AEW Fight Forever Review – Unique Style and Gameplay Mechanics

The glory era of the 1980s saw the rise of a legend among wrestlers, the legendary Ric Flair, who went on to crown 16 world championships. With his charismatic nature, he gave the world an immortal expression: “To be The Man, you must defeat The Man.” But in the realm of professional wrestling games, the legend known as the WWE 2K franchise reigned undisputed supreme for all of eternity. However, amid this supremacy, a bold and audacious contender emerged from the shadows. AEW Fight Forever, a newcomer to the ring, stepped forth with the courage to challenge the established order. It didn’t have the power to change the balance overnight, but its courage to embrace the arcade design principles of the past and pick-up-and-play philosophy was worthy of praise.

Yet, in the midst of its valiant efforts, AEW Fight Forever faced obstacles that stood in the way of its rise to greatness. It lacked the traditional characteristics that defined its genre, leaving enthusiasts yearning for more. The single-player campaign, once so eagerly anticipated, proved disappointing and failed to attract the audience it had hoped for. Furthermore, the presence of annoying mechanical quirks casts a shadow over its potential.

Alas, this fighter, while brimming with potential, is not yet ready for the grandest stage of them all. It yearns for refinement, for overcoming its imperfections, and for fully realizing its true potential. The main event, the pinnacle of success, remains a distant dream for AEW Fight Forever, awaiting a time when it will shine brightly and take its rightful place among the champions of the world of virtual wrestling.

AEW Fight Forever: Unleashing a Whirlwind of Style and Innovation in Professional Wrestling Gaming

In the realm of style, Fight Forever bursts onto the scene with a flourishing, cartoonish character model and exuberant animations that ignite the senses. A slew of well-rendered caricatures hit the stage, with Kenny Omega and Jon Moxley standing out as particular favorites among the 52 contenders.. Even the unorthodox, such as the Air Fryer-looking Chris Jericho, enjoy their freedom from the shackles of “realism,” showcasing a liveliness that resonates throughout.

Hidden within a tapestry of licensing agreements is a complex maze that prevents the release of a wrestling game that perfectly mirrors its televised counterpart. Often, the games featured wrestlers who no longer matched their in-game character models or had departed from the company entirely. However, amid this tangled web, there exist noticeable and almost unforgivable gaps within the in-game roster. The absence of beloved characters and championships, such as Toni Storm and Daniel Garcia, leaves an undeniable void, challenging alignment with the real-life wrestling landscape that has persisted over the years.

When the bell rings and the fighters join square circles, an explosive Def Jam Vendetta-like sequence unfolds. Every bump, kick and punch displays an exaggerated excitement, taking the over-the-top nature of aerial maneuvers and acrobatics to new heights, akin to the explosive pages of a comic book filled with superhero violence. Amidst the vibrant animations, some moments stand out, showcasing an innovative twist rarely seen in games of this genre. For example, Malakai Black, the grumpy Dutch goth kickboxer, resorts to desperate measures by spraying a spray of black mist into his opponent’s eyes. Your control begins to falter as the mist envelops the screen, momentarily disorienting you in a unique and intense way.

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In this whirlwind of creative energy, AEW Fight Forever embraces its distinctive aesthetic and delivers an experience that resonates deeply with the essence of professional wrestling. With each exaggerated move and unexpected gameplay element, it breathes new life into the genre, leaving players in awe of the awe-inspiring possibilities that unfold within the squared circle.

A Compelling In-Ring Experience, Assessing the Gameplay and Customization of AEW Fight Forever

Oh how I longed for the captivating style outside the wrestling ring. Regrettably, the menu, while neat, lacks eye-catching appeal. The music, despite its energetic beats, remains disappointingly forgettable, despite contributions from AEW wrestlers like Steve Strickland and Max Castor. As far as the voiceovers are concerned, they prove to be a mixed bag. The introduction of the grand single-player campaign, Road to Elite, was a success, but everything else failed. The performance of famed wrestling announcer Jim Ross is particularly commendable. If someone were to tell me that he’s considered one of the most famous and beloved voices in wrestling history, I’d doubt that he’s been hit multiple times in the head with a steel chair.

