A new promotion called All Elite Wrestling debuted on January 1, 2019, upending the professional wrestling industry. Leading the charge was Tony Khan, who promised fans a high-caliber product, a roster of top talent, captivating narratives, and, of course, world-class in-ring action as an alternative to the long-running WWE.
Naturally, preparations were also in place for AEW to market itself in addition to all of this. A series of t-shirts debuted first, then AEW action figurines were produced in collaboration with Jazwares, and finally, a video game.
In 2020, Yukes, the developer, and THQ Nordic, the publisher, revealed AEW: Fight Forever, a game that promised to take players back to the days of WWF No Mercy and other classics. On June 29, 2023, the game was finally released on retail shelves. But did it live up to the great expectations placed on it?
Fight Forever was a mixed bag when it was first released. In contrast to WWE's slower, simulation-based 2K games, it was praised for its fast-paced, fun-focused design. Fans adored its many match styles and potent roster as well. However, Fight Forever fell short in many ways. There is not much room for character customization, and the Road to Elite narrative mode is shallow. The visuals, which mostly feature wrestler likenesses, are erratic, and there were some gameplay issues that needed to be fixed, much like in almost every new game these days. All things considered, nevertheless, it seemed to be AEW's successful debut in the gaming world.As Fight Forever approaches its one-year anniversary, it begs the question: Is the game still worthwhile to play after all this time? This is the summary.
One year later, Fight Forever still has a lot to offer in
.Fight Forever is still a great game overall, particularly if you're seeking for an enjoyable wrestling game to play with friends. Despite being straightforward, the combat is simple to learn and provides a fun in-match experience. Fight Forever is an essential game because of its unique battle types, which include the Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch. All of the match types are good.Fortunately, most of the major problems that plagued the game at launch have now been resolved thanks to the power of patches. Post-launch material has also significantly improved Fight Forever over its first year of existence. The main attraction is the Stadium Stampede mode, which allows up to 30 people to wreck havoc in a large arena in a manner reminiscent of a battle royale. Replay value is further increased with other minigames and the Beat the Elite level, which is similar to a fighting game.Then there are all of the roster additions, which give the game a more modern feel since a large portion of the basic squad seems to be locked in the 2020–2022 era. Notable figures like as Samoa Joe, FTR, Toni Storm, Swerve Strickland, and Adam Copeland have been added to the game via paid DLC, along with a long list of other new additions. There have also been updates for skins, arenas, customization choices, and other things.Despite the regrettable need of requiring expensive DLC, Fight Forever has improved in its first year and is now a more comprehensive and replayable bundle. If you're willing to pay for them, there are more wrestlers and game modes to choose from than at launch, and updates have improved every playtime in general. Even after a year, Fight Forever is still very much worth playing, while there is still much space for improvement.