Much like AEW Referee and game developer Aubrey Edwards, I’m gonna call this one right down the middle.
AEW: Fight Forever is an incredibly fun arcade style game with a TON of potential, but it falls just a little bit shy of a big time debut.
Fight Forever delivers a fast paced, high intensity gameplay that makes for hours of fun. Players can select from a roster of roughly 50 superstars including: MJF, CM Punk, Britt Baker, Adam Cole (BAY BAY), The Young Bucks, Kenny Omega, Hangman Adam Page, Orange Cassidy, Wardlow, Nyla Rose, and even current WWE Superstar Cody Rhodes.
The in-game presentation is crisp, delivering a slightly more animated/cartoony visual than your classic Madden/ 2K sports game. This is quite literally by design as the game has been propositioned as more of a WWF NO MERCY-style game, and it certainly is just that. Entrances are super short, featured only on the stage, and there is no commentary outside of a line or two during loading screens.
I actually really enjoy the soundtrack, particularly the tracks by Platinum Max Caster, who is not yet in the game, but has announced he and partner Anthony Bowens will be part of the game in the future. The game also features tracks by AEW’s Mikey Rukus and Swerve Strickland.
Exhibition matches are fun, especially when playing with friends, but I was actually blown away by the Road To The Elite Story Mode. Players are brought aboard AEW during a phone conversation with Tony Khan and even get to be part of the historic press conference in Jacksonville, Florida where All Elite Wrestling was officially announced. Your player/ roster member makes their debut during the Double or Nothing Casino Battle Royal which is another fun game mode on its own.
I absolutely love the old school PS2 fast paced on screen dialogue, voiceovers, and journey your player takes as they climb the proverbial ladder within the company. It reminds me of a simpler time in gaming, which I think many can appreciate.
Unfortunately, days into its release the game is riddled with bugs, glitches, and error codes. I unfortunately had to reset my PS4 about six times in reviewing the game and report multiple error codes. AEW GAMES is already addressing the problem for PS4 users immediately.
I'm super happy to inform you all, that we just got approval from Sony about the PlayStation 4 crash issue fix patch and it should come live within 1-2 hours for everyone!
Yes it is 01:30 AM for us here in europe but we wanted this patch out asap!#AEWFightForever Playstation!
— Zyddie (@Zyddies) July 4, 2023
The create modes are unfortunately extremely limited with options and are unfortunately very buggy as well. The character models actually look pretty great but there’s not too much you can do with them creatively.
The roster size of only about 50 also makes the game feel as if it’s not quite 100% ready with notable absences from former AEW World Tag Team Champions The Acclaimed, Billy Gunn, Daniel Garcia, Hook, Keith Lee, The Bunny, Swerve Strickland, former AEW Women’s Champion Jamie Hayter, and many, many more. Current AEW World Tag Team Champions FTR can be purchased in a “Revival Pack” add-on.
At times the game feels closer to a really great demo than a fully completed sports / wrestling game. I personally feel the price point should be closer to that of a Playstation Network Store downloadable arcade game at no more than $40 max. The consistent bugs and glitches also make it difficult to give the game a fair score. The Road to The Elite story mode and fun multiplayer replay value are the strong points in this game, and hopefully with a few bug fixes, major roster additions, and some polishing, this game can truly become ALL ELITE.
