WCW Backstage Assault Revealed

Electronic Arts has revealed its latest WCW game for the Sony PlayStation and the Nintendo 64, WCW Backstage Assault. The game, which is the first wrestling title set entirely out of the ring, features over 50 authentic characters including Goldberg, Sting, and Vampiro. In the game, the wrestling action takes place in one of seven out-of-ring venues - with three adjacent rooms each - where wrestlers can use "foreign objects" such as lead pipes, 2x4s, bathroom sinks, and more. While avoiding opponents' attacks, players must also be aware of environmental hazards such as fire, steam, and sparks. The environments are also fully interactive as players can remove sinks off the wall or pick up other peripheral objects to use during a match.

WCW Backstage Assault features a comprehensive rewards system through which players can unlock special weapons and power-ups. The game also includes a create-a-wrestler mode that lets players customize their own wrestlers by tweaking several attributes.

"Being the first company to offer an out-of-the-ring feature, as we did last year with WCW Mayhem, it was a natural decision for us to create a completely interactive backstage wrestling experience," said Dean Elissat, product manager for EA. "We're preserving all of the physics and gameplay mechanics of traditional wrestling, but adding many unique features and challenges that are presented in nontraditional settings."

WCW Backstage Assault will be released for the Sony PlayStation and the Nintendo 64 this fall. According to EA, this will be the final WCW title for the PlayStation and Nintendo 64. The company plans to release new games using the WCW franchise for next-generation consoles - particularly a game for the Sony PlayStation 2 to be released in Spring 2001.