Fire Pro Wrestling World review: if Tony Hawk was a wrestling game

Today, December 18th, Fire Pro Wrestling World is released as a complete game. However, it has been available through Steam early access since July, so I have played it a lot this summer.

Even to people who have played Fire Pro, it may seem bizarre to describe it like a Tony Hawk game. A better metaphor may be: Tony Hawk games are to playing with Tech Decks as Fire Pro Wrestling World is to playing with wrestling action figures.

It’s not just a fluffy description either: the gameplay is similar, although not blatantly so. In Tony Hawk, you are placed in a level where you are in motion. As you approach obstacles, you perform different moves, based on the obstacle. If it’s a halfpipe, you do a grab; clearing a gap, you do a flip; approaching a ledge, you do a grind. In Fire Pro, you are placed in a ring with an opponent. As you approach the opponent, you lock up and whoever times their move best performs that move. You similarly have 3 categories of main movesets—light, medium, and heavy, as well as a whip button, which flings the opponent to the rope or ringpost.

There’s more to Tony Hawk and Fire Pro than this, but they have similar core mechanics and gameplay loop. They are both games about having several types of moves, and performing the right move at the right time.

The biggest appeal of Fire Pro, and another reason I compare it to playing with wrestling action figures, is the customizability. Downloading created characters from Steam Workshop is very easy.

People have uploaded thousands of characters, from perfect replicas of your favorite wrestlers to Spongebob and Homer Simpson. You will find multiple versions of obscure Japanese wrestlers you’ve never heard of, and more.

Creating characters yourself can be extremely rewarding, but it is daunting. Designing characters isn’t for everyone, because it can take several hours to make one perfect. For hardcore wrestling fans though, designing a wrestler down to the moveset is a wet dream.

One last feature of this game is the in-depth ability to simulate matches between computers. This might seem boring, and I never thought I would watch simulated matches. But, the game offers a high level of customizability to a character’s psychology, such as which moves they prioritize and when. Because of this level of detail, watching simulated matches can make you feel like the booker of your own wrestling promotion, watching the matches you orchestrated.

Overall, it’s an amazing game. It might be light on features, for example, a story mode is absent and would be appreciated. But the game is $20, and the amount of depth makes all of the features that are present highly replayable. It’s a game that has no narrative, or even a sense progression, but it gives you tools to make the type of fun you want.

If you are a pro wrestling fan, or even a Tony Hawk fan, and want a game that’s $20 or less, I highly recommend Fire Pro.