Wrestling video games are a pretty weird niche genre in the video game industry. If you’ve never logged on to Twitter, you might not know it, but the Venn diagram representing people who love video games and people who are passionate about pro wrestling is closer to a full circle than one would expect. The genre itself has seen a massive decline from its dizzying peaks in the mid-2000s, as well, with newer iterations from major players falling well short of the kind of glorious grappling simulator I’ve come to think we deserve in this console generation.
Enter Fire Pro Wrestling World, the latest in a series of wrestling games from Spike Chunsoft and the developer’s earnest attempt at making inroads in the West. Fire Pro has been the go-to for hardcore wrestling gamers for years, with graphics being sacrificed for lovely timing-based gameplay and ridiculous knock-off wrestler names to avoid copyright issues. Now, however, the game has embraced its Japanese heritage and recruited New Japan Pro Wrestling to lend its most popular wrestlers to an all-new story mode, complimenting the series in all the right ways. There might be a few issues with the dated way that the game approaches its craft, but Fire Pro Wrestling World is simply the best wrestling game released this generation.
Chaos
The first thing I noticed while playing Fire Pro Wrestling World was the sheer freedom it gifts players to approach the game the way they want to. After creating my character, the soon-to-be legendary Lemuel Dugnutt, I played a few warm-up matches to get a feel for the game. I’d decided early on that I wanted to be a rule-breaker, the kind of heel who takes shortcuts whenever possible and laps up the fans’ disdain as though it were fervent adoration.
Testing the boundaries of the game, I immediately rolled out of the ring to acquire a light tube. My opponent was smart enough not to follow me to the outside, so I rolled back in and waited for them to move toward me, the referee admonishing me for holding a weapon in what was a regular match. Instead of disqualifying me, though, the referee counted as they do in Japan, giving me time to drop the weapon before they make a decision. With enough time, I managed to swing my light tube into my opponent’s head, bloodying him and allowing me to exploit that advantage for the rest of the match.
It’s nothing new, but it’s a reminder that Fire Pro Wrestling World is the kind of game that doesn’t treat its players as though they only have a basic understanding of what pro wrestling is. Other games feel like they hold the player’s hand relentlessly to the point that, as I get better at them, I’m actively trying to pull away from their iron grip and failing to do so. With Fire Pro Wrestling World, you can be the wrestler you want to, in the matches you want—there’s even cage of death matches, and landmines—and the game never feels like it’s shaming you for picking a particular style. In short, this iteration of the series has fully embraced its depth of options, not shying away from being a bit more complex and overwhelming to newer players in order to preserve its quality.
For Full Article on the review of Fire Pro Wrestling World please click on the link before.
Read more at http://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2018/08/28/fire-pro-wrestling-world-ps4-review/#kHpZfjRjWvRPci4G.99
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