TNA iMPACT! Hands-On Previews (Videogamer, 1UP)

"Part of the appeal is the counter system. Any move in the game can be reversed by a correctly timed press of the RB button. And any reversal can itself be reversed - which leads to some truly spectacular moments where huge, hulking wrestlers spin about each other as they jostle for slamming advantage. What's most impressive is the smoothness of the wrestler animations, and the abundance and variety. As far as we can tell every move can be reversed, no matter how complex. Sure, the window of opportunity to reverse varies, and thus the timing, but it's doable. Everything from the simple chest stomp to the flying drop kick can be twisted to your advantage if you're good enough. And, as we've explained, if you're even better than good, you'll start to see reversals performed on you as opportunities to show off."

"First and foremost, this is the closest any developer has gotten to making an AKI-style game since, well, AKI years ago with Def Jam: Vendetta. Not that TNA Impact! is an exact replica of what AKI produced, because it's not. But rather it's because the feel, pacing, and visceral characteristics are quite similar. Of course, it helps that the controls are easy to use and are mostly responsive (we had some trouble executing a few grapples here and there.) And while the regular exhibition match was pretty fun we had an even better time competing in the X-Factor match, where one competitor must climb the turnbuckle and then jump up and grab ropes suspended above."