Wrestling Empire

We always mention that when it comes to a sports game, it is always hard to compete. The official franchise games have pretty much a monopoly in good quality. They are constantly evolving and finding new ways to better simulate the real deal, but there is one exception there, and it’s one that many people wouldn’t consider a sport actually: Wrestling. These games always try to find a way to go and make it more entertaining instead of going for a more realistic simulation. Today we are talking about a game that’s not a part of the official line of games for this sport, we are talking about Wrestling Empire. So what makes this game any different from the other ones? Is it any better? Well, let’s talk bout it!

About the game

Far from what is seen in the current wrestling video game scene, Wrestling Empire proposes very arcade-like gameplay in which fun is put above realism or simulation. Here we have come to mash buttons and hit each other! Among the features of this game we can find:

• You can design custom combats.
• Multiplayer for up to 4 players.
• Create your own fighter and face nearly 350 opponents across 10 different rosters.
• Up to 30 fighters in the ring.
• Different camera angles to better capture the action.

Now, there are many ways in which this game tilts much more into the arcade style than the WWE games like WWE 2K22. Probably the first one you’ll notice is that the visuals do resemble something you’d see in an arcade place back in the early 2000s. Of course, there’s a solid reason for the visuals.

If those old visuals look similar to you it's because they are intended to do so, they are actually inspired by the Nintendo 64 era of wrestling video games. Especially those developed by AKI (like WCW/NWO Revenge and WWF Wrestlemania 2000. Not only do the characters look chunky and the scenarios too, but also the movements and the entirety of the visual elements are just like a Nintendo 64 game.

Does it deliver?

Well, it does depend on what you’re looking for, as this game won’t be any eye candy, but if you’re into retro games you’re in for a treat here. But it isn’t a completely loyal recreation of a wrestling game from the Nintendo 64 era. There are many different game modes and the HD and high FPS count are a little different from what you’d expect in an old game like WWF No Mercy.

Review: 7.5/10

Wrestling Empire is not your average wrestling game, but it isn’t particularly outstanding either. If this game was released in the Nintendo 64 era it would’ve been a shocking masterpiece, Probably one of the best wrestling games in the next 6 or 7 years, but well, it’s still a solid game if you just want to mess around for a while and have some fun.

Pros:

• It’s actually pretty fun
• Big roaster and game mode
• Solid career mode

Cons

• Messy all around
• Some odd glitches and bugs