Review: Like the WWE, but broadcast through a low-grade camera that has Vaseline smeared all over the lens.
Is WWE Aftershock the best wrestling game for the N-Gage? Yes. Yes, it is. However, I should add that it’s also the worst one to hit Nokia’s mobile gaming device. This may lead you to ask a follow-up question: Is Aftershock the only wrestling game out for N-Gage? The answer is, again, yes. Hopefully you didn’t stop reading after I answered the first question, bought the game based on what I said and then continued reading to find out this one isn’t worth owning. Even for a hardcore WWE fanatic, there’s too many problems and too little offered to recommend Aftershock.
The graphics are the most obvious problem plaguing the game. These wresters may be muscular on television, but you won’t be envious of their blocky figures on the N-Gage screen. There are 10 WWE Superstars to start out with and another 2 that can be unlocked later on, but there’s little to distinguish between the character models. Moreover, they mimic each others robotic movements. No one expects console quality visuals from this handheld, however, smooth and detailed wrestlers that don’t move around like rag dolls are a must.
So, the wrestlers aren’t well rendered and the animation isn’t up to par. What’s good about the game? Well, the control scheme is simple. Punches and kicks are executed by the 5 key (although it’d be nice to have them as separate buttons), grapples are initiated by the 7 key, and tapping the 6 key acts as a way to counter moves. Other sparingly used actions, like pin, are also laid out well.
The controls present no surprises, and neither does the gameplay. While it’s fine for the former to be predictable, the latter leaves us with a rather dull wrestling game. It’s more or less about softening up your opponent with a series of the same hits and then pinning him or forcing him into submission once he’s weak enough. Although you could say that this is what all wrestling games are about, it’s so less dynamic on Aftershock, it’s shocking.
There is variety among the game’s modes. The single-player portion contains main event, king of the ring, survival and tag team modes. Main event, where most of the action is, includes subtly different setups in addition to the standard exhibition: first blood, best of 3 pinfalls, best of 5 pinfalls, I Quit, and No DQ. King of the ring is a ladder match, while survival mode is much the same, only you face wrestlers one after another. Tag team can be fun, but it’s also frustrating because the AI insists on tagging every 30 seconds. Therefore, the process becomes stagnant. You’ll pummel a wrestler for a while, then rough his partner up a bit, then back to the first wrestler again, and so on.
Even though the modes within Aftershock attempt to spice things up, the game lacks a story mode as well as a create-a-wrestler option. No create-a-wrestler option is excusable, but not having a story mode hurts this game further. On the plus side, it does include entrances for each wrestler as well as some of their signature moves. In addition to showcasing a little bit of what you’d see in a WWE broadcast, entrances contain appropriate music and, believe it or not, the rest of the game’s audio is also impressive.
Multiplayer, which is conducted wirelessly over Bluetooth, can be a source of some exciting and unpredictable gameplay. However, the game only allows you and one other friend to participate. You won’t find four-player tag team matches here, which, sadly, means that mode still has you battling with wussy AI.
