AEW: Fight Forever
Much like the wrestling industry the wrestling game sector has long been dominated by a monopolistic player. Today a new combatant has stepped inside the squared circle as AEW: Fight Forever brings a fun, retro-inspired take to wrestling games.
Visually AEW: Fight Forever is a call back to PS2/N64-era games such as WCW Nitro, & WWF Smackdown Just Bring It. The cartoony, caricature-style character designs are not going to blow anybody away but the real fun is in the gameplay.
Developed by Yuke's AEW: Fight Forever takes players back to the arcadey fun of the 90s. AEW: Fight Forever is one of the easy-to-start but hard-to-master style games. Casual fans will be able to immediately pick up & play with a simple control scheme but the true joy comes through learning all of the combinations as you attempt to have a 7-star classic match.
Through an assortment of match types players will have endless opportunities to create these classic matches & moments that they'll be talking about to friends for a long time. From simple 1v1 contests right through to hardcore 'Lights Out' matches, ladder matches & even the Casino Battle Royale there's always something new to try.
Each character within AEW: Fight Forever even feels unique. From move sets to weapon use & even down to special abilities everybody will be able to find a character that suits their style of play before setting about mastering their faves.
AEW: Fight Forever even has a few mini-games that can bring a little silliness to the game. While these were a fun break from the traditional wrestling matches these didn't connect with me & are likely not something I'll spend a lot of time moving forward.
On a story front, the 'Road To Elite' mode is a fantastic single-player mode. This mode has been designed for multiple play-throughs, with different storylines based on win-loss records or even characters chosen. Interwoven within this mode are clips from the highlights of All Elite Wrestling's formative years, which as a day-one AEW fan was an incredible trip down memory lane. We can see these clips acting as a brilliant gateway for newcomers to AEW as well.
Lastly, the creation suite of any wrestling game mode is a critical element & AEW: Fight Forever delivers one with incredible depth. We spent most of our first day with the game exploring all of the options available here. There were still some parts of the creation suite that we would like to see improved, such as the ability to add designs or graphics to wrestling gear. There were still some parts of the creation suite that we would like to see improved, such as the ability to add designs or graphics to wrestling gear & specific attire combinations.
Technically AEW: Fight Forever isn't without its flaws.
The enemy AI tends to be overzealous in tag matches, interrupting every single pinfall attempt. Multiman matches are also very difficult for a similar reason with it being quite difficult to take out all of your enemies to score the victory.
During our time with the game, we also had some technical glitches. Most notably with characters clipping through the floor or the ring, which on a couple of occasions saw them become trapped in the ring. However, these were only momentary & soon rectified themselves.
AEW: Fight Forever certainly isn't a perfect game but it is a fantastic foundation for All Elite Wrestling & Yuke's to continue to build upon. Playing with friends online or locally is where AEW: Fight Forever will truly shine but we're also very excited to continue our solo fights forever!
Support Pario Magazine
Become A Publisher
$10 / Month
- Name Added To Publisher List
- Physical Print Issue
- Early Access
-
