AEW: Fight Forever, the newest arcade-style wrestling video game from Yuke's is finally out for Elite Edition owners. The game will officially release tomorrow, June 29th, for  PC via Steam, Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch.

Meanwhile, reviews are starting to hit the web. So, what do critics think of AEW: Fight Forever? Is it a good first impression that'll keep the series lasting? Let's find out.

AEW: Fight Forever Review Scores: 63-68 on Metacritic

Here are the review scores as of writing this article:

Out of the five platforms the game is available on, only PC (68) and PS5 (64) have garnered enough reviews for an average score. There are 5 PC reviews, 27 PS5 reviews, three Xbox Series X|S reviews, and 2 Nintendo Switch reviews. The three Xbox reviews averaged to a score of 73 (or 218/300), while the Nintendo Switch version averaged a score of 55 (110/200).

On PC, the game averaged a score of 69, with two positive reviews and three mixed. The Playstation version averaged a score of 64, with 6 reviews being positive, 17 being mixed, and four negative. The three Xbox reviews averaged to a score of 73 (or 218/300), with one being positive and two being mixed. Lastly, the Nintendo Switch version averaged a score of 55 (110/200) out of two reviews. One review was mixed, while the other was negative.

CGM Magazine gave the game a 9/10, the highest score out of all reviews. They felt the game was a classic call back to THQ Nordic's Wrestling games of the 90s. “If you are someone who was gaming when the original THQ wrestling games hit the market, you will love revisiting those memories with this game”. They loved how easy it was to pick up and play the game, whether you're riding solo or with a buddy. Unlike many reviewers they actually liked the level of customization, mentioning how you can customize arenas in the game.

Xbox Era gave the game an 8.3/10. They said “Fight Forever rekindles the flame of the classic N64 wrestling titles. Featuring a fantastic mix of nostalgia and new it is only let down on occasion by budget and scope constraints.” The Xbox version of the game ran smoothly on Series X, saying throwing people around the ring feels “fantastic.” However, they did note the game could use more customization options and game modes.

They also enjoyed the Road To Elite Mode, which broke up the monotony of playing the other ones.

VGC gave the game an 8/10, enjoying the combat mechanics and the career mode's ridiculousness. They also appreciated how the game performed well on Steam Deck and mid-level PCs. However, like many other reviews, they noted the lack of customization options and a short story. They ended their review saying “AEW's first game gets a lot more right than it does wrong”. The game serves as a “edgier alternative to the WWE 2K Series.”

Nintendo Life gave the game a 7/10, enjoying the game's combat and wide variety of weapons. Although short, they found Road To Elite to be entertaining. However, they were disappointed that only four wrestlers could enter the ring at once, which ruins Casino Battle Royale. They also noted performance issues with the Switch version. The game would freeze, “as if it’s trying to catch up. It’s far longer than a typical frame drop, so it can’t really be counted as a stutter”.

They too, wished for commentary during matches.

PCMag gave the game a 3/5 (6/10), praising the game's large roster, gameplay, and match types. Like many other reviewers they noted the lack of customization options, commentary, and length of Road To Elite campaign. They liked the in-game currency which you can use to purchase wrestlers and attire. In their review, they noted there was no microtransactions in their review build. However, they didn't find the mini games impressive as well as the lack color and play-by-play commentary.

Pure Xbox gave the game a 7/10, praising the bell-to-bell gameplay and long list of weapons. They found the creations mode currently lacking, and wished there was more content outside Road To Elite. Additionally, they found Road To Elite fun, noting that although the experience is short, you only experience 4 storylines per playthrough. They did like how each wrestler felt unique. “Jeff Hardy and Sammy Guevara can fly around the ring with ease, while a heavyweight such as Wardlow benefits from his immense strength and even the ability to withstand certain kicks and punches for a short period of time”

GamesRadar+ gave the game a 3.5 Stars out of 5 (or 7/10), stating “Every wrestling fan needs to play it”. They praised the AI for being much smarter than other wrestling game AIs. They found the career mode quite enjoyable, and found the mini-games fun. The review liked how Intergender wrestling was in both the game modes as well as career modes. This means you can enjoy any fantasy matchup without any restriction.

They ended their review by saying “With a bigger roster, and expanded creation-sharing options, this hilarious one-off could very easily turn into an annual colossus.”

Gaming Nexus gave the game a 6.5/10, feeling that the story mode was “short & repetitive”. Additionally matches felt too short, the creation mode felt limited, and there weren't a lot of match options. That being said, they can tell “There is a lot of love here and AEW die hard fans will really enjoy all of the easter eggs in here that they included, like being able to carry five belts to the ring in your entrance”. However, that didn't justify the price total of $59.99 (USD) plus tax.

Gamespot gave the game a 6/10, stating it “much like the company it represents, is a cocky young upstart trying to take the crown from a titan.” While they weren't crazy for the game, they think it has upside potential should it become an annual release. They thought Road to Elite was enjoyable and offered more replay value, but thought storylines didn't always match up with their character's performance. They also enjoyed modes like Exploding Barbed Wire Death match, which they found more entertaining than the real deal.

IGN gave the game a 6/10, stating “Though it's very similar to current popular wrestling games, it lacks their polish and responsiveness.” They found the wrestler customization to be bare bones, and thought the combat at times didn't feel right. Sometimes they could pull off combos with no problems, whereas other times it wouldn't work for no reason. The Road To Elite Career Mode also didn't satisfy them, with management-sim elements that felt “undercooked”.

Pocket Tactics gave the game a 4/10, stating that the player models on the Switch version looked similar to something you'd see on PS2. They also felt the game's wrestler customization suite was underwhelming. “AEW Fight Forever is so limiting that I took maybe ten minutes to create my wrestler.” However, they did like the game's entrances, which gives the player a lot of freedom. But performing moves and the overall gameplay experience felt “clunky”.

They felt the career mode was much better than WWE games have been, but that the limited hardware of the Switch made it difficult to recommend.

Is AEW: Fight Forever Worth It?

It appears that AEW: Fight Forever is off to a shaky start. It's not the worst game, but unless you're a massive AEW or wrestling fan, you may want to wait until the game goes on sale. It certainly seems like a fun game to play with friends, but when by yourself there doesn't seem to be much going for it.

If you are a fan of AEW, then the game may be what you're looking for. There's a big roster of characters, a story mode with multiple different scenarios for replay value, and a bunch of mini games to enjoy. However, since this is Yuke's first time working on an AEW game, expect there to be a few bumps along the way.

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