For those of you, like me, who are interested in the creative aspects of wrestling games, Create a Wrestler and Arena Mode can leave you yearning for more. They seem to lack some depth. Facial variety is sorely absent, and the selection of cosmetics leaves much to be desired, except for a few hidden gems like the whimsical bear costume, which loyal fans of the webshow BTE can recognise. Ironically, the creative suite is full of assets, offering voiced entrance calls, poses and moves from wrestlers who did not appear in the game. However, without extensive modding (reserved for PCs and those with infinite determination), crafting them yourself becomes a daunting task. In addition, the game lacks essential quality-of-life features, such as the ability to sort moves by type, resulting in Fight Forever’s extensive menu of techniques to discover the perfect coup for your respected fighter. Sifting through is a tedious task.

While my appreciation for Fight Forever’s in-ring action has grown, it falls short of earning a spot as my favorite wrestling game ever. The fluidity of motion and smooth animations infuse the combats with a distinctively frenetic energy. The basic principles of combat, in principle, remain simple and coincide with those of people who have participated in wrestling games before. Each button press, whether it be a punch, kick, or grapple, generates different maneuvers when combined with directional tilts from the movement stick. Plus, attacks vary in strength depending on whether they’re tapped or stopped, giving you tons of options to explore.

Momentum Mechanics and Analyzing the Ups and Downs of AEW Fight Forever

While AEW Fight Forever treads familiar ground by mirroring today’s popular wrestling games, it fails to achieve the same level of sparkle and reaction. It has moments of seamless strike combos and flawless melee sequences that flow effortlessly. However, there are some inexplicable instances where attacks miss their targets or worse, fail, leaving me with pointless button presses. Activities like running, jumping ropes, dragging opponents, or kicking them into the ropes often left me feeling disconnected from the action. The list of complaints also gets added to the often bland AI, which makes baffling decisions like standing motionless or wandering aimlessly around opponents or corners, even on normal difficulty. These problems are exacerbated when playing online with friends, as frequent clipping and rubberbanding occur at an alarming rate, far above what is considered acceptable.

Where AEW Fight Forever sets itself apart from contemporary wrestling games and draws inspiration from past genre stalwarts like WWF No Mercy, is its motion system. This unique feature rewards varied attacks and solid defense by slowly increasing your speed meter, bringing you that much closer to unleashing your character’s devastating finishing moves. Once the meter is full, you have the freedom to unleash a flurry of four signature and special moves that truly feel like match-ending abilities, even if used early in the bout. By skillfully utilizing each wrestler’s unique passive skills, which encourage them to take advantage of their strengths to gain bonus momentum (such as diving off the turnbuckle or launching the first attack in a match), you can quickly find yourself powerful Can be found equipped with armory.

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Conversely, having less speed puts you at greater risk, increasing your chances of losing via pinfall and submission. However, this is separate from the opaque health and limb damage systems, which also play a significant role in determining your chances of victory. While it may seem counterintuitive that taking enough damage over time will degrade your performance, it’s frustrating that there’s no clear indication of your current status at all times, leaving you in the dark about your overall situation.

Exploring the Submission System, Recovery Mechanics, and Match Types in AEW Fight Forever

The frustration continues when it comes to submission and general retrieval systems. When stuck in an opponent’s submission hold, a prompt instructs you to press buttons to break free, but there is no indication of how many buttons are required to be pressed for success. Similarly, when knocked down, instinct may prompt you to press buttons or manipulate the control stick to recover faster, but it remains uncertain whether these actions have any effect. Such mechanics need not be shrouded in mystery to maintain accessibility.

