MDickie's games have a history and reputation of being low-budget works where their ambitious concepts are endeared more on being barely functioning novelties rather than actual polished experiences. Of course, it's hard to deny the fun and absurdity of seeing the results of using the same broken wrestling core platform to power a boxing game, a prison simulator, a football game, and even an interactive experience based on Jesus Christ's life.
However, those years of creating a variety of games based on the same core platform and design philosophy may have finally paid off with Wrestling Empire. Not only is Wrestling Empire a notable improvement in terms of polish, but it's also a really fun wrestling game that has an engaging set of systems and mechanics that makes it genuinely one of the best wrestling games around period.
The crude visuals may imply otherwise, but Wrestling Empire actually features a rather intricate combat system that leans more on the simulation side. The size and stats of wrestlers matter a lot, and regardless of the movesets you've chosen, each wrestler can fight and react differently depending on the environment, weight and height difference, and the overall capabilities of the wrestlers. Even the inputs and minigames required are less on button mashing and timing but instead based on context. The more simulation-like mechanics end up not only creating more dynamic-looking fights but also end up adding to the absurdity if you double down on ridiculous scenarios such as stacking 30 tables on top of each other while setting them on fire. Granted the way it plays is still a bit rough around the edges, but it functions just enough to be completely enjoyable where most of its mechanical faults result more in happy accidents rather than frustrations.
A familiar constant element with the MDickie games is the sandbox-like freedom, and Wrestling Empire is no exception in exhibiting that element. What Wrestling Empire lacks in production values, makes up for letting the player do anything. From moving around to your own entrance, with different props and gestures, to continuing beatdowns even after the bell rings for the end of the match. As long as you're in control, you can pretty much do anything and interact with characters and the environment as you see fit.
All these neat systems extend to the career mode, which is the highlight of the game. You start off by choosing and modifying any character to your liking, as you carry them towards a career that can span for years on multiple promotions. It's all completely unscripted, with a variety of feuds, events, and happenings that can happen based on a variety of conditions. This makes the game a sort of story generator, as anything can happen not only based on your own choices but just as how the game world simulates throughout.
If the base career mode wasn't enough, there's also a booking mode that lets you play as the manager of any of the promotions in the game, as you book your own matches, shape your own roster and try to take over the ratings throughout different territories. It all makes for a great excuse to mess with the game's systems by giving you an objective alongside.
The way everything interacts with each other just creates a large amount of potential. Even when you start to see the patterns of the content generated, it keeps itself entertaining just due to how much variation there can be and how everything actually moves forward with effects and consequences.
Unfortunately, there are some things that hold Wrestling Empire back. For one, there is a notable lack of raw content, from limited movesets to a lack of variety for character customization pieces. You can still create a diverse cast, evident by the game's recognizable lawyer-friendly versions of real-life wrestlers built-in. However, you really will start to notice the lack of things fast, whether you're just going through the career mode or trying to create a variety of characters.
Fortunately, the game is still being actively worked on, with it receiving updates that add content and other changes slowly but surely at the time of writing this.
All in all, Wrestling Empire is a really enjoyable game and almost feels like the dream wrestling game of every kid that grew up with the likes of Smackdown! Here Comes the Pain and Fire Pro Wrestling. The amount of freedom the game offers on top of its fun mechanics makes up for an experience that anyone can sink countless hours into despite its roughness and shortcomings of being a low-budget solo-developed game.
However, those years of creating a variety of games based on the same core platform and design philosophy may have finally paid off with Wrestling Empire. Not only is Wrestling Empire a notable improvement in terms of polish, but it's also a really fun wrestling game that has an engaging set of systems and mechanics that makes it genuinely one of the best wrestling games around period.
The crude visuals may imply otherwise, but Wrestling Empire actually features a rather intricate combat system that leans more on the simulation side. The size and stats of wrestlers matter a lot, and regardless of the movesets you've chosen, each wrestler can fight and react differently depending on the environment, weight and height difference, and the overall capabilities of the wrestlers. Even the inputs and minigames required are less on button mashing and timing but instead based on context. The more simulation-like mechanics end up not only creating more dynamic-looking fights but also end up adding to the absurdity if you double down on ridiculous scenarios such as stacking 30 tables on top of each other while setting them on fire. Granted the way it plays is still a bit rough around the edges, but it functions just enough to be completely enjoyable where most of its mechanical faults result more in happy accidents rather than frustrations.
A familiar constant element with the MDickie games is the sandbox-like freedom, and Wrestling Empire is no exception in exhibiting that element. What Wrestling Empire lacks in production values, makes up for letting the player do anything. From moving around to your own entrance, with different props and gestures, to continuing beatdowns even after the bell rings for the end of the match. As long as you're in control, you can pretty much do anything and interact with characters and the environment as you see fit.
All these neat systems extend to the career mode, which is the highlight of the game. You start off by choosing and modifying any character to your liking, as you carry them towards a career that can span for years on multiple promotions. It's all completely unscripted, with a variety of feuds, events, and happenings that can happen based on a variety of conditions. This makes the game a sort of story generator, as anything can happen not only based on your own choices but just as how the game world simulates throughout.
If the base career mode wasn't enough, there's also a booking mode that lets you play as the manager of any of the promotions in the game, as you book your own matches, shape your own roster and try to take over the ratings throughout different territories. It all makes for a great excuse to mess with the game's systems by giving you an objective alongside.
The way everything interacts with each other just creates a large amount of potential. Even when you start to see the patterns of the content generated, it keeps itself entertaining just due to how much variation there can be and how everything actually moves forward with effects and consequences.
Unfortunately, there are some things that hold Wrestling Empire back. For one, there is a notable lack of raw content, from limited movesets to a lack of variety for character customization pieces. You can still create a diverse cast, evident by the game's recognizable lawyer-friendly versions of real-life wrestlers built-in. However, you really will start to notice the lack of things fast, whether you're just going through the career mode or trying to create a variety of characters.
Fortunately, the game is still being actively worked on, with it receiving updates that add content and other changes slowly but surely at the time of writing this.
All in all, Wrestling Empire is a really enjoyable game and almost feels like the dream wrestling game of every kid that grew up with the likes of Smackdown! Here Comes the Pain and Fire Pro Wrestling. The amount of freedom the game offers on top of its fun mechanics makes up for an experience that anyone can sink countless hours into despite its roughness and shortcomings of being a low-budget solo-developed game.