WWF With Authority!

THQ brought over a beta version of its online-only turn-based wrestling card game WWF With Authority! The game is designed to appeal to a different segment of the gaming market than THQ's other wrestling games, focusing on fighting strategy instead of action. With Authority! features a number of WWF wrestlers and a wide variety of moves, some of which are specific to each wrestler.

Players can manage multiple wrestlers and arrange playbooks specific to each wrestler. The playbook is made up of leadoff cards and a draw pile that is shuffled randomly before each match. Re-creating the dynamics of a WWF ring fight, the game requires you to build up momentum by playing a series of complementary cards before unleashing the more devastating maneuvers. The decks consist of move and countermove cards, as well as a variety of special cards used to increase power in specific areas or generate crowd support. When a player can no longer make a countermove, that turn is over and the wrestler absorbs damage. Once wrestlers are worn down to a low number of hit points, opponents can attempt to pin them. A successful pin ends the match.

The WWF With Authority! server features an online store, tournament rankings, and chat rooms that let players set up one-on-one matches and trade cards. Players can purchase add-on decks, additional wrestler decks, and other items at the online store to build their play decks.

The game is definitely not a typical wrestling game. It manages to incorporate a sense of the WWF action into the turn-based strategy gameplay through the card graphics and descriptions, text-based commentators, crowd noise, and short video clips of the wrestlers' finishing moves. The collectible-card style of play is easy to understand and fast paced.

THQ is currently holding an open beta test of the game. Players interested in participating in the beta test can enroll at the official WWF With Authority! web site. The game is scheduled for release October 20.