15 Best Wrestling Games Of All Time

11. EWR Revenge

EWR Revenge
Adam Ryland

From in-ring button mashing to text-based contemplation.

Those who fell in love with Adam Ryland's Extreme Warfare Revenge series in 2002 will understand. Those who have no earthly clue what the hell they're staring at above won't. If that's you, then do yourself a favour and look into the EWR series or the latter day TEW one. These simulation games are still going strong, but it's EWR that takes the mic to cut a Hall Of Fame promo here.

Everything about EWR's base game is unofficial. The promotions are made-up, wrestlers (whilst often based on real-life counterparts) are fictional etc etc. However, download various packs from editors online and you'd literally be able to play booker for modern-day WWE, AEW and more. In a beautiful turn of events, those editors also set about the task of recreating entire eras/years.

Want to be Eric Bischoff and turn WCW into a success in 1993? Go for it. Think you could do a better job with 'Attitude' than Vince McMahon in 1998? Give it a try. It was even possible to assume control of smaller promotions like ROH in 2002 and turn them into WWE-beaters over time. The fun was/is endless, and that's what makes EWR so great. 

Backstage politics, TV ratings, pay-per-view buyrates, feud chemistry, match quality, hirings, firings, contract negotiations, real-world events affecting business - all of it was included. Yes, players have to use a bit of imagination and there's no visual match engine to speak of, but EWR remains a thrilling sim experience every hardcore fan should check out.

This one would even put it above the more modern TEW titles.

Contributor

Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.