AEW: Fight Forever Review – A Clunky Midcard Contender for Old-School Wrestling Fans

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It's no surprise that as the novel All Elite Wrestling grew in popularity, a video game based on it was brewing somewhere out on the horizon. As a viable alternative to mainstream pro wrestling — which the WWE dominates — the franchise managed to cement its legacy by bringing in talent already well-known within the community and a steep production value that rivalled any other competition. THQ Nordic's AEW: Fight Forever finds itself in the same position, banking on a roster full of established legends, as developer Yuke's draws from the knowledge it gained over the years making WWE titles, and boils it down to the basics to deliver arcade-heavy gameplay. That's right, we're going back to the retro 'WWF No Mercy' days where its strong and simplistic foundation allowed just about anyone to pick up and play the game.

If you're someone who grew up on the recent WWE 2K games, then the lack of showy aspects here might be off-putting for you. AEW: Fight Forever isn't big on realism, so don't go expecting visual fidelity that wows you with photo-realistic details or lighting that causes sweaty surfaces to shimmer. It's not a simulation game, so there's a distinct style to it that feels like a messy blend of cartoonish proportions and grounded appearance — almost as if Yuke's was having difficulty deciding on one, so they did both.

Now, I'm not a 'poor graphics = bad game' type of guy, but I feel like if the game had committed to one style, it would have helped with immersion; it's a tonal flaw. The reason I bring this up so early is that it's one of the first things you'll notice upon perusing the roster, which shows the wrestlers' in-game models instead of real-life portraits. Add to it the bland menu with some forgettable