Zombies and wrestling seem an unlikely mix - most zombies want to eat your brains not fight as an entertainment - but somehow this works. Opening with fiction describing the entry of zombies into the pro wrestling circuit, allowing unprecidented levels of mayhem as it is just so darn hard to destroy a zombie and attracting vast TV audiences, Chapter 1: Let the Bodies Hit the Floor talks about the lasting appeal of wrestling as a spectacle and entertainment and the addition of bloodcurdling horror that throwing zombies into the ring accomplishes.
Chapter 2: Rules of the Ring provides the game mechanics you'll need to run wrestling matches including combat moves and some new archetypes. Given that a pro wrestler is an athlete, a new Character Type, the Professional Wrestler, is outlined, leaving the standard Norms, Survivors and Inspired to take the other roles in the wrestling world. This lets you build a wrestler from the bottom up, yet is still compatible with the rest of Unisystem (although remember that pro wrestlers are somewhat larger-than-life regarding their antics in the ring). Naturally this can be applied to a zombie as much as a human being - although if you've a mind to it, you have the makings of a good simulation of wrestling even without the zombies if you fancy that. For those who want to use weapons in the ring (not, of course, legal under the rules...) a selection are provided. Speaking of rules, the rules of the ring are laid out for you along with a description of a wrestling arena. There's plenty more to help you make the bouts as excitng as possible, building up the atmosphere and engaging in plenty of role-play even during a contest as well as when the contestants are out of the ring.
Then on to the settings, beginning with Chapter 3: Babes and Barbed Wire. This is the American televised wrestling circuit with all the show-biz and larger-than-life contenders we know, but with the added twist of zombies. The campaign involves a touring show with an unscrupulous owner. This is followed by Chapter 4: Legendary Masked Men which moves south of the border to explore Mexican lucha libre wrestling. As luchadores are more athlete than body-builder, the fighting styles differ as does the whole style of the campaign: more ring-based with less role-play outside of combat. The last major setting comes in Chapter 5: Land of the Undead Rising Sun, where the zombies take up Japanese-style professional wrestling, a hardcore style that makes the ones explored previously look safe, tame even. These fellows are not martial artists, they are vicious brawlers. With demonic influence beind some, they only get worse. Each provides backstory and a reason for why there are zombies around at all, as well as a cammpaign outline. A further four mini-settings are presented in Chapter 6: And in this Very Ring.
As a wrestling game alone - particularly with the American pro-wrestling setting - this provides an excellent resource, and when you add in zombies (however made) it just adds to the fun. Particularly good for a mix of no-holds-barred brawling and role-playing, that American setting is the one to go for... if it's just the combat you want, the other two are fine as well.
Return to Zombie Smack Down! page.
Reviewed: 13 June 2017
