Professional wrestling video games have predominantly focused on replicating the excitement of in-ring action since the sport's first virtual steps. Some have taken wrestling into new worlds entirely, such as Guacamelee's lucha libre take on the Metroid-Vania blueprint and the upcoming WrestleQuest RPG. Rumbleverse is the newest member of this experimental group, built with an obvious admiration for professional wrestling and injecting the spandex and baby oil into the battle royale genre. Whilst it's probably not going to be usurping Fortnite or Call of Duty: Warzone's place at the top, developers Iron Galaxy have created an incredibly fun foundation that with the right support could flourish into something beautiful.
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The Vibrant World of Rumbleverse
For players versed in battle royales, Rumbleverse treads a familiar path. Forty players are dropped across a map, then duke it out on the ever-shrinking battlefield to crown a single champion. Upon booting up for the first time, it is abundantly apparent that Iron Galaxy has settled on a firm identity for Rumbleverse, situating its cartoonish-looking 'rumblers' in Grapital City, a metropolis dedicated to the spectacle of professional wrestling.
Exploring a city scape is nothing new in gaming, with big open cities having been a staple of the medium since the early 2000s. So many titles end up creating rather bland and plain settlements, but with Rumbleverse, Grapital City has been meticulously designed, imbued with the spirit of professional wrestling from its foundations. Streets are populated with tongue in cheek gags on the testosterone fueled world of the squared circle, with billboards for protein and gyms, bench presses at bus stops, and a personal favorite being one skyscraper simply called "The Body Building".
Rather than choosing from a selection of skins to coat your characters in like other battle royales, Rumbleverse offers a more detail customization mode. Clearly understanding that building your own grapplers is one of the most fun parts of wrestling games, Rumbleverse allows players to choose their avatar's build and dress them up with a selection of clothing options, from traditional wrestling singlets and tights to zanier options like a full chicken suit.
Though Rumbleverse doesn't exactly venture into unexplored territory with its cartoon-ish aesthetic, its genuinely impressive how good the game looks. Grapital City and the rumblers themselves are all polished, whilst slams, collisions and wall climbing leave their mark on the world, all of it a demonstration of just how much care has gone into building Rumbleverse.
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Learning A New Hold
When putting 'pro wrestling + battle royale' down on paper, a question that jumps out immediately is how does combat work? Melee combat has rarely worked well in a battle royale setting, with the heavy hitters like Fortnite, Warzone, Apex Legends and PUBG all having gunplay at their core. The answer that Rumbleverse has come up with is surprisingly satisfying.
In Rumbleverse, players have a basic moveset that can be enhanced with loot. Upon landing in game, players can perform basic attacks like simple strikes, running dropkicks and elbow drops, as well as some 'Vicious Attacks'. These act as Rumbleverse's heavier hitting but harder to execute moves, needing to catch an enemy just right to land. Things get interesting when adding in Special Attacks. As well as finding weapons like baseball bats and steel chairs, players will find magazines and textbooks that will teach them new moves which can then be equipped, possessing a maximum of two at a time. This is another area where Rumbleverse's love for wrestling comes out. In this first iteration of the game, the loot pool includes crunching strikes like huge uppercuts and superkicks, powerful grapples like chokeslams and Castagnoli-esque swings, to even thinks like poison mist and a rocket jump, launching you into the air ready to drop an elbow from the heavens.
A genius idea implemented into Rumbleverse is the use of Perks. As you deal damage to opponents, you score more points towards unlocking a new perk in that round. In addition to pushing a more aggressive playstyle, rewarding the brave and the bold, these perks have a noticeable effect on gameplay. Some offer passive boosts like reduced stamina costs and added damage, whilst some offer the ability to rest and regain health, truly changing the game.
Rather than mashing buttons to pull off all the best moves, Rumbleverse requires a more thoughtful approach. As well as managing a stamina meter, players can block strikes and dodge away from grapples, adding some things to consider when squaring off with a foe. In the early hours of Rumbleverse, getting to grips with fighting tactics can be somewhat frustrating when moves don't connect, or you can't block in time, sometimes feeling like you are getting squashed by an opponent hitting move after move. But, most of the time, you come out of a skirmish evaluating and learning, thinking of what you could have done better and how to up your game next time.
When Rumbleverse's combat clicks, it clicks big. There are few things in gaming more satisfying than standing on a building, spotting two players fighting on the street below and landing a perfect 30ft elbow drop on them both, or a suplex bouncing off of a car roof and launching the throw an extra city block, KOing an opponent on impact.
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The Final Verdict
Many games have entered the 'games-as-a-service' sphere over the past few years, with more floundering than truly succeeding. A title doesn't need to be a monumental hit like Fortnite, with the gaming landscape supporting numerous multiplayer communities. For Rumbleverse, it definitely has the potential to carve out a niche for itself in the ecosystem.
With its first season dropping on August 18, coming with a battlepass that modern gamers are well accustomed to, developers Iron Galaxy has its eyes set on Rumbleverse being a long term project. As of review, this is very much 'Rumbleverse 1.0', with more depth sure to come as more content is added. But, with this launch version being the most stripped back and basic iteration, it truly demonstrates just how fun Rumbleverse is to play. Even without a list of weekly challenges to tick off or a battlepass to level up and grind through, the end of one round always conjures the desire for another. For every instance where a battle with another player leaves me frustrated, there are five instances of Rumbleverse setting up some of the most hype multiplayer moments in recent gaming memory.
Straddling the worlds of battle royales and pro wrestling, Rumbleverse probably won't be for everyone. However, if you land in Grapital City prepared for a wrestling-wrapped battle royale, rather than an in-depth wrestling simulation, you are bound to find a good time.
Rumbleverse Rating: 4/5
Game reviewed on PlayStation 5.
