While the WWE 2K game franchise has been around for years, AEW Fight Forever will be All Elite Wrestling's first attempt at creating a non-mobile video game for its weekly TV show. The former has evolved over time, learning from its mistakes and developing upon the things that made the series so great to begin with. Switching developers to Visual Concepts did well to breath new life into WWE 2K, so as Yuke's has migrated to helm the new project from AEW, there's a huge expectation for the upcoming title to be on a similar level to what the company made in the past.
AEW is an altogether different product to WWE, and prioritizes fans of wrestling rather than the spectacle and pleasing viewers of all ages. It's for those who want their chosen wrestling show to be more edgy, and so anticipation is high for AEW Fight Forever to continue the trend in the video game space. However, it's apparent that WWE 2K has laid impressive groundwork for wrestling-centric titles to draw inspiration from, but as AEW Fight Forever's release date inches closer, its best course of action is probably to do its best to avoid comparisons to Visual Concepts' crowning franchise.
AEW Fight Forever Should Champion its Differences
There have been several hiccups in recent years for the franchise, but WWE 2K is established and revered by fans for its regular (though inconsistent) attempts to refine of the formula. Since WWF No Mercy revolutionized the genre and gave fans a game that is still enjoyed to this day, the company has had a strong foothold not only in the fighting game sphere, but also stands alongside some of the best sports games. Yuke's competing with WWE 2K in AEW's first video game outing would be an impossible task, so it should lean into its youth and instead opt to do something different. Worst case scenario it's an unforgettable experience, but the best possible outcome is that, much like the company itself, it could be a sign of great things to come.
Utilizing the more adult nature of the show could do well to establish a tone all its own, and capture an audience that doesn't find enjoyment in the WWE franchise. Not only could the game take advantage of its TV-14 content in the way it looks and sounds, but also in its gameplay. WWE 2K does well to mimic the experience of watching the flagship shows, but the fighting genre is diverse, and AEW Fight Forever has plenty of directions it could take its core mechanics.
WWE 2K is One of Many Great Fighting Games
Fighting games are present in abundance in 2022, from the traditional 2D format of Street Fighter to the impressive arena-based battles of Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4. AEW Fight Forever's gameplay looks to be more in line with the latter, but it would do well to use the combo-driven design of 2D titles or the fast-paced and unrealistic approach that games like WWE 2K Battlegrounds and Dragon Ball Z: Budokai use to relative success.
AEW Fight Forever could be best served pulling inspiration from other games that exist outside of wrestling as a whole. Chasing the tail of a franchise that has been developing its gameplay for decades would be a brave and, frankly, naive decision, and pulling mechanics from the simplicity of different fighting games would be wise. Publisher THQ Nordic has a foothold in a litany of genres, and ensuring the AEW project is truly unique would be more of a selling point than if it was an underbaked WWE 2K clone.
AEW Fight Forever has a slim chance to compete with the tried-and-tested formula and game design that WWE 2K has utilized for years. If it attempts to take over the niche wrestling game genre by playing at the same game, then it's likely to fail, as anything less than a revolutionary experience could make it feel like a shameless imitator to preexisting fans of the WWE license. The more creative AEW Fight Forever gets with its wrestling simulation, the better.
AEW Fight Forever launches in 2022 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.