AEW: Fight Forever Review

For over two decades, WWE has dominated not only the wrestling (sorry, “Sports Entertainment”) industry but has also been the most prolific company in the wrestling videogame space. Cue All Elite Wrestling, a company that rose to prominence faster than a Goldberg match. Now, after being announced almost three years ago, AEW: Fight Forever is finally here, and whilst it doesn’t come close to the budget of the WWE 2K series, its developer Yukes (a company that knows a thing or two about wrestling titles) is back once again to inject some fun into the genre. But is AEW: Fight Forever the “Best in the World'', or is it destined to forever be an obscure Botchamania reference?

I should state that I absolutely love wrestling games. From the super in-depth Fire Pro Wrestling World to the eccentrically charming Wrestling Empire, I’ve put more hours into virtual grappling than I care to admit. But, as each series can play so differently, it’s worth noting that I will try not to compare the content in Fight Forever with that found in with other available titles. It doesn’t have the multi-million dollar budget of a WWE game, nor does it have the plethora of modes and robust creation suite found in Fire Pro. Don’t let that deter you from the most fundamental aspect of any combat-centric videogame, though: the gameplay. But we’ll get to that in a little while…

I was rather unsure of the graphical style shown off in the first reveal trailer, but in-game, it really helps to create the vibe of the old-school magic of wrestling titles (such as WWF No Mercy) the game is trying to replicate. It’s far from blocky heads with face textures slapped on, though, and whilst people may complain that the graphics are inferior to modern-day games, the chunky, almost cartoon-like aesthetic of it all was quite endearing. This helps in giving each wrestler their own unique, larger-than-life look, just as you’d expect to see when watching an episode of Dynamite. It’s not over-the-top to the extent of something like WWE 2K Battlegrounds, but if you go in with the expectations of a throwback to the classic titles with a modern coat of paint, you definitely won’t be disappointed.

The UI is nice and clean as well, not taking up too much space or having button prompts appear over a wrestler's head for every single action; it’s easy to look at and instantly know how you’re faring during a match. The same can be said for the simplistic menus: they’re all easy to navigate and tell you everything you need to know. It’s not an incredibly important detail, but it certainly helps when playing with others who may not be ardent gamers to quickly jump into a match.

There are a few clipping issues here and there, but that’s practically the norm when it comes to wrestling games. It was never a glaring issue and certainly never resulted in something akin to that Becky Lynch cursed screenshot from WWE 2K20, but it was occasionally noticeable during matches — in particular when using weapons. Fight Forever runs silky smooth as well, and I never once encountered any slowdown, frame drops, screen tearing, and such, which surprised me as even with a maximum of four wrestlers on-screen at any one time, things could get rather busy!

As for the audio, whilst there’s no commentary during matches, they do have music playing to give the fights a bit more atmosphere. And what a playlist it is, featuring a staggering number of old and new themes from AEW’s short history, such as an 8-bit rendition of Battle Cry, SCU’s theme, and even Mel’s theme! Remember her? No? Okay, moving on. Matches themselves have the crowd chanting (or booing) for each wrestler, who themselves can be very vocal, as well as bone-crunching audio effects that really add to the impact of the moves. The first time I threw my opponent into the barbed wire ring ropes, I thought I’d be getting charged with first-degree murder; that’s how grizzly it sounded!

Now comes the most crucial portion: how does it play? Well, whilst the game may be light on content, the in-ring action is fast, fluid, and more fun than an Anarchy in the Arena match. There are a very limited number of match types (no cage match or Blood & Guts is a shame) and no option to edit the ones available with stipulations such as first blood or elimination rules, and the only modes you’ll find are Exhibition, Online, and Road to Elite.

