I remember reading once that the first issue of Official Nintendo Magazine UK (at the time called Nintendo Magazine System) nearly didn't make it to print on time due to the entire staff being absolutely hooked on the original Mario Kart. It is also alleged that Nine Inch Nail's follow-up to The Downward Spiral was put on the back burner due to Trent Reznor's Quake habit. Current king of the nerds Henry Cavill famously missed the phone call telling him he got the Superman gig because he was playing World of Warcraft.

Anyway, this issue almost didn't happen because of Elden fucking Ring.

Worked Shoot.

The latest WWE2K game has just been released and is getting some surprisingly good reviews. It has been a consistently terrible series for over a decade, with the odd good review coinciding with the reviewer being sent to Wrestlemania on THQ's dime before the series changed hands. It still sold a boatload, however, because they had a captive audience. It wasn't just the only WWE game on the market - for the longest time, it was the only wrestling game, full stop. It had a lot of cool ideas - the ability to basically change the entire roster into a custom-built one from user-created content is genuinely impressive - but the game itself was either incredibly bland or extremely buggy and, in the case of the infamous 2020 release, both.

So, curiosity got the better of me because I'm super into the idea of replacing all the wrestlers with the AEW roster and, despite the much improved reviews and some real positivity within them, there was always a line that instantly put me off.

The absolute last thing I want in a pro wrestling game is it to be anything like a fighting game. Let's not mess around here - it simply isn't going to hold a candle to anything Tekken, Street Fighter or King of Fighters now, so why do I want a fighting game that features WWE characters? The game clearly isn't balanced, as they literally have a rating next to them. In a competitive setting, why wouldn't you pick Brock Lesnar or whoever has the top rating score? I want a wrestling game that captures the essence of pro wrestling, not just the look of it. This certainly looks the part but you don't see people going for pins other than the finish. You don't see matches swing backwards and forward organically because both players are TRYING to WIN.

Wrestling isn't about that.

I've written something similar before, over on Midnight Resistance, but as I found out this week that site has been down for what is likely a while now and my work doesn't appear to have been backed up. My general stance in that article hasn't changed. For me, pro wrestling is more like a cooperative dance and that the pre-determined nature of the outcome shouldn't be a hindrance when it comes to game development but in fact a real bonus.

You should be able to sit down with your friend (or get in a lobby online, whatever) and decide on a winner between the two of you, externally from the game. Imagine then having to 'work' a match, creating the appropriate ebbs and flows in the atmosphere, making the crowd cheer and boo to build things to a crescendo.

I'd love a game where you're essentially told what to do by a virtual 'booker' and have to 'perform' as part of a match on a show. Give the player a button to kick out of a pin, no matter what. Give them a button to tap out, no matter what. Allow the player to shape their own epic battles in the ring and get a score based on crowd reaction. The better the reaction, the more popular you become. For balance, you can't just go all out, hitting your big stuff like you're headlining the Tokyo Dome in an opening match on AEW Dark because you can factor in things like burnout and then injuries, which will keep you on the virtual shelf. Out of sight, out of mind. While you're recovering, you're not in matches and your fanbase could dwindle.

Imagine working in a virtual promotion and building up your popularity to the point where you're main eventing Wrestlemania and then being told by the virtual booker "You're going over tonight, kid". What a thrill that would be, for the more discerning wrestling fan.

The main issue with this idea is three-fold. First of all, it would require a very clear and honest admission of the worked nature of the pro wrestling business. Yes, I know, it's 2022 and EVERYONE knows but its still a bit of an unwritten rule to not just outright say "yeah it's not a real fight". I don't think there's any modern promotion that would agree to that.

Which brings us nicely onto the second point. Much like FIFA, the WWE 2K games aren't about simulating the sport, they're about simulating the very homogenised, big budget TV presentation. They're more concerned with the bells and whistles of making it look EXACTLY like the weekly shows than presenting an interesting and unique videogame. It is this accuracy of presentation which sells the game because it certainly hasn't been the fucking playing of the thing that has done that for years.

That's the final thing - sales. It's a concept that likely only appeals to the hardcore wrestling fan and, although there's a fair crossover between them and videogame fans, there's a hell of a lot of kids who don't care about any of this stuff and just want to be Rey Mysterio. That's a lot of money to leave on the table because you're making a game for a fat, bearded r/SquaredCircle dweller.

It seems like it's the kind of thing that would be best served by an indie developer but then they're going to be going in without any licenses, which are what help sell these games. Even Fire Pro got NJPW involved. I originally wrote that article a good seven, eight years ago now and we're no closer. Hell, we're no closer to beating Virtual Pro Wrestling 2.

Recommended: Paradise Killer

Something that has become a real key part in games I love over the last few years is when I feel there's a sense of freedom to the way I approach the game's core objective. Obviously, Breath of the Wild is the clear example here, showcasing how removing the training wheels that are bolted onto every open world game and tossing away the usual main quest/side mission structure instantly makes a game feel fresh and rewarding to play, but thinking about it, there’s so many more examples. Hotline Miami, allowing you to choose a mask to vary your play style when high score hunting, as opposed to the limited options of the sequel, which forced you to stick to specific masks on specific stages. Dark Souls 2 - the black sheep of the From Software family - allows you to chop and change your build with remarkable ease, making any type of playthrough viable and interesting. It's no surprise that merging all of that stuff into Breath of the Wild-esque exploration resulted in the masterpiece that is Elden Ring.

The genius behind Paradise Killer is this element of freedom. You’re tasked with figuring out who killed the members of the council, responsible for ruling with near godlike power over a series of islands, each getting closer to paradise, with the next one, Island 25, set to be the one that achieves this perfection. How you go about doing this is entirely down to you - explore, speak to characters, find evidence in basically any order you wish. Take it at your own pace and relax. It’s a paradise, after all.

Exploring the world is a real treat. Kaizen Gameworks manage to put themselves in fairly elite company by performing this little thing I really love to see, but very few developers truly pull it off, where you find yourself thinking “there’s absolutely no way the devs would have thought that I would explore this area, I’m breaking the game a bit here” only to quickly realise they’re a whole two steps ahead of you, with a cleverly placed item or reference point. Or, in a few cases, an important, hidden piece of evidence. Once you’ve had your first moment like this, you realise quickly that no exploration is a waste of time and you need to free up your thinking - why stick to the beaten path?

There’s also the case itself - the game never explicitly tells you whodunnit and, in fact, the only thing it does tell you is that you can call the courtroom whenever you want and point the finger at whoever you wish. Obviously, the more you explore and more evidence you find will give you a more concrete belief as to who you're accusing of the mass murder that has taken place but are you correct? Is your hunch enough to go on? Is there a canonically RIGHT answer to any of this? Regardless, that little conversation with Judge right at the start of the game is enough to plant those seeds of doubt in your mind and, in turn, get you thinking with much more freedom.

Anyway, Paradise Killer was my GOTY in 2019 and it is now available on PS4/5 and on Game Pass, so if you've got that there's no excuse not to give this one a go.

OTHER STUFF WORTH LOOKING AT THIS WEEK IN ONE SENTENCE.

SHREDDERS - Simplistic, low-budget but realistic snowboarding that offers the chance to showcase some complex trick skills and relaxing free-riding down powder-covered mountains.

Final Fantasy XII - A pal who is playing it for the first time reminded me that the 'gambit' combat system in this is absolutely wonderful and is the backbone for a fantastic JRPG which has - whisper it - actually fun grinding.

Alien Soldier - A rock solid and really creative shooter by the masters of the genre at Treasure, now part of Nintendo Switch Online's Megadrive library.