@TravMoody
FIRE PRO WRESTLING WORLD (Spike Chunsoft – PS4, Steam – August 9 in Japan, August 28 in N. America) – I finally get to play Fire Pro Wrestling. The famed pro wrestling simulation, a series that has been around for almost 30-years (pretty insane, although it’s been about 13-years since the last entry, Fire Pro Returns) is coming to the PS4, and ya boy Moody will have his hands on the console this Fall. Besides just wanting to add Sony’s 5+ year system to my home entertainment for its high-powered exclusives like Spider-Man and The Last of Us II, everyone knows my favorite hobby (even above gaming!) is wrasslin’ — so being able to play Fire Pro over that annual WWEeeeK my Ringside homie Lauro is previewing down below is a major plus.
The biggest plus of having Spike Chunsoft’s FPWW come to the PS4 is the new relationship with New Japan Pro Wrestling. While the Physical Edition Pre-Order bonus, an NJPW Directory, has 28 wrestlers on the cover, there’s no word yet on how many will actually be included. Players lucky enough to score the Premium Edition (only available in Japan right now) will receive 4 Kinnikuman/M.U.S.C.L.E. figures, and a Los Ingobernables de Japon x Fire Pro Wrestling World collab t-shirt and towel. 9800 yen? Someone tell my girlfriend.
Fire Pro Wrestling is best known for its tough, yet rewarding in-game mechanics and ultra extensive customization. While 2K is no slouch when it comes to create-a-wrestlers, move and match options, there’s hundreds and hundreds of authentic parts and elements in FPW that will hot tag nerds in creating every wrestling move.. ever. You want fuckin’ deathmatches, you’ll have fuckin’ deathmatches: you’ll be able to shout E-C-Dub while booking Deadpool and Sandman in a barbwire/landmine match. Marks can create a multitude of tournaments, leagues, and battle royals in addition to the New Japan Story Mode, career mode and roster included in the season pass/DLC. And here’s to hoping that the PSN will have a system in line similar to the Steam Workshop to maximize customizing, theme songs and create-a-belt/ring/wrestler downloading. Too sweet.
-Travis Moody
@Cheeky_Basterds
WWE 2K19 (Visual Concepts/Yukes/2K Games – PS4, X1, PC, Switch – October 2018) – In this life only death and taxes are guaranteed. Well that– and the annual 2K entry of its wrestling franchise. Last year’s entry saw better graphics, the Hardy Boyz, and the brand split with their own events. So what can we expect going into 2019? 2K does not really start delving into the games mechanics until around August so all we have is a wishlist and some bitching and moaning for your pleasure.
Despite the series being a mostly disappointing one ever since Stone Cold went missing from the cover, 2K Games hasn’t had much of a reason to change up their formula; you’ll have the exhibition mode, universe, creation mode suite, and maybe another arduous career mode. That being said, there is one thing fans been pining for since the days of Smackdown vs Raw: GM Mode, especially with the brand split and dueling GM’s, now would be a good as a time than ever to bring it back and completely scrap the career mode which hasn’t lived to its expectations in the last iterations.
GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT 2K!!! That or they just screw us with a Big Dawg Mode where you play major PPV matches against a super OP Roman Reigns with no possible way of reversing Superman Punches and his Spear is super effective. As for E3, don’t expect much. In fact, GHG’s four critics haven’t heard a peep from 2K Publishing at all concerning the big show. In years past, the most action a WWE 2K title got was in 2016 when Rob Schamberger painted some roster reveals on the walls of 2K’s E3 floorspace. Maybe this year 2K ought to send Braun Strowman over to the Bandai Namco booth so Fire Pro‘s public relations people can “GET THESE HANDS”!
-Lauro Rojas