There's simply no other wrestling game like Here Comes The Pain. I have no idea how many hours of this game I've wasted in my childhood and I can feel I'm replicating it in my adulthood because of just how good the game is.

We've seen games like WrestleMania: The Arcade Game that make the sport look cartoony. Meanwhile, there are games on the opposite side of the spectrum like the simulation-based WWE 2K games and the later years of the SmackDown vs. Raw series. HCTP is a sweet, sweet blend right in the middle that makes the wrestlers feel larger-than-life without sacrificing the seriousness in its presentation.

Boasting the coolest roster that still holds up extremely well today alongside a multitude of fun match types and crazy explorable backstage areas, HCTP is truly in a league of its own. I've played a lot of wrestling games through the years and I doubt any of them could even measure up and hold HCTP's jockstrap.

Timeless.

Best wrestling game ever made? If not number 1, it's definitely in the conversation. From the quick, slick, enjoyable gameplay that somehow doesn't get old, to the fleshed out and ever so accurate and fun season mode, this game nails the atmosphere of wrestling and does so in a big way.

This was my first time playing it since I was a young kid, and I had as much fun now as I did back then. I don't know how they pulled it off, but it really is a TIMELESS game.

One for the ages. One I'll never forget .

And that's the bottom line...

Great game, so much fun overall, creation suite is packed! season mode was solid, gameplay was great and so addicting and could be improved on but in a good way, you can have fun matches and some technical wrestling if you prefer that, the gameplay can pretty much work for most wrestling fans and I for one, love it, the roster is overall great for the time with a little sprinkle of legends which was nice, backstage wise was still really really good, not as good as shut your mouth but only slightly, the backstage areas you can interact with is great, this game overall is much better than shut your mouth for sure although that shouldn’t be slept on either! Just for the record I judge wrestling games as a whole, not just the career mode, that includes, gameplay, roster, customisation and features overall, as well as the given season/story modes, the match types are all fun, the ai is challenging, OST is great, gameplay is fun, addicting and challenging, roster is packed with alt attires and legends to unlock, even some hidden wrestlers costumes and movesets in the creation suite which I loved! Great game overall loved it

Since my last review was written during an extended panic attack which I have now recuperated from (and this will be the last time I mention said panic attack since I don't want that to become a recurring theme for myself) and I didn't really go in depth on my experience, this review will be covering both my first and second runs through the story mode.

On that first run, I played as my friend Simon who would be portraying FireCop, a fictional character he made in High School. FireCop was a heel, though on a lighter shade of that spectrum. He didn't care for authority despite being a cop, and would often cheat and beat on the empire of Vince McMahon.

At the start, FireCop had it really rough. He was alone in a cold and scary world, jobbing regularly to high end talent like John Cena. That was until he was given the offer to get a manager of his own, and that manager wound up being Sable.

FireCop and Sable had a healthy partnership, and under her guidance, the man began to win. He would keep winning, and their success as a talent/manager duo was about to pay off.

However, things couldn't end as hoped. There was another man, a slimy awful man by the name of Chavo Guerrero. Chavo had made it his mission to take Sable from FireCop, not through a fair contest but by attacking her directly. Ultimately, Sable couldn't win the match, and FireCop had lost his only ally in the harsh world of SmackDown.

This turn of events ignited something furious in FireCop, who began thrashing Chavo and his brother, Eddie, with the desire to strip the tag team championship from them by any means necessary...

Enter Brock Lesnar.

Lesnar would become FireCop's tag team partner and his beastial powers would ultimately annihilate the competition. The Guerreros would leave every fight with FireCop and Lesnar bloodied and battered, there was simply no mercy to be had. This feud ultimately ended with a cage match, with the Guerreros becoming forgotten and cast aside, a fitting end for those who dared to take what was most precious to FireCop.

He was content with his victory, and simply wanted to return to a life of wrestling, but the powers that be had other plans.

Vince McMahon sought to ruin FireCop, who in his mind, had grown too big for his britches.

What followed was a near half year battle, with FireCop forming the FCPD to face off against the Corporation. FireCop, Lesnar, A-Train, Shawn Michaels and Torrie Wilson vs. Vince McMahon, Rey Mysterio, The Big Show, John Cena and Lita.

A battle for the ages, ending with FireCop being the reigning United States Champion, as well as having defeated the Undertaker.

There was only one thing left to attain... The World Heavyweight Championship.

As the months grew closer to Wrestlemania, FireCop could feel victory in his bones. He knew he had to do whatever it took, be it throwing McMahon crotch first on a sidebar, or spraying other wrestlers with Milk and Soda. He even got suspended for a time, but not even that could quell the flames.

