWE WrestleMania X8

"Somewhere in between Raw and Legends of Wrestling lies Wrestlemania X8."

Someone please throw THQ and Yukes a lifeline. Their ship is sinking fast.

Gameplay:

Despite developer THQ’s promise that Wrestlemania X8 would feature a unique engine that “focuses on simulation, reversals and momentum shifts“, the final product does not showcase these traits. In fact, this game is a far from a wrestling simulation as you could get. Have you ever seen a wrestler land a moonsault on a prone opponent from across the entire ring? How about a wrestler knocking down three opponents and the referee with a single clothesline?

To say the engine is flawed would be an understatement. At its core the title is nothing more than a slightly enhanced Smackdown! clone. Players attack their opponents via ‘basic strike’ and ’grapple hold’ buttons. Hitting either button and pushing a direction on your analog control will inflict punishment on your opponent. There are a total of ten different grapple holds for both front and back attacks. Again, depending on how long you held the grapple button down, and in which direction the analog stick was pressed, you will perform a different hold. You can attempt to reverse either of these two types of attacks by tapping the corresponding reverse button.

The limited arsenal will be a major detraction for most diehard fans of wrestling, but the engine problems don’t just start and end there. Throwing your opponent into the ropes and pulling off a finishing move both require two buttons to be simultaneously. Perfect timing is needed for both. I can’t even begin to count how many times I attempted to throw an opponent to the ropes, only to inadvertently run straight into a clothesline. Simple mistakes like this will just lead to a massive beatdown courtesy of your computer controlled opponent.

Speaking of which, you better be prepared to bring your A-game if you want to rule the ring. The A.I. controlled opponents are unrelenting and unmerciful. Winning a singles match can be quite easy once you have the controls down, but even the very best will grow frustrated with three way dances and fatal four way matches. For some odd reason the computer controlled opponents carry around vendettas throughout these matches. Strike a computer controlled opponent once, and I mean just once, and it will be after you the entire match. It will hardly ever focus on another opponent. It will chase you in the ring, out of the ring, and up the entrance ramp. It’s a level of cheesiness I have never before encountered.

GRAPHICS:

The visual presentation in Wrestlemania X8 is a mixed bag. The entrance videos for each superstar run smoothly and are gorgeous looking to the eye. Yet the superstars themselves are somewhat clunky in appearance, and oftentimes their faces do not resemble the real world counterpart. The Rock’s character model looks more like an irate Keebler Elf than he does the People’s Champ.

The crowd is a bit blurred, and animates at a snail’s pace. Some members of the crowd hold signs for their favorite superstar which is a nice visual addition.

SOUND:

In a word, horrible. Jerry Lawler and Jim Ross sit ringside, but do not provide commentary. Sound effects for the moves are boring and interchangeable. The background music does not seem to fit too well with the action in the ring.

One of the most puzzling aspects in the sound department revolves around the entrance themes. Numerous superstars are missing their original theme. Guys like Edge and Tajiri have what I can best describe as generic themes. Why? You can’t tell me its a licensing issue. Otherwise Limp Bizkit’s Rollin’ remix would not have been included. Tajiri’s theme was created in house by the WWE. They own all rights to it. So why is it absent? Simply inexcusable.

REPLAY:

One of the bright spots for Wrestlemania X8 is its high replay factor for fans of multiplayer games. If you have one or two buddies over at your house, throwing down on this game can be a blast. There are a total of seven match modes in all, including favorites such as Triple Threat and Royal Rumble. Each match all has eight match types to choose from: Normal, Hardcore, Cage, Hell in a Cell, Ladder, Table, TLC or Ironman. The only exceptions are the Battle Royal and Royal Rumble match modes. Those cannot be altered with a match type. But still, more than enough options to satisfy carnage cravings for a few hours.

On the flipside, the game lacks in single player story mode. Instead what you get is a random series of matches against random opponents in the ‘Path of a Champion’ mode. Now I can let a story mode slide, but come on, at least give me the right type of opponents to face! If I am going after the Light Heavyweight Title I expect to wrestle guys like the Hurricane or Jeff Hardy, not the Big Show. Wrestling simulation? Where?

Finally, the game does allow you to create your own title. There are forty custom belts to choose from in all. If you and your buddy each have a custom title you can even unify them in a match! It’s a neat little feature. Adds more depth to an already strong multiplayer experience.

CLOSING THOUGHTS:

Rent it first, and then judge for yourself. This is not the No Mercy remake many seemed to be expecting. Wrestlemania X8’s only saving grace is the multiplater possibilities.

Reviewer's Score: 3/10, Originally Posted: 06/12/02, Updated 06/12/02