Fire Pro Wrestling World PS4 Review: 5 Ups & 2 Downs

4. A More Strategic Approach

FPWW comes with quite the learning curve for anyone new to the series, particularly when it comes to the game's bread and butter: the in-ring action.

This is an entirely different beast to any other wrestling game franchise. Bouts are strategic, methodical, and focused. While other developers preach this, Fire Pro actually practices it, and prosperity in this game requires mastery of a far more complex set of mechanics than the simple, charming visuals insinuate.

Grappling needs to be timed, while distance and angles need to be judged when striking. There's a specific button assigned to catching your breath between moves. You can't just charge out of the gates and empty your wrestler's gas tank within the first few minutes either, because you will lose. The list goes on.

These intricacies mean FPWW takes several hours to get used to, and that's a good thing. This is the most rewarding wrestling simulator out there, because once you get the hang of it and start chaining moves together like a pro, the sense of satisfaction is immense. Its complete lack of hand-holding creates a true, hardcore experience, and that palpable sense of progression as you move towards mastery is one of the series' biggest strengths.