WrestleQuest is the nostalgia bomb RPG wrestling game that’s filled with lighthearted fun and entertainment. Find out whether or not it’s worth chasing glory in this pixelated action figure world.
WrestleQuest Review and Score Explanation
WrestleQuest Score Explanation
| Story | Gameplay | Visuals | Audio | Value for Money |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7/10 | 6/10 | 7/10 | 7/10 | 6/10 |
| Overall | WrestleQuest is an enjoyable and unique wrestling game that pays homage to both the bygone eras of wrestling and traditional RPG. It’s a feel good game that doesn’t take itself too seriously and is downright hilarious in its presentation. WrestleQuest is entertaining! And that’s what wrestling is supposed to be – entertaining. While it unfortunately falls short in the gameplay department and doesn’t offer much challenge, the blend of nostalgia and humor allows it to create a unique and engaging gaming experience. The incorporation of pro wrestling history and references adds a refreshing element of fan appreciation, immersing players in a culture rarely seen in the mainstream anymore. |
|---|---|
| Story | The game delivers a solid tale of what it’s like being in a wrestler’s shoes in both the ring and beyond. It captures the journey of going from the grassroots of wrestling to going pro. The attention to detail, both in terms of the history of pro wrestling and the humorous interactions within the game world, blends well with the overall story. In the end, WrestleQuest has invigorated my interest in learning more about lesser known wrestlers. |
| Gameplay | WrestleQuest incorporates classic RPG mechanics into its gameplay, but it falls short in terms of offering a challenging combat experience. You absolutely don't need a carefully crafted strategy going into matches as you can easily body your opponents. This lack of a challenge in combat makes the gameplay feel monotonous and unengaging. For players who enjoy a more challenging and strategic combat system, this is definitely a drawback. The most interesting thing that WrestleQuest executed well on is seamlessly fitting the various archetypical wrestlers, such as the powerhouses, technical wrestlers, showmen, into classic RPG classes, like healers, mages, and brawlers. |
| Visuals | The decision to make WrestleQuest pixel art-based is a very fitting one as, overall, I think the main driving force of the game is nostalgia and love for the classic. The game takes place in a toy box world and offers a charming presentation of the branding WrestleQuest is going for. The variety in the backdrops and settings, such as snowy landscapes and dark, dingy cities, adds visual diversity to the game world. There isn’t a lot of interaction you can do in the toybox world though, and ironically, that causes the visuals to work against the game’s favor. Not being able to do anything in a world as colorful and fun-looking as WrestleQuest’s sadly makes it feel almost dead. |
| Audio | The one-liners in this game really hit the spot. They’re funny without having to try too much. There’s not much voice acting in this game as there is reading, but hearing a punchline delivered during an otherwise intense encounter or cutscene is really comical. I don’t know how they did it, but even the grunts in dialogues were well-timed and comedic. There is no variety with the sound design of the live crowd nor nuanced reactions, but their resounding roar is ever present throughout matches and makes for a refreshing experience in RPG combat. It worked well to create the right atmosphere in a way only having a BGM can’t provide. Aside from that, though, the game was lacking in the sound design department. It didn’t have that “oomph!” whenever you executed a move and there wasn’t much SFX going on in the background. The lack of dialogue you actually hear in-game also made it feel empty. The soundtrack itself is 8-bit and chill, and something you can definitely put on in the background any time of the day. Overall, the music is a vibe. "¡Oh Si!". |
| Value for Money | At $29.99, WrestleQuest might not be the best deal for its price point. And with what’s been presented gameplay-wise, I’d say the game costs too much, and I recommend grabbing it on sale. The game itself is fun and grin-inducing, but not worth $29.99. |
WrestleQuest Review: Fumbled on The Top Rope
WrestleQuest has a strong foundation, with its captivating characters and nostalgic wrestling atmosphere, but there are some significant shortcomings that hinder its potential as an RPG experience. At first, I was really excited about the prospect of a Pro Wrestling RPG as I love both Pro Wrestling and RPGs. However, as I played through the game, the mechanics just became too tedious. I found the repetitive nature of the combat system dampening my excitement for the game. It lacked strategic depth, which led to a feeling of monotony and a lack of engagement.
