The best wrestling game franchise makes it first appearance on the US home console with Fire Pro Wrestling Returns. Released on the PS2, FPWR continue the tradition of great gameplay and tons of customizations. Unfortunately, the game is lacking preventing the game from being so much better than it is.
As with all Fire Pro games, you have a lot of wrestlers already created for you with many more options available to create your own wrestlers. This time around, customization is increased in how much and what you can make. The increase comes from the amount of detail available on character models. More moves have been added to correspond with the increase of moves that have been seen in pro wrestling. With such a big choice, it's easy to make whatever wrestler you can think of. Then there's the federation/logo creation letting you pick who you want in your fed, and even decide if they'll be a face or heel(good or bad).
When it comes to the wrestling, FPWR still sets the standard for wrestling games. Its simple concept of using weak, medium, and strong attack combined with the timing of the grappling system still is better than what's out right now. Although the timing of the grappling system takes time to learn, it simply works. Granted this raises the learning curve and causes some frustration, but making it so simple in comparison to the over complicated games out there makes the game both fun and rewarding.
Some new additions come in the form of new match types. Death matches were made popular in Japan so seeing them added to the game is no surprise. These matches include the use of florecent lights, barbed wire, and of course, bombs. Yup that's right, if you choose the match, there will be explosions that go off whenever you through your opponents outside the ring. What's a shame is that with the increase of match types there wasn't a true single player mode. You can create leagues and tournament to keep the action going, but there's no real mode that offers both a challenge and reason to complete it.
Even though the game is on the PS2, FPWR continues with the 2d action. The character models are some of the best looking and most detailed ever for a FPW game. People maybe turned off by the 2d graphics but it just works better. Like other FPW games, the audio is limited to theme music and the audience reactions. Both are still good but it does leave much to be wanted.
On a final note, I love the Fire Pro Wrestling series but Fire Pro Wrestling Returns does not have much to make you want to keep the game. It reminds of back in the day when wrestling games didnt have a story mode. While it's all in good fun, there's just not a big reason to make you continue playing. Yeah it's fun if you got some wrestling buddies and do some multiplayer action, but after that, you don't have much to go on by yourself.
Score - 7.7/10.0
- O.G.
article id: 150 | poster: OG
