AEW Fight Forever has the potential to stand out in its genre, but it requires some improvements to stay competitive. While the game offers unique traits, being the debut video game of a new promotion means there are still various issues that need to be resolved. However, considering that the game is still in its early stages, there is ample time for AEW Fight Forever to address its main problems and establish itself as a significant player in the industry.
From the moment AEW Fight Forever was announced, there were high expectations for what it could achieve. Like All Elite Wrestling itself, the game aimed to provide a refreshing and high-quality wrestling experience. It serves as an alternative to the dominant WWE product, which has held a stronghold in both live events and video games for the past two decades. AEW Fight Forever fulfills this objective by introducing new wrestlers who have never been featured in a wrestling game before. However, in order to be truly labeled as high quality, the game itself will need to undergo some necessary changes.
AEW Fight Forever Still Needs to Make Some Adjustments
The creation suite in AEW Fight Forever, like most wrestling games, is a crucial component that requires significant improvement. Created wrestlers often receive as much attention as the game's official roster, if not more, and the ability to create wrestlers not featured in the game or even fictional characters is a long-standing tradition. Currently, the creation suite in AEW Fight Forever is functional but severely limited in terms of facial and outfit options, resulting in player creations that may not fully capture their intended appearance. It is imperative that the game's early updates prioritize enhancing the create-a-wrestler features.
Furthermore, the game's performance is an area that requires serious refinement. AEW Fight Forever has experienced early crashes, affecting some users more severely than others. Although not as infamous as the issues encountered by WWE 2K20 upon its launch, these performance problems reflect poorly on the game and potentially deter potential players. Additionally, there have been grievances about the game's online modes, including connection problems and excessively long wait times to find matches. It is hopeful that these difficulties are merely temporary setbacks that can be swiftly resolved, as AEW Fight Forever must achieve a more stable state in order to thrive.
One aspect of AEW Fight Forever that requires improvement is the mechanics themselves, which can be quite challenging. In the current system, escaping pins relies on button mashing, which diminishes the enjoyment and satisfaction. A better solution could involve a timing-based method. Additionally, AEW Fight Forever boasts a wide selection of intriguing weapons that suffer due to their mechanics. These weapons break after only two hits, rendering them rather pointless in the overall match. Considering the game's arcade-style gameplay, it is crucial for the weapons to have greater durability in a fight.
Despite its flaws, AEW Fight Forever still has much to offer and the developers have the opportunity to rectify its most severe issues. As the game continues to introduce more content, the development team can also take the time to address the problems that have arisen during its early days. By resolving hardware issues and refining the overall gameplay experience, AEW Fight Forever has the potential to become the phenomenon that fans have long awaited.
AEW Fight Forever is available now for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.