WrestleQuest Xbox Series X 8/10 “One Hell of a Slobberknocker” 🤼‍♂️ @megacatstudios #IndieGames #GameDev

WrestleQuest is two of my absolutely favourite things combined, wrestling and classic RPGs.

When I first heard about the game my excitement level was off the charts, it became one of my most anticipated games of 2023. So, after waiting all this time, will it be a 7-star match in the Tokyo Dome? Or will it be jobbing out in the opening match?

At this point in the review, I will warn you I’m going ALL IN on the wrestling references, there will be NO MERCY, so I suggest opening a ‘Steveweiser’ and preparing to smell what the Games Freezer WrestleQuest review is cooking.

The game centres around a bunch of living figures - think Toy Story, but with more power slams - you play as Muchacho Man Randy Santos, an inspiring wrestling figure who dreams of becoming a big star following in his heroes’ footsteps, his hero, of course, being the great...Bastion Booger...wait, no… The Great Khali…. No, of course… The Big Boss Man (OK, I’ve finished).

The main character is very clearly The Macho Man Randy Savage, he dresses like him, and talks like him, so be prepared to hear “ohhhhh yyyeeeaaahhh!” about fifty times as he goes all in on the bit. Randy Santos travels to various promotions trying to get booked and slide up the card, along the way meeting other aspiring wrestlers who join him on his quest. 

I really liked the toy element, it gives a very playful element to WrestleQuest, it also lets sillier elements naturally slide in such as anthropomorphic animals, and transformer-like robots. A toy box can contain an assortment of toys, and it lets the game really run wild with it.

As you explore you will go from place to place, including a frozen land to the north where people wear pink and black, and a region that enjoys the extreme side of wrestling. As you explore these places, you meet various different wrestlers from the past; Sgt Slaughter; I.R.S; Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts, and so many more - there are an insane amount of wrestlers that you can find alongside nods to the wrestling YouTube community, it encompasses all of wrestling and it really doesn’t hold back, and by doing this someone like me - who enjoys all the history that pro wrestling has to offer - it made the whole time exploring the world an absolute joy.

I couldn’t wait to go from land to land to see where I would be and who I would meet. Now, you could say that it’s an easy way to get a cheap pop, but so much love and attention to detail has gone in that it just wins you over, when I was asked early in the game, ‘What would you choose a surfer gimmick, or a goth gimmick?’ it just made me smile, and that smile never waned.

I think the thing that might divide people more than a discussion about WWE vs AEW is the combat, as it is a lot of quick time events (QTE). Basically, doing anything will involve the dreaded QTE. The gameplay is nice and simple, you have four things you can do, attack; taunt; gimmick, and item.

Attacks are simple, you strike an opponent and a QTE comes up with the ability to possibly gain the chance to strike again, so even when using basic attacks, you always have to be on your toes. Taunt allows you to build hype, items are self-explanatory, and finally - gimmicks are big moves, which can only be pulled off after building enough hype throughout the match.

If you fail the QTE, your opponent gets to seize the moment and get extra strikes on you. It does get repetitive, and sometimes you have to complete some questionable objectives like letting your opponent gain hype, so he can land a big attack on you while you have to sit there taking damage, it also goes the route of only having your current active party gains experience, so when you are forced to use different party members, it can become a problem. I would definitely say this is the weakest aspect of the overall experience, but it wasn't a deal breaker for me, although it definitely might put some people off.

The one element that definitely isn't weak is the visuals, they perfectly capture the vivid and colourful nature of both pro wrestling and classic role-playing games, every environment popped. WrestleQuest opts for 16-bit era graphics, and they work marvellously. The soundtrack of the game also has a nice mixture of different styles, using different genres for the varying lands that you visit.

SUMMARY

This title knows its audiences and 100 per cent commits to them, if you like old-school wrestling and classic RPGs, then this is the game for you. Oh, it’s true! It’s damn true!