i love AEW. have for a few years now. this was my most anticipated game of 2023. now here we are. just under seven months later and the game still doesn't feel like a finished product. updates are scarce and the roster is laughably outdated. i've had a lot of fun with Fight Forever, but once i caved and bought WWE 2K23, i haven't gone back much. if they retooled some of the more infuriating aspects of gameplay (pin system!!) and gave the game just a tad more character (and for the love of god give us some updated attires), i could see myself coming back. far from the worst wrestling game i've played, but far from the best too.

Look, it’s rough around the edges, yes, but it’s just so much fun. I got to date HANGMAN ADAM PAGE IN THIS GAME. (Yes he did leave me for Thunder Rosa, but we’ll ignore that part). I really love how they handled Road to the Elite, it’s not too long to beat (which is refreshing compared to how long and dragged out WWE My Rise is) and it has some slice of life/management elements and it’s just so much fun! Learning about all the different food staples at the different restaurants, going on a date with Hangman Adam Page at said restaurant, getting booped by Kris Statlander, ya know? Is it buggy and unpolished? Yes. But did it make me somehow fall in love with AEW even more? Also yes.