It’s been an exciting week or so for All Elite Wrestling fans. First, their PPV Double Or Nothing happened on Sunday and had some really big matches, including the 4 Pillars main event and the Anarchy In The Arena closer. But just as important was the release date for AEW Fight Forever, the wrestling company’s first attempt at a video game. The title has been in the works for some time and is looking to be a throwback to the more arcade style of gameplay that many wrestling fans grew up with during the days of the N64.
Thanks to plenty of new videos and details, we’re getting a better sense of the scale and scope of the title. That includes the pre-order bonus and DLC characters you can get through the season pass. But that’s not the only thing that’s dropped. IGN did a special preview of AEW Fight Forever, and they revealed that the story mode, called “Road To The Elite,” will be different than you’re used to.
In other wrestling titles, like the ones from WWE, you typically create your own wrestler and then try to win your way to the top. But in Road To The Elite, they let you select anyone from the AEW roster in the game and then work to make them the top wrestler you want them to be. The catch is that the story will change based on whether you win or lose matches.
That’s a big difference for numerous reasons, not the least is that it makes the game feel more accurate to what happens in wrestling promotions. Very few wrestlers go on massive undefeated streaks that make them seem untouchable. Instead, they often have streaks of wins and then will lose to “bring them down a peg” and advance the storyline. So by offering this branching path, they give the player a reason to try new things and see where it may lead them.
Another thing they highlight in the story mode is that between matches, you can do various things to try and bolster your character. For example, you can do workouts to improve your stats, press conferences to try and gain momentum, or minigames to see if you can get enough to buy extra stuff.
All in all, this seems like a refreshing take on career mode, and it’ll be curious to see how deep it goes. Thankfully, we’ll find out soon as the game releases on June 29th.
You can check out the preview below.
