The biggest drawback of the game, however, is the severe lack of match types, and this is something that becomes quite prominent towards the latter stages of the story mode. The only match variations are the one-on-ones, regular tag-team matches, and TNA's unique Ultimate X match.
Ultimate X is similar to traditional ladder matches, but instead of ladders, you have two ropes that stretch diagonally over the ring, with an X hanging over the centre of the ring, where the two ropes intersect. Wrestlers must traverse the ropes from the turnbuckle to get to the X. This match, while a welcome change from the vanilla one-on-one encounters, isn't enough to make up for the lack of match types.
After the story mode, which will last you a good eight to ten hours, all you have is exhibition matches and online.
Offline multiplayer can be quite fun, and the responsive controls mean no player has an unfair advantage. I wasn't able to find a single player online for ranked or unranked matches, which should give you an idea about the game's popularity on Xbox LIVE.
Visually, TNA Impact is quite stunning. Not only does it run at 60 fps, but everything from the character models and lighting, to the animations and arenas look stunning. The attention to detail on the wrestlers is remarkable.
Not only do they look just like their real-life counterparts, but the skin textures and the way the lighting engine shows off sweat and reflections is quite stunning. Sound is a bit of a mixed bag.
While in-ring effects and crowd sounds are what you would expect, voice acting in the story mode and match commentary leave a lot to be desired. Commentary is way too abrupt and random, and just seems forced.
Also see: Review: FIFA 09 rocks!
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