The story of indie grappler 5 Star Wrestling is an appropriate one, given its subject matter; it’s spent years in development, and is now finally ready to make its way onto the big stage.
And, much like its real-life indie wrestler counterparts, Serious Parody’s title will find itself swimming with the sharks when it officially arrives on the PlayStation Network next week.
Promising a fresh take on the pro wrestling genre, which, just like in real life, has been monopolised by WWE in recent years, 5 Star Wrestling is a game that has been highly anticipated by both casual and hardcore grappling fans alike since its original announcement back in 2013.
Developed by a team made up of passionate wrestling fans, the title’s primary focus is, according to a press release sent out earlier today, to “create intense drama in the ring through use of innovative gameplay mechanics mixed with a selection of cherry-picked features from classic wrestling games”.
Dan Hinkles, founder and CEO of Serious Parody, said: “We’ve been working on 5 Star Wrestling for years and are excited to share our vision of what makes a great wrestling game with PlayStation 3 gamers around the world. 5 Star is built upon true ring psychology with heel and face mechanics, a revolutionary limb damage system and rivalries that impact gameplay. This game is our tribute to the genre and if you are now or ever have been a wrestling game fan, 5 Star Wrestling was made for you!”
The title features a 40-hour challenge campaign with over 120 challenges and 400 objectives, and features a parodical eight-character roster made up of (almost) familiar names and faces, such as Ragnabrok ‘The Conqueror’, ‘Raging’ Andy Organ, and HarVee Dee – all of whom come complete with their own hilarious sound-alike entrance music.
5 Star Wrestling will release exclusively on PS3 next Tuesday, March 17 (in North America) and Wednesday, March 18 (in Europe and Australia), priced at $24.99. Will you be picking it up? Let us know in the comments section below.