AEW: Fight Forever Reviews
AEW Fight Forever draws inspiration from WWF No Mercy for Nintendo 64, so here we have a double dose of wrestling and retro gaming fanaticism all rolled up into one.
This is not the WWE 2K rival many assumed it would be. Instead, like its real-life counterpart, AEW: Fight Forever aims for something different. At times, it feels wild and cheesy, and strange art choices make it an uncanny experience. But equally, it embraces this cheese, elevating its action and storytelling with a welcome silliness.
As the very first entry into the market Fight Forever does a surprisingly good job. Patching and building off the foundation established here will be key in how this game is received by the fans, old and new. I’m along for the ride. If you’re an AEW fan, I think you’ll enjoy this release. It does enough to stand out from the WWE series of games and gives a great alternative that AEW the actual wrestling product was supposed to be.
Even with its problems, however, AEW: Fight Forever is still worth playing. Like AEW itself, it offers a welcome change from the slickness of its main rival, and while there are definitely areas for the game to improve, it fully captures the spirit of the games it’s trying to emulate. If you’re looking to play a wrestling game on the Switch, your search pretty much begins and ends with AEW: Fight Forever.
The graphics are also quite dated, even when playing on the latest and greatest hardware. This does not affect the score of this review in any way, as the gameplay is mostly solid. For a debut console title for AEW, there is plenty to be excited about. AEW: Fight Forever is a fun time, alone or with friends. It doesn’t take itself so seriously with its arcade-style gameplay. The price point of $59.99 is a big ask for a game with such a limited amount of content. I would consider picking this up in a sale if you want to shut your brain off and have a nostalgia-driven wrestling experience. If Yuke’s can keep up with updating AEW: Fight Forever with new content like more stages, wrestlers, and other features, they will have a real winner on their hands.
AEW Fight Forever shouldn’t have bothered having commentary if players are getting a few lifeless sentences spoken during entrances and after matches. This is especially for iconic colour commentator good ol’ Jim Ross (J.R.) deserves much more respect with play-by-play commentary. Despite some of the glaring issues, AEW Fight Forever is a well-grounded entry into the franchise and has done its job to deliver a retro-like wrestling game to adhere to wrestling fans of previous generations and even new-age wrestling fans can fully appreciate.
I first raised my interest in reviewing AEW: FIght Forever back in 2021. Having watched its development over the years and suffered through the delays and update doldrums, I was over the moon to see launch day creeping ever closer. Getting a review code a week early was enough to warrant a widely used Vince McMahon GIF, but we can’t credit the opposition this early on in a review.
AEW: Fight Forever feels like an old game, attempting to appeal to nostalgia but falling short in every respect by today's standards. It may be fun in casual matches with friends, but its merits end there.
Review in Italian | Read full review
There is a lot of potential for AEW Fight Forever, as it provides variety and an alternative to WWE 2K's quasi-monopoly for wrestling games. It hearkens back to classic arcade-style wrestling titles, which brings back some nostalgia; however, it will take a little more than nostalgia to provide a fun and lasting experience. Due to many performance issues and awkward design choices, we cannot completely recommend AEW Fight Forever as a Day 1 purchase. However, there are quite a few fun ideas that they have so that it doesn't feel like a complete write-off; namely, the Road to Elite story mode has the potential to be a fun story mode moving forward should the developers continue to support it.
Despite its promise, AEW: Fight Forever comes out of the gate lacking direction. In a market that would gladly accept another classic, disappointment due to a lack of structure leads to this match ending quickly for the debuting franchise.
AEW: Fight Forever came with good intentions, but it needed to have more practice before stepping into the ring. Even though it brings a totally different proposition compared to any recent WWE, its various problems and weak content make it a game that will not even pass the door of the Hall of Fame.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
As is, the available activities are slim, and I reckon that it won’t take long before monotony sets in. I did enjoy the Career, but the Rogue elements turned me right off. When I realized my progress had been lost, yet upgrades were still recognized, I stopped playing and got straight to writing. My motivation was tapped out. Unfortunately, I can’t recommend buying at full price in its current state. The value isn’t there to justify $60, but if you find it half off or so, do it.
Having been away from the wrestling genre for around 5 years, AEW Fight Forever is a great return for Yukes! Taking on the newest and most exciting wrestling franchise is no hard task and I’m sure with the increasing popularity of the AEW, future games are only going to get better and better. All I hope is that the core gameplay stays as fun as AEW Fight Forever is. Thumb Culture is All Elite, awarding a Thumb Culture Gold Award!
AEW Fight Forever is a solid starting point for a franchise with really exciting potential. Yukes have absolutely nailed the in-ring action, paying a ton of respect to No Mercy while successfully modernising it for today’s audience. Rosters and content are a bit on the slim side, while other areas like Road to Elite and Online need more developing and fine-tuning in future installments, but what we have is a successful, enjoyable alternative to other games on the market that’s easy to get into and difficult to put down.
AEW: Fight Forever brings back the fun, pick up and play type of wrestling game that has fallen by the wayside over the years.
AEW Fight Forever struggles to find its place with its first entry into the world of video games! Whilst it tries to set itself apart from WWE’s flagship series, with a lack of creativity and variety, it just ends up becoming a bit monotonous. There may be something here for die hard fans, but unfortunately beyond a few matches in exhibition and a lacklustre career mode, AEW Fight Forever does not do enough to be an enticing wrestling game! Unfortunately, unlike the actual AEW brand, the game just can’t compete with its WWE counterpart!
From a pure gameplay perspective, AEW: Fight Forever nails it.
AEW Fight Forever turns out to be a huge letdown. The overall experience suffers from the lack of gameplay-polish and the amount of bugs and glitches. While the game delivers some high recognition-value, it fails to live up to the promise of delivering a nostalgic arcade-wrestling-game.
Review in German | Read full review
AEW: Fight Forever is a solid first step into the gaming world for All Elite Wrestling. They’ve already got the gameplay down and have something they can expand on in future games to really make their mark. It is, however, a game that lacks any real depth, and with the CAW options being so bare they’re going to be relying on multiplayer fun to carry the game’s momentum. With some minor improvements and polish, they could make an exceptional follow-up but their first foray into gaming is merely a solid entry that will leave single-player users without much to do after a few days.
AEW: Fight Forever is undeniably a unique and unconventional game. The game’s charm lies in its distinctiveness, using its captivating licensed soundtrack and departure from traditional gameplay mechanics to make something strange and unique. The unusual control scheme, cartoony graphics, and limited player customization may deter newcomers and those outside of the target audience from picking it up, but the game was made for fans, and for those fans I say go ahead and give it a try.