Total Extreme Wrestling IX
Developer: Grey Dog Software
Publisher: Grey Dog Software
Platforms: PC
Release Date: Available Now
Price: $34.99 – Available Here
Overview
Years ago, I found Total Extreme Wrestling while forum-surfing. It was a text-driven game where you could be the booker for a federation, and watch results simulate week after week. The game was pretty big online and even used to ultimately influence the much less interesting “GM Mode” that modern wrestling games would adopt. Over 20 years later, this little game is now out with its 9th iteration. How does it fare all of these years later with Total Extreme Wrestling IX? Let’s find out.
Story
You dream it, you build it. That’s the core thought process behind the narratives that happen here, as players are greeted with a full cast of original characters they can use to create an entire wrestling universe. From major organizations to the independents, TEW IX allows you take control of literally anyone, book matches and literally influence the entire wrestling scene through trades, shows, ratings, and so on. Yeah, this game is a lot, but the stories inside are rather clever, where injuries and other life events quickly change how you must think and strategize as you attempt to book your way to success. If your new here, this can be never-ending, or you can set your own goals to go until you feel satisfied. That said, there is something super-addicting about the formula once you make the plunge, as I spent hours into the night clicking away in this little toolbox.
Gameplay
Total Extreme Wrestling IX is easy enough to understand, but a lot to actually get started with. Everything is customizable. Everything. From the show names, to the talent, to the gimmicks, and so on. It’s almost a bit too complex as I feel I took longer to create my base of what I wanted than I did with the core game itself in some ways. Think of it as a giant menu where each show has a ton of options. Finances, creative, ratings, health reports, titles. It’s a lot for just running one show at a time, and sometimes the drop-down menu interface feels a bit archaic to understand due to the heavy amount of depth and options. Patient and imaginative players are rewarded, however, as there are limitless possibilities once you jump in and once it “clicks”, it’s hard to put down for a minute.
As a person who has not played this franchise in over a decade, I was pleasantly surprised with how everything almost felt the same. Sure, there are new features like a touted streamlined interface and so on, but there is something very satisfying to an older player like myself of how accessible the menu system still feels, as if no time has passed. That said, there have also been a ton of improvements elsewhere in the market over the years, and part of me wonders if this old engine would be a lot more accessible for others if it was simplified and overhauled for a younger market, as I see this being far from accessible to a new player.
It seems booking logic was a big thing this year, and that really does show. The world-building is incredible with how well each federation interacts by the moves you make, and its pretty neat seeing a nobody you create turn into a big deal, where their demand slowly becomes a centerpiece of the wrestling universe inside here. Kind of like fire-pro, this release is only as good as its community however, as mods really make it feel real, with the ability to fully customize an entire roster and federation with pre-loaded picture sets and talent that come with everything you know them from the actual product. It took a second, but after what may have been ten minutes I was able to load up some amazing creations, many of which I plan on returning to as I relive my own history in wrestling with this hefty sim.
Audio
I know this is more of a tool than a game, but there isn’t a lot of music to speak of here. I kind of feel that the lack of sound takes away a fun element of wrestling as music has such a role with identity, but alas, that’s just not what this product is built to do.
Visuals
The blue backdrop in Total Extreme Wrestling IX made me feel at home again as if I was yet again in my late teens and trying to build factions all over again from years ago. That said, there isn’t a lot of flash or style to speak of, even though the visuals have improved. Mods can certainly add some life to this, but again, this is more of a creative tool than it is a video game in the standard sense. How that reflects on the player is up to them.
Overall
Part of me wants to critique Total Extreme Wrestling IX as it has changed but still feels like that same program from years and years ago, despite its immense depth. That would be unfair, though. This is an amazing way to soak hours of your own creativity into, and the limitless options and ease of navigation make for one of the only real ways to truly play any sort of “GM Mode” correctly, as this title just overshadows all other experiences. It may be the 9th instalment, but Grey Dog has something truly special here, and hopefully it will continue to see refinement and life in the community to keep it around for another couple of decades. This is still the undisputed wrestling booker, and no one else is even close to touching what this simulator can do.
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