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I love the idea of taking two disparate ideas and mashing them together in such a way that it works surprisingly well. Lately, it feels like more and more JRPG-style games are trying this, especially in the indie department. But none have done it quite as well as WrestleQuest.
The mix of pro wrestling entertainment wrestling and JRPG gameplay mechanics couldn’t be more different, and yet they work impressively well together. Self-referential, a bit satirical, and full of entertaining humor, there is nothing quite like this indie title.
WrestleQuest takes place in the Toy Box, more than likely the literal toy world inside of some kid’s bedroom. You play as the toy figure Muchacho Man, a rip off of the actual real-life wrestler Macho Man Randy Savage. Your goal is to make it into the big boy leagues and prove yourself to be the best wrestler in the world.
Screenshot by Siliconera
To do this, the game has players battle it out in the ring in turn-based combat. This is some of the flashiest turn-based combat for a 2D pixel art game I’ve seen, where you have the option to do basic attacks or visually engaging gimmick moves.
You can jump up and slam onto a foe, throw them against the ropes, and perform classic wrestling moves. The attacks you do in this game are so inventive, and the gameplay is also quite fascinating. Your goal in most major fights is to weaken an opponent enough through the occasional timed button press a la Chrono Chross or Lost Odyssey to then pin them and win.
Unfortunately, this results in a quick pin minigame, which isn’t the most fun. Thankfully, there is an option to automate this in the settings, which I always turned on. The idea is novel, but you have to pin enemies far too often, even against some trash mob encounters in dungeons.
Speaking of dungeons, WrestleQuest acts pretty much like your standard JRPG. You travel the Toy Box world, going from city to city and dungeon to dungeon as you try to fulfill your dreams. In the city, there are many hilarious characters to talk with and in the dungeons, you have puzzles and plenty of enemies to encounter.
Screenshot by Siliconera
There are surprisingly a lot of dungeon-like areas in this game, and, fortunately, they don’t usually overstay their welcome. There will typically be some unique puzzle mechanics, such as lifting cranes in one dungeon or splitting up with your party members to turn off spotlights to sneak through another.
As you might surmise, there are wrestler party members to gather throughout the story who help out Muchacho Man in an almost Toy Story way. These also fit surprisingly well in the RPG side, acting as tag team partners and the like for you to also control. They also usually come with powerful team moves you can execute using everyone in the party.
The gameplay is fairly fast and fun, leading to a breezy indie RPG that doesn’t overstay its welcome. This is also helped by a pretty good storyline that never takes itself too seriously. You make choices at key moments that affect the gameplay, but even then, it is fairly lighthearted stuff.
The story goes in some intriguing directions, even early on, with some of the characters you play as and interact with. While Muchacho Man is a bit of a one-note character, everyone around him is colorful and fun to watch in the numerous cutscenes.
Screenshot by Siliconera
There is plenty of welcome RPG-style customization, too, with experience, leveling up, and gear letting you adjust as you go. You are able to learn plenty of new skills as you level up, which you can equip and swap between in battles.
Of course, this wouldn’t be complete without some minigames, which WrestleQuest doesn’t shy away from. There is an entire Dance Dance Revolution-style minigame that you could almost miss, which grants some excellent rewards and the like.
Everything in this game oozes the wrestling vibe, including the walkouts during special cinematic matches. You are able to customize your team’s walkouts and even have some minor timed interactions during the event. They aren’t the most varied, but little features like this add a nice touch.
In the end, WrestleQuest is a highly nostalgic video game for me. I used to be a WWE fan when I was a kid, and I adored games like Smackdown vs. RAW on the Xbox 360. While I walked away from being a wrestling fan for a long time, this game was a meaningful blend of two of my favorite childhood activities: wrestling and JRPGs.
Screenshot by Siliconera
WrestleQuest shouldn’t be overshadowed by other RPG releases this year. It is a shorter-than-average sports RPG with a fun cast of characters that fully sell the knockout idea of turn-based combat in the wrestling ring.
WrestleQuest will be available for the Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on August 22, 2023.
