Ah yes, WCW's answer to WWF Attitude. Guess what - WCW wins. The graphics are probably the best I've seen in a wrestling game (of course, that's not saying much). The intro music is great, and aside from a few glitches (no rope bends, hands disappearing through opponent's bodies, and such) the graphics are okay. And, since it is PlayStation, the crowd has no depth or detail, but all the action's in the ring anyway. I felt that they did a great job with making the characters look like the real wrestlers. The movements were, for the most part, fluid. Not too much to complain about (aside from glitches) besides the lack of true-to-life intros. Everybody has fireworks and their own music, they walk down to the ring, and they get in. That's about it. Not much fanfare there, but the gameplay graphics are great. Even the camera angles can be changed. I was very happy with the graphics in WCW Mayhem.

Like other wrestling games, Mayhem does not play like a typical punch-kick 3D fighter. All the moves are hidden in easy, unambiguous key press combinations. There are many modes of play to choose from. You can wrestle a friend or the computer. You and your friend can take one or more computer opponents. You can also create your own wrestlers. There are different match types including Handicap, Triangle, Four-Way Dance, Battle Royal, and Tag Team. The match options include Pin Anywhere, Raven's Rules, No DQ, and Weapons Match. There is also a Pay-Per-View mode. You can enter a password to play a historic Pay-Per-View or create your own venue. One of the best features is the Quest for the Best. Basically, it's a career mode. You start at the bottom and climb your way up to the top. And, as always, there is a Create a Wrestler option. My only real complaint with the gameplay is the loading time. Although not as bad as some other games, there is a lot of load time. Perhaps the most unique feature is the twelve backstage areas where you can wrestle. I'm not too big on that, but I know a lot of people going crazy over it.

The game is only as difficult as your opponent. You can also tweak the options to meet your skill (or lack there of). The difficulty level can be adjusted. Count outs, submissions, rope breaks, and run-ins can all be turned on or off. You can also adjust the skill of your wrestler at the wrestler selection screen before a match. The moves are listed in the instruction book as well as in the pause menu, but for the detailed and special moves, you'll have to consult a strategy guide.

I thought the mechanics were great. The moves were easy to perform, and the response was instant and fluid. The vibration function is just as weak as it is annoying, but the multi tap option makes for a nice 4-player brawl. I also like the fact that it's easy on the memory card.

Fluid and responsive gameplay sets this one ahead from all the other wrestling games. It is quick and responsive. I like that. I could do without the load time, and there could be more options, but all in all, it's not bad.