I stuck with it for the plot though. I always love a good underdog story. The game takes place in a Toy Story-esque world where toys and action figures come to life, and we follow wrestling action figure Muchacho Man. Helping Muchacho Man climb his way up and break into Plushie and Action Figure Wrestling (PAW), the biggest wrestling promotion, as well as taking the journey with Brink Logan to keep the family business alive as he navigates his way through a more fulfilling wrestling career were what really held my interest.
WrestleQuest Full Game Review
Pros of WrestleQuest
| Things WrestleQuest Got Right So Far |
|---|
 Sheds Light Onto the Behind-The-Scenes of Pro Wrestling Solid, Easy to Follow Narrative Game Mechanics Take Into Account Wrestling Gimmicks Good-Natured Humor |
Sheds Light Onto the Behind-The-Scenes of Pro Wrestling
Pro Wrestling is never without drama. Its very foundation is theatrics and tropes. All the over-the-top displays of grandeur, however, tend to make us forget that these larger-than-life characters are real people too. WrestleQuest manages to capture a wrestler’s story at its core, while explaining how the business works. The integration of various characters, such as managers, promoters, and coaches, also help show what a career in pro wrestling entails.
The game showed the inherent hierarchy in the business, backstage politics, and the importance of executing each character’s role in a match to deliver the best show. WrestleQuest also gives players insight on some basic match psychology. For instance, Brink Logan explains how he and his brother are taking control of the whole tag team match against Lars and Flars. This sets up a comeback situation for Lars and Flars, making their eventual victory all the sweeter, and the Logan brothers’ defeat all the more meaningful.
Solid, Easy to Follow Narrative
The game follows two men whose stories weave into one grand narrative that shows the different stages of having a career in pro wrestling. There’s the story of “Muchacho Man” Randy Santos, one of determination, passion, and the pursuit of a dream. Meanwhile, Brink Logan’s story goes for something a bit more grounded in realism — keeping the family business alive, making papa proud, and building a wrestling career that is meaningful to him. These two men are polar opposites of each other, and it’s interesting to see how their stories become interwoven as they both make a name for themselves in the wrestling industry.
Game Mechanics Take Into Account Wrestling Gimmicks
While I have my gripes over WrestleQuest’s game mechanics, I found myself very delighted by the fact that the game took into account the various wrestling gimmicks in the game’s combat. Depending on the type of wrestler that you are, your role in the match will play differently. Sidekicks somewhat become supports, Powerhouses become your main offensive characters, Technicians are flexi-supports that provide buffs or debuffs, and so on and so forth.
Battles start off with in-ring promos where the heel (wrestling’s villains) talks down to the baby face (our heroes that we have to cheer on), and there are lots of references and jokes that pro-wrestling fans can appreciate. They’re all fun and I can see how they paid homage to the pro wrestling industry.
Good-Natured Humor
The game shines as a goofy, humorous adventure. From the comic relief characters to exchanged dialogues, there was always something that got me chuckling and exhaling extra hard through my nostrils. The promos before matches are basically roast sessions among the wrestlers and it’s just fun to watch these menacing wrestlers go at it on the mic. Also, big dudes stressing out over face paint is just way too comical. You know what it never was? THAT serious. The comedy aspect of the game was definitely what won me over to make it a recommendable game.
Cons of WrestleQuest
| Things That WrestleQuest Can Improve |
|---|
|
Gameplay Gets Boring Real Quick The World Lacks Adventure |
Gameplay Gets Boring Real Quick
WrestleQuest tried to put twists in their straight-forward turn-based combat gameplay by adding a pinning mini-game (that everyone hated in WWE 2k) and near constant quicktime button events. There’s not a lot of action that goes on, and on top of that, the gameplay is heavily-reliant on quicktime events to execute moves, and the game becomes too easy once you get the formula for matches down. Despite the glitz and glamor, it ends up being stale and monotonous.
The World Lacks Adventure
Going around the map on a Quest feels a bit like dungeon crawling in that you can find “treasures” that yield items, such as gear and table spot tokens. You will also get to face opponents that are causing terror in the wrestling toy land as you journey through the Quest. But that’s pretty much it. There’s not a lot of interactivity in the world when you’re moving about in WrestleQuest, so it’s easy to feel detached from the outlandish environment it has set up. The interesting things laid out in the map, like that giant briefcase, (hello? Money In the Bank?) don’t really provide anything of note. Instead, they all just feel like props.
