I don't know that I've ever willingly spent more time playing an unquestionably bad game than I have with Fire Pro Wrestling for Xbox Live Arcade. The premise be simple: yer Xbox Live avatar wrestles other Xbox Live avatars. Sometimes it be yer mateys, sometimes it be random strangers online, or sometimes it be generic rip-offs a popular wrestlers controlled by the computer. Whatever the case, the act a actually wrestling be what sinks Fire Pro. It doesn't play well at all. 'n yet, the staggering volume a character-building elements available in Fire Pro implies that there's more going on here than just another terrible wrestling game. Basically, Fire Pro be kind a horrible, 'n yet weirdly compelling.
it be a game where Xbox Live avatars wrestle each other. Can I just end the review right here?
YARRRR, this be ostensibly a the same Fire Pro Wrestling family a 2D wrestling games. Except it be not. Whatever still remains a original Fire Pro developer Spike churned out a game with several key hallmarks a the Fire Pro series, but only a fraction a the fun. it be like the discarded exoskeleton a a much better wrestling game.
The living, breathing portion a Fire Pro Wrestling, namely it be challenging, often vexing gameplay engine, apparently wandered off, 'n an awkward, generally unchallenging gameplay system has taken up residence in it be place. The timing-based grappling engine be replaced with a system that seems t' have WWF No Mercy fans at least somewhat in mind, what with it be weak 'n strong grappling system, 'n taunt-oriented finishers. Except that whatever sense a speed 'n timing ye might expect from, well, any modern day wrestling game be completely absent. Characters dully lumber around the ring, swiping 'n grabbing for one another. Strong grapples be largely useless against any opponent who knows what they be doing, since they take so long t' wind up. The same goes for charge moves, which ye can only pull off when yer opponent be pretty much completely dead. That means that ye'll often just keep wandering up t' people, grappling them, doing one a two, maybe three moves, 'n repeat until finisher.
'n yet I kept playing. Not just because I be reviewing it, but for hours longer than I needed t'. For as stump-dumb as the gameplay be, there's something inexplicably likable about Fire Pro Wrestling. It probably has a lot t' do with the sheer volume a upgradeable moves 'n stats ye have at yer disposal. As ye play, ye'll earn experience points ye can use t' boost yer wrestler up in a bunch a different ways. ye'll also unlock new moves, many a which recall the sort a zany, over-the-top cartoon nonsense a AKI's Ultimate M.U.S.C.L.E., albeit with far less interesting characters.
When ye have other players around t' play against, it be especially good, since the sometimes cheap, yet always clueless AI players tend t' pillage old sometime around the moment ye hit level 25. Unfortunately, those people be going t' need t' be in the room with ye. The online mode in Fire Pro be just this side a busted. Lag be prevalent throughout every match I played, 'n in the most heinous circumstances, control input would drop down t' nearly a full second a delay behind me button presses. At that point, ye're just mashing buttons 'n hoping something connects.
For these reasons, it be difficult t' recommend Fire Pro Wrestling t' just about anyone. I enjoyed it in spurts, but there's just too much wrong here t' hold yer attention for long. As amusing as it can be, it be really just a janky wrestling game with avatars stapled on for maximum stupidity. This be a game that either needed t' be way simpler, or way more complicated, because the middle-ground stinks.