Another unique choice is Fight Forever’s attempt to improve on the old Nintendo 64-era design by introducing two separate defense buttons. However, it hasn’t done enough to make a convincing case for its continued inclusion in the proud year of our tribal chief, 2023. Each button, one for strikes and one for grapples, can be held to parry the respective attacks or tapped to reverse. Take advantage of them and the opportunity to counter-attack. The ability to grab and block melee attacks without relying on pinpoint timing is a welcome change, and adding two defensive buttons adds depth and complexity to one-on-one encounters. However, in multi-person combat (which is prevalent in Road to Elite), it becomes nearly impossible to understand and respond to different types of attacks with the proper buttons.

Among the limited selection of match types available, my personal enjoyment stemmed primarily from the anything-goes, hardcore-style Lights Out matches. This special match type showcases Fight Forever’s eccentric and engrossing arsenal of weapons. Along with traditional items like steel chairs and kendo sticks, you’ll find rideable skateboards, broomsticks wrapped in barbed wire, and even explosive devices. The sense of absurdity in the pursuit of fun is undeniably strong, especially in these matches. That lightness has been missing from WWE wrestling games for a long time, and it’s a refreshing change of pace in Fight Forever.

Exploring the Single-Player Experience and Management Aspects

As the principal single-player mode, Road to Elite attempts to revive the nostalgic essence of old-school season modes reminiscent of WWE wrestling games in the PlayStation 2 era. Upon selecting a character, whether it be from the AEW talent roster or one of your own creations, you fast forward a year into the life of an AEW wrestler. The journey lasts for four months, ranging from weekly matches to monthly PPV events. Personally, I appreciated its brevity, as I was able to complete the entire race in just a couple of hours, which is important for a mode that emphasizes replayability.

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The storylines woven into Road to Elite are mostly nonsensical and lackluster, falling into the realm of pro wrestling theatrics. Finding out that your sudden tag team partner has been stealing your stuff for weeks isn’t any more intellectually offensive than something you’ve seen on a regular episode of Dynamite. However, it is not an experience that has compelled me to repeat it multiple times. Unlike the MyRise mode in 2K games, which often consists of small, gimmicky subplots in service of a larger overarching story, Road to Elite offers a stop-and-start angle with less content. Although the stories are said to be based on wins and losses, it is unclear whether the different results require specific match wins or depend on achieving a certain win-loss record. Despite playing Road to Elite three times, I’ve only encountered about half of the 12 different stories available, with no clear guidance on how to uncover the rest.

Additionally, Road to Elite includes mild management-simulation elements that feel somewhat underdeveloped. Each week, you’ll have opportunities to do things like workout to gain skill points and increase your stats, go sightseeing to gain temporary inspiration for your next match, or sample local cuisine to replenish your energy. There is an option to join the activities. However, if you choose a non-created character, all skill points become obsolete as their statistics cannot be changed. Built wrestlers start with minimal attributes, and inexperienced players may find themselves overwhelmed by fully equipped opponents in the early stages. Although this mode is promising, its potential remains largely untapped in its current implementation.

Verdict

AEW Fight Forever, while showing immense potential, falls victim to the weight of unrealized potential. It comes to the scene with bouncy animations, exhilarating action and a vibrant display of adorable character designs. Yet, despite these positive attributes, the game is plagued by bugs and obscure or ineffective systems that hinder its true greatness. The single-player mode, though relatively easy to complete with branching choices, suffers from weak writing and a failure to guide players towards meaningful choices. While a solid foundation exists to build upon, AEW Fight Forever is far from revolutionizing the wrestling game genre.

However, even amid its failings, there are glimmers of hope and entertainment, especially when playing with like-minded friends who enjoy the thrill of casual fights. It is in these moments that the potential of the game shines the most. Looking ahead, one can’t help but envision a sequel that builds on the strong groundwork laid by AEW Fight Forever. There is still a chance to take the wrestling world by storm and bring about the revolution that fans have been yearning for. For now, however, AEW Fight Forever remains a promising contender, but has yet to reach its full potential.

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