Once you’re in the ring, the controls are simple enough to understand and can even be made simpler thanks to some adjustments in the option's menu. You’ve got basic high and low attacks, various grapple moves assigned to one button (which alter depending on the direction pressed and/or if the button was held down or pressed), various context-sensitive manoeuvres such as diving attacks and picking up weapons (and wow are there a lot), and taunts. Each wrestler also has their own signature and finishing moves, which are available for a brief period once you’ve built up sufficient momentum. It’s really easy to pick up and play, and whilst I found it took a while to get used to reversing with the left and right triggers (one for strikes, one for grapples), it became second nature to me, and I definitely didn’t lose to my partner the first time she played.

After messing around in training (which acts similar to most fighting games, with customisable opponent AI) I jumped into my first one-on-one match as everybody’s favourite Mad King: Eddie Kingston. Going up against Sammy Guevara, it was a constant back-and-forth affair, with no one man gaining a true advantage. What was noticeable very quickly was how Kingston felt different from Darby Allin (who I’d selected in the training). Darby was much lighter on his feet and able to fire off kicks and punches at a faster rate, but they did less damage to the opponent. After trying several characters, whilst not all of them feel unique in their own way, there are differences that create a sense of individuality. Nyla Rose may not be springboarding her way to victory like Riho, but she sure as hell is more likely to drop someone with a single strike.

The main story mode, Road to Elite, felt rather underwhelming. You pick a wrestler (or create your own) and make your AEW debut in a Casino Battle Royale. From there, you’re thrown into one of three stories at random and make your way to the next pay-per-view. Each story has four weeks leading up to the big event, where you’ll compete in matches, have a non-story related match on Dark or Rampage, and take part in various optional activities to boost your stats. This last part felt very underwhelming, as although some of the scenes are quite amusing (turns out Jon Moxley enjoys taking historical sightseeing trips on his days off) they’re little more than padding to extend an already very short mode. It’s made more redundant when you play as a real-life wrestler, as you can’t boost their stats or alter any of their abilities, making half of the options pointless. It is designed to be replayed, and you’ll unlock certain characters and more apparel the more you play, but when each “career” last for four months (one month per PPV) it’s over before it really begins. The fact that storylines are just forgotten after a pay-per-view match — I won the tag titles with Dustin Rhodes, then it was never mentioned again — it felt unrewarding most of the time, though there certainly is some enjoyment in seeing your own created wrestler grow from strength to strength.

At least the mini-games were fun, though, which are unlocked the more you play them in Road to Elite. The AI always put up a challenge, and from the Shida’s Slugfest baseball-type game to the rhythm-based Penta Says, they were a nice little distraction that I jumped back into every now and again.

Let’s talk about the roster. We’ve got the majority of the most notable wrestlers from AEW’s pool of incredible talent, such as Kenny Omega, Dr. Britt Baker (D.M.D!), and Orange Cassidy; even that big turncoat Cody Rhodes is here! But it’s a shame that the likes of The Acclaimed, several members of The Dark Order, Jamie Hayter, and countless others are nowhere to be seen. I’m hoping that the majority of the roster will be added over time (this won’t be a yearly title and will instead be built upon) to expand the current amount of playable wrestlers, but for now, it’s a solid foundation featuring the more recognisable faces.

Unfortunately, those of you hoping to recreate your favourite wrestlers not featured in the game may be sorely disappointed, as the creation suite is severely lacking. The amount of presets for heads and bodies is poor, and the fact that these can’t be adjusted really limits potential creations. There are plenty of clothing options at least, and enough moves and entrance options to distinguish created wrestlers from one another, even if they do all have a very similar facial structure.

I wanted so badly to love this game and give it a higher score. Sure, the foundations are there, the arcade-like grappling is a blast, especially with friends, and there is a hint of something in Road to Elite, but it just doesn’t feel like a complete package. I’m hoping that the promise of the developer adding to the game will make it feel more complete, and I’d love to write an article in a year’s time to see what’s improved, but as of right now, AEW: Fight Forever is too bare-bones for me to wholeheartedly recommend it. If you’re looking for a fun wrestling game that doesn’t take itself too seriously, you could do far worse, but those wanting the complete All Elite Wrestling experience may want to wait and see what the future has in store.