Though the “Fire Pro Wrestling” series had been a staple for knowledgeable wrestling video game fans for years, this long-time aficionado of both forms of entertainment (pro wrestling & video games) didn’t get a chance to enjoy the ¾ style action until 2001 when “Fire Pro Wrestling” was released on Nintendo’s Game Boy Advance. The experience changed my view of what could make a pro wrestling video game fun as the focus wasn’t just on the absurd stories or characters, but the combat featuring tons of customizable features be it wrestlers or even the ring itself. The first North American console “Fire Pro Wrestling” release – “Fire Pro Wrestling Returns” – became my go-to wrestling game from the time it was available for purchase until this very day thanks to it being released on the Playstation Network. Knowing what I was getting myself into from a gameplay perspective when it comes to “Fire Pro Wrestling World”, I felt more intrigued about the new additional modes, online competition & just how realistic it would feel having a match between “The Ace of New Japan” and “The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment”.
Did I Complete “Fire Pro Wrestling World”?
Like so many pro wrestling video games, the basis of completion can come in various forms: finishing the available modes, taking the action online and even completing all the trophies. This iteration of “Fire Pro” not only has the action synonymous with the series & the copious creation options, but also a new “Fighting Road” mode where the player can take a created wrestler up the ranks of New Japan Pro Wrestling in hopes of achieving the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. The visual novel-esque mode featuring appearances by actual New Japan stars is lengthy to state the least and will take many more hours to complete even after sinking in over a dozen hours. There are also online options a person can take part in, but it’s not a necessity thankfully. For completionist, finishing “Fighting Road” and gaining all the trophies available with only a couple of grind-heavy achievements are the best way to say one has completed “Fire Pro World”.
Did “Fire Pro Wrestling World” Live Up to the Hype?
Fans of the “Fire Pro Wrestling” series have witnessed a franchise featuring one of the most acclaimed engines seen in the wrestling video game genre be improved upon until it reached its potential in delivering the best action possible. “Fire Pro Wrestling World” doesn’t change the bell-to-bell formula that has become synonymous with the franchise for good reason as the action is still unbelievable in execution compared to its competitors. The “Fire Pro” grappling system is built not on button mashing, but timing. When two wrestlers lock up, the person who taps one of the face buttons (with or without the directional pad) at the right time will pull off the move first. Go too fast and the player’s moves will be easily reversed. Go too slow and a wrestler will be on the receiving end of a lot of punishment. The gameplay’s most interesting aspect is the necessity of building up one’s offensive strike. Each wrestler has light, medium & strong grapple attacks with the latter being the wrestler’s biggest maneuvers & finishers. If the player tries to pull off big moves too early the opponent will be able to avoid & counter whatever is attempted. Slow & steady wins the match as the drama builds, the simple forearms to jaw turn into power bombs & Rain Maker lariats. With a great crowd reaction system to complement the action, near falls and shocking endings are the norm.
But the “Fire Pro” games have also expanded upon its mode offerings. While there aren’t any TLC or Hell in a Cell like matches, players can take part in barbed wire death matches, steel cage fiascos and even MMA fights. Intergender bouts are also an option, as are multi-person and tag team matches. Weapons can be involved in those no disqualification encounters and, like the strikes due to the way the camera/ring is angled, can be a little tough to actually land a proper shot. Players can wrestle for titles both real & created, hold tournaments & leagues, and have their own Royal Rumble.
With a rather small roster out of the box (though the additions of actual New Japan stars does soften the blow of not having more generic wrestlers obviously based off real-life grapplers), “FPWW” relies on the imagination of its players to really have those dream bouts. The depth of “World’s” creation system is almost unimaginable thanks to the amount of options available to the player including the body morphing style recent WWE games have been utilizing that “Fire Pro” perfected years ago. Thanks to how great the creation system is, players around the world can upload fantastic created wrestlers and logos so those who don’t have the skills and/or time to make a legendary roster spanning nearly half a century across dozens of promotions can download with little effort. Players can also make their own rings, belts & even referees. Everything fans of the series have gotten used to when it comes to making whatever comes to their minds is still an option in “World”.
Beyond the aforementioned “Fighting Road” mode where a player looks to make their created wrestler a World champion, “FPWW” offers a “Mission Mode” that proves to be both the tutorial & a challenge mode. There are also modes attached the fifty dollar season pass (or the ninety dollar “Deluxe Edition”) including the series’ version of a General Manager mode and a new story scenario; though neither has a release date set as of this time. Easily the biggest addition to the franchise comes with “World”: online competition. Sadly, the online action in “FPWW” is disappointing at best and unplayable at worst. With this being something of a niche title, finding an opponent or opponents will take five to ten minutes at the least. When the bell sounds there’s a good chance someone will lose connection, quit if things aren’t going their way, and even when people are on the up & up the game can lag out at any moment no matter the quality of connections involved. When it comes to a game based around proper timing, lag is detrimental and will most likely cause losses aplenty as well as players opting to avoid the entire online experience.
Everything that was great about the previous “Fire Pro” games – the action & creation options – is here in its finest forms. But for gamers who were solely looking forward to playing with other die-hard or even rookie “FPW” fans from around the globe will be sorely disappointed.
Should You Play “Fire Pro Wrestling World”?
As expected, everything that is great about the series returns here in the best fashion possible. The in-ring action never dulls even if a person doesn’t feel like playing and just wants to watch. The creation options are ridiculous; made even better by the ability to download the thousands of wrestlers crafted by diligent creators. “Fighting Road” mode is a nice addition to keep things fresh rather than just playing exhibition matches over & over again, but the time investment may be too much for some. Easily the weakest part of “World” is its online capabilities being incredibly unstable. This is a must-buy for wrestling video game fans no matter the experience level as long as you don’t care about playing online. Definitively, this is one of the best games in the franchise that could become the greatest of all time if it gets the continuous support its early access version did for the past year.
