When I took on the task of reviewing a wrestling game, this wasn’t what I expected. I was thinking I’d play something with uncanny valley graphics and clumsy attempts at realism, where I’d push button prompts to throw opponents through ladders in real time. I wasn’t expecting pixel art Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts to introduce me to a world made of wrestling toys, with a classic RPG formula and turn-based matches involving HP and AP management. WrestleQuest is not your average wrestling game, and it’s so much better for it.
WrestleQuest is one big joke. The entire concept is based on the fact that wrestling is fake in a world where every character is a plastic toy. You can't get more fake than an action figure with plastic abs and plastic hair, and sometimes, a plastic personality. However, developer Mega Cat Studios takes the joke several layers deeper. Protagonist Randy Santos doesn't realise that matches are scripted – what a mark – and parodies of famous wrestlers are sprinkled throughout proceedings. And that's before you get to the actual cameos.
Then there's the customisation. Your plastic characters can be supplemented by all manner of gear, much like Malibu Stacy now comes with a new hat. The gear works on a flavour level (they’re toys!) as well as an RPG level, and this level of careful forethought and attention to detail applies to all areas of the game.
Its plot is pretty basic: Randy Santos wants to make it big! But the characters and quests are all interesting enough to carry the game forward. Adding party members to complement your stable is key, from high flyers to healers, meatheads to managers - this is every bit a 2D RPG in the vein of classic Final fantasy.
Party management and questing through dungeons (of a sort - these take the form of wrestling promotions and gang wars, among others) is great, but WrestleQuest really shines in its combat. The variety of synergies and combos that you can create is astounding, and the matches themselves are great fun. As well as managing your health and stamina, there are quick time events to simulate cheap shots or counters, adding a more involved element to the turn-based proceedings that doesn’t rely on the old fashioned classics it takes inspiration from as much as I expected.
WrestleQuest adds another element to its matches too, in which you manage the crowd. Get them on board by changing up your moves, taunting opponents, or hitting big finishers, and in turn reap the rewards, be they attack boosts or better prizes after you win. This works twofold; it changes up the turn-based formula, as many modern games in the genre strive to do, and adds another key piece of wrestling to the game. Working the crowd is one of the most important things to do when you get inside the squared circle, and it's no different here.
Wrestle Quest seems silly. Don't get me wrong, it can be deeply silly at times, but it knows when to put that silliness back in the toybox. Taking away the wrestling stylings, this is a great RPG, but the theme takes it to another level. The wrestling is more than just a skin, it permeates to the game's very core with deep knowledge and great implementation.
It's clear that the devs at Mega Cat love RPGs, and they might love wrestling even more. This could easily have been a cheap cash-in, a generic RPG with a lazy wrestling facade. The truth is the opposite, and I implore fans of old-school RPGs to check it out whether you like wrestling or not. If you're a wrestling fan, then everything gets even better. You'll get all the references, enjoy the niche moves, and enjoy one of the best wrestling games in years.
Score: 4/5. A PC code was provided by the publisher.