Pro Wrestler Story is a simulation game where you build a stable of wrestlers. It plays like Theme Hospital or the Two Point games. I was expecting something different when I picked this up, and was pleasantly surprised when I started playing.
What I was expecting was closer to the game Golf Story on the Nintendo Switch. That game is more of an RPG where you play on some wacky golf courses. There is a fun story in that game, and it was a lot of fun. Thinking about it makes me want to go back and play it.
While that isn’t what you get in Pro Wrestling Story, it doesn’t mean the game is bad. It has a nice retro style, the gameplay is decent, but it is missing a grander story. I’m not entirely sure what is happening in the game’s world. I’ll get into that when I go over the story.
When I look back at the game’s description and what was promised in the trailer, I feel a little misled. I’m not going to put all of this on the developers, but it is disappointing. There is enough here that I like, but not enough for me to recommend the game.
TLDR: A nice Tycoon game, but not what I was expecting or wanted.
Narrative
The game’s story is what you should expect from a tycoon game. It is paper-thin and designed to let the player use their imagination on most of what happens in the game. At least that is what I normally do in games like this.
You create a wrestling stable and have matches with rival groups. In some ways, it plays like you’re taking on rival promotions. There aren’t storylines for the individual matches, and you don’t learn too much about the wrestlers in either stable. There aren’t championships, but you do unlock more matches as you keep beating the rival promotion in each chapter.
I like the idea of this game. It is played like everyone is in on the business, but the matches are more realistic. I’m sure you can make enemies with one of the promotions or an individual wrestler. Seeing how you can poach wrestlers from rival promotions, you tend to act friendly to them. It is a nice setup for a game like this.
Gameplay
There isn’t too much to this game. Much of what you’re doing is managing your budget, building things for your training studio, and training your wrestlers. It is a little disappointing that there isn’t more to this game.
There are a lot of improvements for you to build. These range from training equipment to quality of life improvements for your wrestlers. You’ll get more money from wrestling matches, selling items, and merchandise sales.
Training your wrestlers is mostly automatic. You can set their priorities, do special training, and have them participate in events. These all give your characters permanent stat boosts. It is also possible to customize your characters as far as their special moves, archetypes, and what types of moves they’re good at.
This is all great, until you get to the wrestling matches. There is little involvement from the player during these matches. You can control when they pin an opponent and when they kick out of a pin. Aside from that, you don’t have any control over the moves. If there was something that nearly ruined the game for me, this would be it.
Overall, this is a decent tycoon game. It has a wonderful premise, and I really like the idea behind this game. What I don’t like is how little there is for the player to do when the matches start. This feels like a mobile game that received a console and PC release.
Visuals
This game looks very good! I love the modern pixel graphics. The wrestlers look great, the animations on the moves are wonderful, and the ring is excellent. There isn’t a thing in this game that looks bad.
There are a lot of character sprites in this game, and you have quite a few customization options for your wrestlers. The developers managed to make them look different and unique from each other. This goes for the crowd as well. The sprites in the matches look great and are very lively as the matches progress.
Animations for the wrestling moves look great. There are also some great reactions from the wrestlers as they get hit, put in a hold, or get stunned. Everything in this part of the game is very good. I just wish I had more control over it.
Overall, I love the graphics. This is a cute-looking wrestling game, and it reminds me of other tycoon games. I can safely say that the graphics are my favorite part of the game. It really outshines the gameplay.
7.5/10. As a tycoon game, this is very good. It has a fun premise and decent gameplay. If you were expecting something closer to an RPG, then you’ll be disappointed. In some ways, this feels like a mobile game that received a console and PC release.
Pros
- Decent Gameplay
- Great graphics
- Interesting concept
Cons
- I wish the matches were more interactive
- Lacks storylines
- Inconsistent match outcomes.
Conclusion
I was hoping for something completely different from what this game delivered. Some of my favorite games are Tycoon games, and this is a good one. For some reason, I thought this was going to be closer to Golf Story.
There are some things in this game that are great. I love building up my stable of wrestlers and competing against other groups. It feels like gang warfare in some ways. It just doesn’t have the gameplay that I wanted, especially when it comes to the matches.
This game is a little odd. There is something here that I enjoy, but it isn’t what I wanted from a Pro Wrestling game. I like the customization options and the management system, but as a wrestling game, something is lacking from all this. I do feel a little misled by what was promised in the game’s description.
If you liked this post, check out my others on Indie games. Such as ToeJam and Earl Back in the Groove or Super Blood Hockey.
good