AEW Fight Forever: The Game-changing Wrestling Revolution That Transcends Time

Highlights

AEW Fight Forever garnered a varied response, with criticism centered around its straightforwardness and absence of refinement, encompassing glitches and antiquated visuals. Nevertheless, the most notable concern appears to lie in its antiquated roster.

The game is facing difficulties with its roster, as it lacks several wrestlers who play vital roles in AEW programming. Moreover, both attires and characters are outdated, with some wrestlers transitioning between heel and face roles while completely altering their personalities.

To accurately reflect the current wrestling product, AEW Fight Forever requires either more character releases or the development of a new game.

AEW Fight Forever received a mixed reception upon its release, as many had predicted. Some fans praised its WWF No Mercy-inspired mechanics and quick, arcade-style matches. However, others criticized the game for its lack of polish, including bugs, outdated graphics, and a lack of commentary and entrances. While there were elements that received praise, such as chain wrestling and wrestler taunts, there were also flaws, like a subpar create-a-wrestler suite. One area where the game noticeably struggles is its roster, as the wrestling industry is in a state of chaos with wrestlers constantly moving between companies. Despite attempts to address bugs and introduce new game modes, the slow introduction of new wrestlers is not satisfying players. Either more characters need to be added soon or a new AEW game needs to be developed that better reflects the current wrestling product.

AEW Fight Forever’s Clearest Growing Pains Come With Its Roster

The roster additions so far, such as Danhausen and Keith Lee, are enjoyable, but there are many more wrestlers missing from the game. One glaring omission is Adam Copeland, who recently signed with the company. Including him as a free or paid DLC character would have been a smart move to generate interest in the game, but unfortunately, he is absent. Additionally, the creation suite is lacking, making it difficult to properly recreate the Rated R Superstar.

It is perplexing that CM Punk, who was recently released, is included in the game while Adam Copeland is not. Furthermore, there are several other notable wrestlers missing. Switchblade Jay White and Swerve Strickland have established themselves as main event stars in AEW Fight Forever. Takeshita, a key member of the Don Callis Family, and Samoa Joe, who has headlined significant events, are also absent. The women's division of AEW is not properly represented, with wrestlers like Saraya, Jamie Hayter, and Julia Hart missing from the game. Additionally, supporting acts like Roderick Strong, Brody King, and Juice Robinson should be acknowledged. However, the issue goes beyond just wrestlers, as other aspects are also lacking.

While great matches are crucial for success in professional wrestling, the importance of good character work should not be overlooked. Unfortunately, some of the best characters of AEW are absent from the game. For instance, Christian Cage's iconic turtleneck-wearing heel persona, which has elevated the TNT championship, is missing from the game entirely. Similarly, AEW world champion MJF's character model and moveset are based on his early work in the company, not reflecting his current excellent portrayal as the people's scumbag. Another notable absence is the incredible Toni Storm, whose timeless talent is completely overlooked in the game. Additionally, Jungle Boy's heel persona, an essential facet of his character, is noticeably missing, making him feel outdated.

This issue is only going to worsen as AEW continues to sign big names. There are strong rumors about the potential jump of renowned wrestlers such as Will Ospreay and Mercedes Mone to AEW. Both of them are considered among the biggest stars in wrestling. Furthermore, recently released WWE superstars like Shelton Benjamin and Dolph Ziggler could potentially debut for the company in the coming months. With so much existing talent missing and the possibility of new signees aggravating the problem, it is impossible to ignore that AEW Fight Forever does not feel current.

To give Yuke's and AEW credit, creating a successful wrestling game is incredibly challenging, as seen with the ongoing struggles of WWE 2K. Fight Forever can serve as a valuable learning experience, as it has the potential to offer an exceptional wrestling experience. The response to the game provides many lessons, but the main issue to address is the roster problem. Whether AEW plans to continually update Fight Forever to make it the definitive AEW game or switch to yearly releases like WWE 2K, it's crucial to deliver a more accurate representation of AEW programming.

AEW Fight Forever is now available on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.