5. Its Essentially Monday Night Wars: The Game
Before we get started, lets talk about WWE 2ks popular WWE Universe mode. Its a simulation of the WWE Calendar, with match-making, run-ins, PPVs to participate in, and other neat little tidbits. Its quite a lot of fun...if youre playing with someone. By yourself, universe mode feels like being 21 years old and breaking out the old Power Rangers toys for a little Zord-on-Zord street-fight action. You feel stupid because youre not accomplishing anything and dont have much of a goal or contextual purpose - it's a lonely playground. Booking Revolution on the other hand is an obstacle course. It's similar to universe mode in many ways, but adds a business management element that gives everything a concrete context - namely trying to make money and rise in the TV ratings. To put it another way, if Universe Mode is Antiques Roadshow, Booking Revolution is Pawn Stars. You take control of one of six promotions in competition with each other, and fight to become the king of Sports Entertainment by booking weekly shows and monthly PPVs, bringing in the right talent, managing egos, finances, and wrestler requests in order to put on the best show possible. It's fantastically compelling because you're constantly under the gun to deliver a profitable and well-wrestled show. Rising up the ratings earns you more money and popularity (allowing you sign better wrestlers), but also increases wrestler contract demands and audience expectations - and you'll struggle to cut bait with a long tenured and popular wrestler as his quote gets too high to keep you at a comfortable profit margin. The promotions owner is also lingering, eager to throw a request or suggestion your way that you MUST completed. Toss in
other owners eager to invade your shows and poach your talent, dozens of random interstitial happenings and events - like wrestlers getting arrested or forgetting their ring gear, and you have yourself an Attitude Era simulator in the palm of your hand.