My Fair Angle

My Fair Angle isn't a traditional wrestling game. The game uses elements from several of the WWE's annual sports titles: All Elite Wrestling, The Big Show, WrestleMania, WCW Nitro, and Big Show. That means that you have to make quick moves, counters, and submissions, as well as quickly switch between weapons in order to win the matches. The matches will take place on the ground and in the air in approximately 60 different environments, including the ring, the arches, the ropes, the ground, and the fire escape.

Some of the wrestlers featured in the game will be prerendered movies, while others will appear more traditional--not to mention some original, stylized ones. The ring entrances will be hand-drawn and will feature quite a bit of interactivity, as well as an interesting type of interaction between wrestlers. These interactive elements will include interacting with various objects, as well as in certain parts of the ring. One of the biggest elements of the game will be the ability to create your own entrances. By doing so, you'll be able to create unique wrestlers that can actually perform special moves, and you can even import your created wrestler from any of the wrestler's previous game appearances.

All told, the single-player game of WrestleMania should feature approximately 40 wrestlers to choose from. Although, to be fair, the roster in the game has been confirmed to include just about every wrestler, including current stars, WWE superstars, and current WWE stars. The roster will also feature a "genuine" ECW wrestler, who will certainly have a long way to go to earn his place in the WWF--which, given the current state of the wrestling industry, should be quite an uphill battle. Although, of course, THQ's press release also mentions that "new features are being built into the game to enhance the core gameplay experience," so expect to see a few of the wrestlers being released.

As far as control goes, WrestleMania X8's control scheme will be similar to that of the SmackDown! vs. Raw series on the Dreamcast. You'll be able to perform all manner of maneuvers on the fly, such as low blows, sledge blasts, submissions, and much more. We had the opportunity to check out a number of different match types on display in the game, as well as the basic elements of the actual gameplay, such as making use of all the different maneuvers available to you, controlling both of your wrestlers simultaneously, and of course using the right analog stick to move your wrestler forward and back in the ring.

At the same time, we were able to try out a number of match types, including one-on-one tag-team matches, one-on-one matches, and even the newly announced Hell in a Cell match, which we've played through previously. The most notable of these, however, was the Hell in a Cell match, which will see your created wrestler trying to capture a set number of building blocks in the center of the squared circle in order to stop a number of rising stars from building the building blocks. If you manage to capture the block, the city blocks become inaccessible, thus bringing your created character to life.

The game's control is intuitive to make use of, and there's a simple joy to see your created wrestler match begin. However, the biggest new addition to the game is the use of the face-button remote, which we used to learn a great deal more about the upcoming game. The face buttons are used to give you control over your selected wrestler's face and body in addition to the face buttons. You can then use the face buttons to perform basic actions such as running, jumping, and wrestling moves, as well as a number of different moves such as suplexes and gut drops. The face buttons will also act as a set of buttons that will let you perform different attacks. The shoulder buttons will be used to perform your different moves, and the lower right will let you perform your suplexes and elbows. Each character will have different strengths and weaknesses that you'll need to learn to deal with. For example, Michael Cole is a fighting-style character that can perform submission moves with ease. His matches include his old school cousin, Johnny Gargano, who can perform multiple moves, as well as his old school rival, Chris Benoit, who is skilled in traditional wrestling. The game will also include a number of non-story-driven story events that will not only teach you the ropes and lets you watch your back, but also let you help shape the events in the story.

After you've got your hands on the game, you'll be treated to a number of cutscenes that give you an opportunity to get to know your created wrestler and set the stage for the fights. As in last year's game, in terms of appearances, you'll get to see familiar faces from previous games.