Then his final feud emerged after the hellacious Royal Rumble. A feud with none other than STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN. Austin claimed that he had won the Royal Rumble, stating that FC had fallen first. This fight would go on for a month until FireCop ultimately kicked Austin's ass, proving once and for all that he was destined for greatness.

Then Wrestlemania arrived, and the final opponent for FireCop had arrived.

Throughout the crowd, the words "YOU SUCK! YOU SUCK!" could be heard echoing throughout, almost as if it were being spoken from the heavens to declare that the final opponent to FireCop would be none other than Kurt Angle.

The two had a history, with Angle actually being the first guy to offer to tag with FireCop, but his tendency to well... be Kurt Angle rubbed FireCop the wrong way.

The match would be a Hell in a Cell Match. Brutal falls, blood, sweat, and tears would fill the arena as FireCop ultimately got the 1, 2, 3 finish and became declared the World Heavyweight Champion.

A man who had come from nothing and became the best in the business. If this were any other story, you'd be told this was a happy ending. Even if FireCop was a heel, he was a heel with a purpose, fighting against the brutish authority that dared to control him.

However, this isn't where the story ends, and the ending is not a happy one.

Now, tell me. How many of you have heard of Viacom?

The poorest company of the richest companies, but still with a boatload of cash. Well, they sent their representative to be the newest superstar for Monday Night Raw.

Mr. Viacom is a character played by my buddy Collin, who is also a part of FireCop lore, and his story is far different from what came before.

Mr. Viacom was a smarmy, evil wrestler who would beat women and get away with it by being rich. He was Vince McMahon in everything but name, which shouldn't make it surprising that they teamed up down the road.

Mr. Viacom had his manager arc with Victoria but instead of losing her, he beat the hell out of D-Von Dudley and got together with her.

He then teamed with Goldberg for the Tag Team Championships, before focusing on being a Solo Wrestler where he allied with McMahon.

He ultimately defeated FireCop only halfway through the season, becoming World Heavyweight Champion incredibly early in the storyline. Mr. Viacom would then defend the title all the way to Wrestlemania, getting into feuds with Ultimo Dragon, Steve Austin and most notably The Rock (that feud wasn't official but the game really liked pitting me against him).

Mr. Viacom would arrive at Wrestlemania and squash his old ally Goldberg to remain Champion.

It was a saddening end to a lengthy tale.

I originally wanted it to end with FireCop vs Mr. Viacom but I think how it turned out was pretty good.

Who knows, maybe the redemption arc will come next time.

Honestly what is really impressive to me about this game is how neither of these two runs felt the same. The visual novel-esque style of storytelling dependent on your wins and losses and minor choices resulting in big twists later down the line resulted in me having radically unique experiences with each playthrough. I didn't even mention some of the cooler shit like Ric Flair showing up to fight Goldberg and Mr. Viacom having to play the ref, which resulted in me beating the shit out of Ric Flair and Goldberg just for my satisfaction, or FireCop using the Stunner on Steve Austin during their final match to secure the win. The game just creates all these cool little moments and I had a great time with it.

The gameplay is both simple to play but difficult to master, utilizing directional inputs for a variety of moves and combos. By my second run I was able to do so many things that I didn't do in my first that it made Mr. Viacom a viable threat.

It's why I'm very much looking forward to playing AEW Fight Forever when it comes out next year as it will hopefully be similar in style (helps that it's sharing the same developer). All in all I love how hard hitting and brutal this game can be and it was some of the most fun I've had for the past two months. I highly recommend it, it's the reason I've started to genuinely watch professional wrestling. It's an artform that is honestly underappreciated and great moments within these games are captured in real life.

I mean shit I just watched Action Andretti beat Chris Jericho, a jobber becoming a legend, like, that's phenomenal.

Anyways yeah, that's all I have to say.

The best wrestling game from the PS2 era. There are certain things I'm looking for when playing a wrestling game and this one does most of them right. Each wrestler feels different than one another, and there are a lot of individual moves and animations that really show the care put into the game.

Season mode is an improvement over the previous installment. Making choices that influence the story can be fun, but it also feels a bit to random at times. Having released in 2003, the season mode is the only single player mode outside of just playing matches, so it is a little short on features compared to the games that came after it. The game makes up for it though in just being fun to play.

-game has A-train
-it's not called Here Comes The Train
WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?!

absolutely bitching game tho

An incredibly fun character creator that has one of the more interesting, borderline VN story modes for this kind of game where winning and losing actually determine the storyline that you go through.

The gameplay itself is simpler than SmackDown vs Raw 2006 which I played earlier last month, but still hits the same level of satisfaction when you beat your opponent into a bloody broken pulp and then pin them.

The only other thing of note is that I beat this game while suffering from a panic attack, so truly, anything is possible in the WWE.

I'm still having anxiety while writing this, so that's fun.