AEW: Fight Forever review: a worthy heir for golden-age wrestling games

If you ask most wrestling fans, the late 90’s and early 2000’s would be the best era for both in-ring products and video game collections released for Nintendo 64 and PlayStation.games like WWF No Mercy, WCW/nWo Revenge, and the early SmackDown! series were easy to learn but hard to master. Nearly 25 years later, All Elite Wrestling is looking to recreate that ease and nostalgia. AEW: Fight Forever — and it’s pretty close.

mechanically, fight forever This game is rooted in the golden age of wrestling video games. This is mainly because AEW used developers from the Yukes company that developed the game. Beginners can mash their way to victory by mashing buttons, but they can also slowly learn different flashy and acrobatic moves depending on when and how long they press the same button. AEW manager William Regal guides us through a series of tutorials, explaining how the game’s simple basics can appeal to casual fans looking for a dose of nostalgic excitement, while high skill ceilings are aimed at hardcore wrestling enthusiasts. It shows that there are endless possibilities for Spamming taunts reminds me of the years I spent clutching an N64 controller.Jumping off the edge of the ring reminds him of his playing days WWF No Mercy.

stylistically, fight forever It also looks to the past with an exaggerated, cartoonish aesthetic that contrasts with the hyperrealism of the WWE 2K games. Some wrestler faces look off or incorrect on the character select screen, but look noticeably better in the ring. Each AEW wrestler has a variety of taunts and sound effects, as well as a unique set of moves that encourage you to try them out, making every grapple and attack more effective to discover. Modern wrestling His game is packed with so many tricks that the character’s identity is diluted. Because of this complexity, I don’t feel the need to scrutinize their individual maps, so to speak.but fight foreverI’m already hooked on the combination of simplicity and depth of .

Perhaps the most arcade-leaning mode, Road to Elite lets you choose a wrestler and run through a year’s worth of story. Try to improve your stats and keep your energy levels high as you travel to different cities each week. This includes eating local food, working out at the gym, and holding press conferences at famous landmarks (the US Capitol, the Liberty Bell, and the Las Vegas Strip). These actions mainly require talking to his NPCs, but you can also play mini-games to improve your stats instead. Ignoring this therapy can lead to loss, burnout, and even injury because you didn’t replenish your energy with your diet. Along the way, take selfies with wrestlers you meet during your adventure. You can be a nerd even when you’re playing as an up-and-coming wrestler or a born wrestler.

The storyline is split into four pay-per-view events, often recreating the famous AEW storyline. Highlights of real-world events often replay after you complete a story, establishing your legend to strangers.

While this sounds like a seemingly easy journey for a professional wrestler, NPCs fight forever They have quirky personalities and their reactions often border on absurdity. You discuss the impact of art and gentrification with a wrestler. You can find Sting to hang out on Venice Beach. A waitress from Los Angeles sternly says avocado toast is a worthy meal. There is a great deal of self-deprecation and the breaking of the fourth wall. The segments can be repetitive, but they help prevent burnout from playing his 20 games without a break.

Image: Yuke’s/THQ Nordic

Through it all, Yukes consistently shows an impassioned appreciation of the medium. If you attempt a pinfall and fail to get a 3 count, a count of 2.99 will be displayed. This has become a common phrase in the wrestling world. When you create a custom wrestler, you will see a graphic that says “”.[Your player] are all elite,” in line with the way new AEW wrestlers are introduced to reality. There is a gym in Austin, Texas named Fang McFitness, after Fang McFrost. Fang McFrost is one of the rejected names one wrestler was tossed before settling on Stone Cold Steve Austin. There are too many of these little things scattered throughout the game to list here, but it’s worth playing dozens of games just to discover more.

fight forever It’s not without its rough edges that feel like visible and unexplainable omissions.probably because it was Under development from 2020, the early roster is relatively small considering how much the company has grown in just three years. AEW has signed dozens of new wrestlers, and owner Tony Kahn has also acquired former rival promotion Ring of Honor, which has become AEW’s sister promotion. Still, while mid-development debuting key players like CM Punk make an appearance in the game, other wrestlers with a long tenure with the company like Evil His Uno, Alex Reynolds, and Sonny Kiss are absent.This omission could be fixed in unlockables or future DLC – AEW has already announced Season pass featuring 6 more wrestlers. But their absence is a pity so far.

Image: Yuke’s/THQ Nordic

Generally speaking, the various parts fight forever It feels a little rushed. Most notably, the game includes the first version of her AEW Women’s Championship, with two new versions added since 2021. It seems to me that the lack of updated assets is the result of tight deadlines or, again, simply missed opportunities to take advantage of at launch. Loading screens highlight wrestler quotes, which are usually throwaway lines from matches from years ago. Also, most of the AEW licensed theme songs are not found in-game.

At its core, fight forever is a love letter to the golden age of professional wrestling video games. It’s not perfect, and it’s a little dated content-wise, but most of my frustrations wash away each time I pick up the controller and start a new match. The nostalgia and subtlety of the old glory days emanates from so many angles that it’s hard to point out what’s missing. AEW: Fight Forever It is both a faithful homage and a promising symbol of the future.

AEW Fight Forever was released on June 29th on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. This game was reviewed on Xbox using a pre-release download code provided by THQ Nordic. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not affect editorial content, but Vox Media may earn a commission on products purchased via affiliate links.discoverable Additional information on Polygon’s Ethics Policy can be found here.