WrestleQuest review in progress – Shaping up as an all-time great wrestling game

While we haven’t quite rolled the credits just yet, the first 20 or so hours of WrestleQuest have proven to be an absolute delight. One part love letter to the history of professional wrestling and the business around it, one part a shockingly rich RPG. The two coalesce to form a truly charming experience that’ll keep you glued to the screen.

WrestleQuest is an absolute treat. Pro wrestling fans will adore the structure of the narrative and the uniquely charming spectacle of it all, while RPG fans will be hooked by the many interwoven systems that typify the genre, but presented here with a unique flair you haven’t seen before. If you just so happen to fall in the middle of the Venn diagram, this is one game you simply can’t afford to miss.

On the surface, you’ll find a clear tribute to the territorial era of the wrestling business in the mid-to-late 20th century. It also includes countless references to iconic figures and memorable matchups along the way. But underneath it all is an ever-evolving combat structure that puts a new spin on the RPG formula while staying true to its pro wrestling roots in every sense.

Although we haven’t yet reached the top of the mountain, largely owing to the game’s sheer scope, what we have played has been a complete joy thus far, with no signs of that changing anytime soon.

WrestleQuest – Key details

• Price: $29.99 USD | $44.95 AUD
• Developer: Mega Cat Studios
• Publisher: Skybound Games
• Release date: August 8, 2023
• Platforms: PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, & Nintendo Switch

WrestleQuest trailer

A Quest to Wrestle

Surprising with its approach right out of the gate, WrestleQuest is very much an RPG at its core, to the extent that the game’s multi-pronged narrative focuses on several playable characters. You’re not just following one generic wrestler on their rise to superstardom, but you’re tracking the journey of a number of budding upstarts from various backgrounds as they navigate their turbulent career path in an industry full of less-than-trustworthy figures.

While there’s plenty to unravel along the way through both the main path and side missions too, from smaller individual relationships to broader career ambitions, WrestleQuest never loses sight of that ‘fun factor.’ How could you with one protagonist by the name of Muchacho Man – no, really – always doing his best Randy “Macho Man” Savage impersonation?

On the climb from the amateurs to the big leagues, you’ll travel far and wide, meet countless memorable wrestling stars – some from the real world, others exclusive to this fictional world – and you’ll experience all the industry has to offer between the ropes. Be it standard singles action, tag matches, trios contests, and various gimmick matches as well, they’re all here and they all keep things fresh as you climb the metaphorical ladder to grab that brass ring.

Some individual quest lines can certainly feel a little more ‘grindy’ than others, requiring just a bit too much repetition in some cases. However, the vast majority of main story and side missions thus far have all been wonderful to follow along.

Surprisingly deep RPG systems keep the fans hooked

Weaving everything together is an incredibly well-versed slate of RPG mechanics, all of which have been perfectly translated for the squared circle. While on the surface, moment-to-moment gameplay may look identical to a traditional turn-based RPG, every single action, ability, and command are all expertly woven into the entertaining sport we all know and love.

In combat, each wrestler has four primary actions to pick from. A standard attack, a more powerful ability that uses some AP (referred to here as a Gimmick), a taunt, or an item used to regain health or recharge AP. Each and every action impacts the ‘hype meter’ of the wrestling crowd watching along. The more you win the fans over, the more powerful abilities become available as a match progresses.

You begin as an individual wrestler but soon progress to tag matches and even have your own faction before long. It’s entirely down to you how each wrestler comes into play. Picking from a number of distinct styles, you can opt to have an enormous bodybuilder on one team, dealing more damage with their physical attacks, while having a technically sound wrestler on the other, far more efficient with their unique abilities on the mat.

From the customizable entrances all the way down to the pinning mechanic, you’re never taken out of the action. Despite its turn-based nature, you never feel like you’re going through the motions and feeling the churn. Each matchup is uniquely structured with a staggering amount of variety in enemy types, enemy count, environmental bonuses, and plenty more in between.

While we’ve been enamored by the first 20 hours of the experience, with seemingly a long ways to go yet, it’s worth reiterating this is purely a review in progress for the time being.

As we’re yet to finish the full game, we can’t yet comment on the back half of the experience, and whether it avoids the pitfalls of many RPGs and their grindy endgame. It’s also worth noting we did encounter one progress-halting bug that completely stopped our progress in the review window, but this particular issue was very quickly patched out in a matter of hours and shouldn’t affect potential buyers.

For now, we’re eager to play more and continue the journey in WrestleQuest. We’ll be sure to update you here with a more thorough review and a final score when all is said and done.