Masks on and aerial acrobatics at the ready folks! We had the opportunity to chat with a couple of the developers behind Lucha Libre AAA: Heroes del Ring, a high-flying Mexican Lucha Libre game that looks to take wrestling and fighting games to a whole new level. Delve in to see what Mateo and Edgar have to say about this luchadore extravaganza that battles the conventions of the 'wrestling' genre. [interview after the jump]
PSi: "I have been a wrestling fan for years. To me, part of the fun of following wrestling is more about the backstage antics or the creative input it takes to have a wrestling gimmick "put over." Having an ordinary guy become a megastar doesn't happen overnight (despite what WWE would have you believe.) It takes a lot of work and passion to create personas and characters that really resonate with the crowd. That's why I love Mexican wrestlers, or Luchadors."
Lucha Libre AAA: Heroes del Ring could have been an innovative and engaging experience, but it's actually a pale and merely passable thematic imitator of better wrestling games. Should developer Immersion have a chance to learn from its mistakes and inject its next game with a hefty dose of true lucha libre speed, a host of attack variations, and more-responsive controls, a sequel could easily make its mark in the WWE-dominated world of wrestling games. As it stands, however, Lucha Libre AAA: Heroes del Ring is a missed opportunity of the highest order.
Lucha Libra does do stuff IGN likes -- pounding onscreen buttons in a tug of war for submissions is cool, it's easy to do finishers, and typing out your own signs is fun -- but it's not enough to overcome its problems. The entrances are really short, the crowd noise cuts out at weird times, and the commentary is bad. The game comes off as a half-baked attempt -- not quite sure if it wants to be a parody of luchadores with its broken English commentary or if it wants to teach you about the sport with its videos. In the end, it's just a forgettable attempt at wrestling.
Presentation - 4.5
Graphics - 6.0
Sound - 5.0
Gameplay - 5.0
Lasting Appeal - 4.5
Overall -
