Total Extreme Wrestling 9 PC Review 9/10 “A Wrestledream” 🤼 @TransvaalGF @ArlesGreyDog #IndieGame #GameDev #TEW9

I've always been a huge fan of GM (General Manager) mode, a mode that for some unknown reason comes and goes from WWE games. Luckily, it is currently back in the last few games and I have spent many hours living out my dream of being a wrestling booker. The main criticism these games have is the lack of features, things that have been taken out, or should be have been in from the start. TEW9 doesn't have this problem, it was my first time playing this series and wow! Was my mind blown.

The First thing I did after installing TEW9 was set up a federation, no tutorials – just pick it up as I go along… after only a few minutes I realised that was a massive mistake, I had absolutely no clue what was going on or what I was doing. The game is dense, which means that when you know what you are doing - it’s great, there is so much to do, so much you can customise, it is super impressive but my advice is to definitely go through the tutorials and absorb everything that it explains. 

Once I was keyed in the scope of the game shone through, anything you can think of doing - you can. Everything is customisable, you have no limits, add whatever you want; any company, any wrestler, any factions - it is entirely up to you. These things are time consuming, it did take me a while to set up, but once you get going it becomes manageable.

TEW9 does start with its own federations and wrestlers so if you do want to jump straight in you can. It has tons of regions and companies with different styles of wrestling, some will focus on lucha libre, or more hardcore, there’s something for every wrestling fan.

Obviously, your goal is to book cards and pull off great shows, but I really liked how you have to deal with the personal dramas that happened in the locker rooms, I hadn't experienced it in a wrestling sim, and it was a nice addition, as backstage drama is sadly a massive staple of wrestling and having to deal with the bad blood between people was a nice feature, deciding between stern words or even firing the offenders adds a nice level of drama, as you can really effect the wrestlers morale with every decision.

Another feature I enjoyed was having to find and negotiate the TV channel you are on, having to build up your wrestling company to get on better channels was a neat challenge, you really felt your company growing and hitting big milestones. The news page mimicking the dirt sheets is a fun way to see the overview of what's happening in the world of wrestling, showing news and rumours from all companies, it keeps you informed of everything going on in your wrestling world. 

The game is propped up a by a cool community that upload really cool creations that is super handy when you want to add real world wrestling to your experience, basically anything wrestling-related that has happened in the last 50 years-  the community has created.

SUMMARY

This is a dream for any wrestling fan who has wanted to live out the dream of running a wrestling company, the features are immense and the community are a fantastic help. I wish I had found this game sooner. Now I’m off to plough more hours into my federation, where Papa Shango has been the world champion for 2 years. 

Purchase Link:

Total Extreme Wrestling IX - Grey Dog Software