WrestleQuest Overview & Premise
Set in a world where toys and action figures come to life, WrestleQuest focuses on the crazy world of pro wrestling and tells stories of the action figures that become the game’s central characters. The game lets players control Muchacho Man, a rookie who aspires to dominate the local wrestling scenes on his way to become a world champion. You build him from scratch and get to decide on the type of wrestler you want him to be. Players go from being an industry outlier to the next big thing, all while being under the guidance of the greatest of the greats in the sport, Brink Logan.
Who Should Play WrestleQuest?
WrestleQuest is Recommended if You Enjoy:
• Persona Series
• Fire Emblem
WrestleQuest is recommended for those who enjoy turn-based RPGs. While WrestleQuest is the first of its kind wherein it blends wrestling and turn-based combat, fans of the game genre might find WrestleQuest enjoyable with its simplistic and familiar gameplay. Even if you aren’t a fan of pro wrestling, you’ll still be able to keep up, as the game takes its time in teaching you the basics of the industry and shows why you should be invested in these athletes in trunks and tights.
Is WrestleQuest Worth It?
It’s a Fun Experience but Wait For a Sale, Por Favor
WrestleQuest might resonate with players seeking entertainment, humor, and a lighthearted gaming experience. I put my thoughts on gameplay mechanics to the side and generally found myself smiling and laughing at all the things that unfolded in the game. WrestleQuest has several cool and innovative ideas, and most importantly, a lot of heart. It’s a game that puts all its influences and love for pro wrestling and JRPG together in a fun-tastic experience. WrestleQuest offers a decent amount of content and gameplay hours for players to immerse themselves in, but I still think it’s asking for too much at $29.99.
How WrestleQuest Matches Up to Recently-Released Games
| Games That Came Out Recently | Why Get WrestleQuest? | Why Get the Other Game? |
|---|---|---|
 Sea of Stars |
The captivating and colorful characters that fill the world of WrestleQuest push the game’s narrative in a rather organic way that made the hours go by without me realizing. It’s easy to sink into WrestleQuest because of its genuine characters and simple story. If you’re in it for the characters and story, definitely pick up WrestleQuest. | Sea of Stars offers more engaging combat and variety in gameplay. Things that WrestleQuest could really improve on. If you’re a solid, hardcore JRPG player, you might find yourself a tad bit disappointed with what WrestleQuest has to offer combat-wise. |
 Bomb Rush Cyberfunk |
If you much prefer the “go here, beat those people up” formula of an RPG, then you’ll definitely get a kick out of WrestleQuest. Much of the game revolves traversing across the map to get where the action really is. | If you’re more of an explorer, and interacting with the game’s environment is what brings you joy, then you might want to pick up Bomb Rush Cyberfunk instead. It uses and incorporates its environment in the game pretty well. BRC’s backdrop is more fun and live than WrestleQuest’s toyland setting. |
How WrestleQuest Matches Up to Similar Games
| Games Similar to WrestleQuest | Why Get WrestleQuest? | Why Get the Other Game? |
|---|---|---|
 RetroMania Wrestling |
Fans of JRPGs who are looking into playing something that puts a spin on the familiar mechanics of the genre will have a heck of a time with WrestleQuest. It has a decent amount of action, fun characters, solid story, lots of references, and a comedic presence to boot. | RetroMania Wrestling is a throwback to retro wrestling games. It features a fast-paced arcade gameplay that offers a bit more challenge that can appeal to a more contemporary audience, and an actual grappling system. If you’re looking for a game that best captures the retro style feel of wrestling games, RetroMania Wrestling would be the better option. |
Game8 Reviews
WrestleQuest Product Information
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| Title | WRESTLEQUEST |
|---|---|
| Release Date | August 22, 2023 |
| Developer | Mega Cat Studios |
| Publisher | Skybound Games |
| Supported Platforms | Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, Android |
| Genre | RPG, Adventure |
| Number of Players | 1 |
| ESRB Rating | E |
| Official Website | WrestleQuest Website |
