WCW vs. the World

Developer - Asmik
Publisher - THQ
Players - 1-2
Extras - Memory Card

The bit on the box

"Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, Eddy Guerrero, Lex Luger, Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, Sting, Rick Steiner, Scott Steiner, Ultimo Dragon, Masahiro Chono, Lord Steven Regal...and more! Wrestle the World's toughest WCW wrestlers. Control non-stop 3D action in and out of the ring! 15 of your favourite WCW superstars. 60 wrestlers from 6 different organisations. 30 to 40 moves per wrestler. Over 10 hot 3D arenas."

Graphics

At first glance the sharp and detailed graphics in WCW vs the World look great, and for the most part remain so. However there are a few noticeable glitches that can't be ignored, such as each character's abdomen being made up of three rounded parts, making some of the wrestlers look like the Michelin Man. Each wrestler is recognizable for their real-life counterpart except the smaller men, who look incredibly fat and overweight, even if they are cruiserweights. This can be a little off-putting if your favourite wrestler is the lightweight Ultimo Dragon and he appears to be over 300 pounds (!!). Animation is fine overall, although the characters do look to glide or slide over the canvas rather than walk.

Sounds

Much of the time the player will wish the designers of the game didn't bother putting in any sound at all. The music is horrible (I recommend turning it off, as it can grow very annoying and distracting during bouts), and the sound effects sound very artificial. The voice overs (used for counting competitors out and counting the pins) have a bad english translation (eg. pronounces five "fief") and could also have been omitted from the game. Crowd noise is incredibly sparse and certainly doesn't add anything to the already bleak atmosphere. Then again wrestling fans will probably like the overall aesthetics anyway, no matter what I say.

Gameplay

WCW vs the World opts for more of a simluation/strategy feel rather than the arcade style used for past wrestling games. This is no doubt the best part of the game, as the variety of moves allow for various attacks, holds, pins and counters, even if you think you have lost a bout a comeback can be made. It is virtually impossible to win a bout early, as opponents have to be worn down, first with small moves and punches, then with much larger and impressive moves such as powerbombs and piledrivers. The sheer amount of wrestlers available should please wrestling fans too, especially those who know a little about wrestling in Japan (as most of the characters are based on competitors from there rather than the WCW). Most of the characters share a few moves, but are generally programmed with their signature moves too.

I feel a verdict coming on

This game could have been a bonified winner if the graphics and sound deficiencies had been addressed. It is almost a direct port of a Japanese pro wrestling game, with some of the characters changed aesthetically to look like WCW competitors. I enjoyed the game for awhile but found that it does become quite easy once you learn how to wear-down opponents, and after unlocking the secret characters there just isn't much to do. Lacking anything in the way of cage matches or even tag-team modes, the one player option can become repetitive very quickly. THQ gave it a nice try, but WCW vs the World falls short and will only really appeal to die hard wrestling fans.

Review by D.R.T.Barrett