A few days back, we posted an interview with Guillermo Averbuj, project lead at Sabarasa, the team handling the Wii and PSP versions of Lucha Libre AAA: Heroes del Ring. Now, we bring you the same questions answered by Mateo Rojas, Project Designer for Immersion, who is handling the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions.

Gamervision: For those who don’t know, and don’t feel like doing the research, can you give a basic overview of actual Lucha Libre?

Mateo Rojas: Lucha Libre has been a characteristic sport for Mexico since the mid 1900’s, and since then, it has evolved into a huge show with tons of fans that assist the “Luchas” once or twice a week. So luchadores in Mexico are not only the person behind the mask, but also the character they have built around themselves. They have fans, and are respected (or hated) according to their actions in the ring, but also, the characters themselves come to life, as it is common to see a masked Luchador in a bar, or carrying out day to day activities. It is essential for the luchadores to continually have interaction with their crowd, as the crowd gives life to their characters, but also, on the other side of the coin, there is the Lucha itself. In wrestling, luchadores can either be aligned to Tecnico (the good and fair ones), or Rudos (the bad and cheating ones), and they can develop a huge array of movements, being characteristic for the Mexican wrestling the ones that are aerial, which are spectacular and lightening fast. So, Lucha Libre is pretty complex. It´s not only 2, 3 or 4 people in the ring beating each other, it is a huge spectacle. The crowd plays an essential part. The luchadores are complex characters that fight for the good or bad (almost heroic figures). There are dynasties of luchadores whose family members has fought in a ring for almost half a century.  Lucha Libre is a lot of fun. There are comic characters, even “exotic ones”, and last but not least, Lucha Libre also have a fantasy element, as there are luchadores that put their integrity and health at risk by developing spectacular, acrobatic and dangerous movements in the ring!   

Gamervision: Now, to the obvious question, but why make a game based on Lucha Libre?

Mateo Rojas: Are you kidding? A game in which you take command of a legend (or create one), interact and gain the sympathy from the crowd, punish and humiliate your rival, respect the rules and go with the good guys, or break the rules and go with the bad ones, visit popular and colorful environments with charisma filled characters, taunting opponents and the crowd and have a good time with other people either offline or online. With all those reasons, I think the question should be, why NOT make a game based on the Lucha Libre?

Gamervision: How did the team take advantage of the entertainment side?

Mateo Rojas: Lucha Libre has so many fun and entertaining elements that it was relatively easy for us to make a list of those elements. The problem came to translating those elements to gameplay, but we think we did quite well. The interaction with the crowd, making fun of the rivals, developing outstanding and irrationally risky movements, as well as balancing characters whose signature move may or may not be an aerial attack. All those elements are part of the gameplay, and we are quite happy about it, because those elements give Lucha Libre some distance from the traditional wrestling, which based only in damaging the rival. Don´t be confused, although injuring the rival is an important element in order to win the match, it is also important that in the process you entertain yourself (and the audience).  As you taunt, you unlock moves as the match progresses.

Gamervision: How does the gameplay work?

Mateo Rojas: In Lucha Libre AAA: Héroes del Ring you have trigger buttons that initiates either weak or strong grapples, as well as jabs, kicks and advanced moves such as aerial hits, and buttons to develop taunts to gain the attention of the crowd , as well as all the types of gameplay elements that you’d expect from typical wrestling titles. However, in Lucha Libre you always have to be aware of the attention that the crowd. The crowd gives your character the ability to unlock signature moves. Popularity is essential in order to develop moves, make finishers or even wining or losing a match. There are other factors like the character´s alignment, the match rules, or even the type of wrestling that the character uses. There is also a speed giving counter system. These are all important parts in the gameplay system, but we do not want to ruin the surprise.

Gamervision: Masks are obviously an important part of the sport – how are they worked into the game? Was there ever a time where they were more than cosmetic?

Mateo Rojas: Since the first masked Luchador appeared in the Mexican Lucha Libre, masks has been a trademark for the sport. In the Luchas, masks are not only an accessory for those who have one of them. They represent the personality of the Luchador, and even honor him.  Some masks are inherited from parents or relatives that were famous to a previous generation. In Mexican Lucha Libre, when a mask vs. hair match is set, the participants (usually two luchadores that have a long lasting rivalry) bet not only the match itself, but also their mask or their hair. Betting your mask or hair means that the Luchador is betting their names, career, their honor and even their own character.  Losing means that the luchadores cannot use their created character for wrestling for another 7 years. In the game, we wanted to give masks the same importance that they have in real life, so we have an editor with tons of possibilities. You can create the mask (and personality) of your Luchador; give it a name through matches, and even create rivalries online and put your character’s mask or hair at risk by entering a hair vs. mask match. Don’t worry! although you can lose your mask or hair during this match, you can get the opportunity to create a new one after you win at least three online ranked matches.    



Gamervision: Can the fighters leave the ring or go out into the crowd?

Mateo Rojas: Yes, luchadores can go out and re-enter the ring anytime they want (taking care of not being eliminated by the traditional count outside). In fact, you may be able to gain popularity by wrestling outside or in the ring vary according to your alignment (you can either be a Luchador Tecnico - face or a Rudo - heel), so the possibility of playing outside the ring can be turned into a playing strategy. On the other hand, luchadores cannot trespass the barrier with the crowd, although they will have to interact with them all the time as popularity plays an essential part of the gameplay and can easily determine the results of a match.   Sometimes, people in the crowd will have items like a chair you can use in your match. So you must pay attention to the crowd.

Gamervision: Some of the moves seem to be extremely over the top, are they all based on actual maneuvers, or are any of them more on the impossible side?

Mateo Rojas: Well, all the movements in the game are based on real Lucha Libre ones, and we have taken special care to assign them to the luchadores that perform them as they are movements that goes along with their personality and wrestling style. Nevertheless, we have done some modifications on the speed and aerial movements in order to make the gameplay faster, more entertainment and theatrical, as well as a little arcade imprint for the game.  

Gamervision: Have you been working with luchadores? How has their reaction to the game been? Any big name fighters resist being associated?

Mateo Rojas: We have been working with lots of real Mexican luchadores (including, of course, the ones that conform the roster for the game), and all of them have been quite helpful and kind to the development team. When the project was in its first stage, we even got the opportunity to assist (and participate) on a training session directed by a famous and renowned luchadores trainer known as the Apache, it was an amazingly educational experience.     

Gamervision: One of the most popular elements of Lucha Libre is that all shapes and sizes of fighters can compete. How does the game address this?

Mateo Rojas: That´s right, one of the most interesting aspects of Lucha Libre is the amount of techniques and styles that luchadores can develop. In the Luchas, it is common to see a skinny and athletic Luchador developing aerial and acrobatic movement. In the game, we developed different types of luchadores, changing their speed, abilities, and movements to vary the gameplay, on one hand, while getting the roster character closer to their real counterparts.    

Gamervision: How did the story develop? Is it based on any actual feuds that have taken place?

Mateo Rojas: Story in the game has a plot of its own. It is a unique plot. When scripting it we had to take special care on some particular aspects: having included real luchadores and their history into our storyline. So expect to see elements from their rivalries, their partnerships and their relatives involved in the Lucha Libre world as well. Also, when you assist in Lucha Libre match in Mexico, you could see stories like the bad guy stealing a little child during the match, or threatening to kidnap the owner of the league. In the game´s plot, we did our best to create a storyline that was filled with all those dramatic and hilarious elements so that fans will be entertained.

 Thanks, Maeto! Expect to hear more soon!