Summary
As many predicted in the lead-up to its release, the reception toAEW Fight Foreverwas incredibly mixed. Some fans adored theWWF No Mercy-inspired approach, praising the simplicity of the mechanics and the quick, arcadey matches. Others criticized the game for its lack of polish, which ranged from bugs and outdated graphics to a lack of commentary and blink-and-you’ll-miss-it entrances. For every point of praise, like chain wrestling and individual wrestler taunts, there was something to criticize, like a poor create-a-wrestler suite. Regardless of where fans fall on the game, though, most would agree that it is struggling to keep up in one major area: its roster.
With AEW providing a viable alternative to WWE, the wrestling business is more chaotic than ever. In addition to the usual storyline changes that bring new gimmicks and attires, wrestlers are constantly coming and going between companies. Though Yuke’s has done a decent job fixing bugs with patches, and the release of the Stadium Stampede battle royale mode was exciting, the slow drip of new wrestlers is just not working for the game. Either a lot more character releases need to happen soon, or another AEW game has to be made, asAEW Fight Foreverdoes not properly reflect the product that wrestling fans are watching on their TVs.
AEW Fight Forever’s Clearest Growing Pains Come With Its Roster
While the few roster additions that have been made thus far are nice, likethe always-entertaining Danhausenand Limitless Keith Lee, there are so many more wrestlers that are missing from the game. Perhaps the most obvious name is the newly signed Adam Copeland, formerly known as Edge in WWE. Making Adam Copeland a free or paid DLC character instantly would have been a wise move for Yuke’s since it could have gotten eyes back on the game, but unfortunately, he is nowhere to be seen. And with the creation suite lacking, it’s hard to properly remake the Rated R Superstar in the game.
While it will be odd for AEW newcomers to seethe recently fired CM Punkin the game when Adam Copeland is not, there are many more missing wrestlers worth noting. SinceAEW Fight Foreverreleased, Switchblade Jay White and Swerve Strickland have really come into their own as main event stars. The same can be said for Takeshita, who is a key part of the Don Callis Family, as well as Samoa Joe who has headlined several big events recently. Much like AEW’s women’s division goes underused on TV, it is underrepresented in the game. Saraya, Jamie Hayter, Julia Hart - all are missing. Solid supporting acts like Roderick Strong, Brody King, and Juice Robinson are also worth noting, but the issue extends beyond just wrestlers.
While great matches are key to succeeding in pro wrestling, so too is good character work, and some of AEW’s best characters are absent from the game. Christian Cage’s turtleneck-wearing heel persona has elevated the TNT championship, yet he lacks this attire and heel style in the game. Similarly,AEW world champion MJFis doing excellent work as the people’s scumbag, but his character model and moveset is based on his early work in the company. Timeless Toni Storm has been incredible thus far, yet Storm is completely missing from the title. Jungle Boy’s heel persona is also not present, making him feel particularly outdated.
All of this will only get worse as AEW continues to sign big names. Both Will Ospreay and Mercedes Mone are rumored to be considering the jump to AEW, and both are some of the biggest stars in wrestling. Additionally, recently releasedWWE superstarslike Shelton Benjamin and Dolph Ziggler could debut for the company in a few months’ time. Which so much existing talent missing, and possible signees likely to make the problem worse,AEW Fight Forevernot feeling current is impossible to ignore.
To be fair to Yuke’s and AEW itself, getting a wrestling game right is extremely difficult, as has been shown withWWE 2K’s struggles over the years. Ultimately,Fight Forevercan be used as a learning experience, as there are the bones of a great wrestling experience within it. While a lot of lessons can be learned from the response to the game, the roster problem may be the biggest thing to keep in mind. Regardless of whether AEW is planning to stick with the original plan and makeFight Foreverthe definitive AEW game through constant updates, or if it plans to switch to yearly releases likeWWE 2K, something has to be done to deliver a more accurate representation of AEW programming.
AEW Fight Foreveris available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
