Developed by Yukes, the same company that used to make the WWE games, AEW: Fight Forever is the first All Elite Wrestling game. It’s really cool to see the relatively new AEW already putting out a videogame, especially one developed in collaboration with Kenny Omega, a massive name in the wrestling business and an avid gamer. But leading up to the launch on June 29th, there have been some doubts as to whether Fight Forever can be a championship contender.

Now, reviews are in. Some critics have had the game for weeks, it seems, giving them plenty of time to test the game to its limits. The overall reception seems to be inline with what I was expecting: a decent wrestling game that will hopefully serve as a solid foundation for the future. A lack of content and rough graphics are the most consistent gripes. A lot of reviewers seem to agree that the gameplay is fun, though.

Over on Opencritic, AEW: Fight Forever weighs in at a “Weak” rating of 63, with just 37% of reviewers recommending it over other games released this year. Of course, these numbers will likely shift around in the coming weeks.

Jason Fanelli at Gamespot gave the game a 6 out of 10, writing “AEW Fight Forever, much like the company it represents, is a cocky young upstart trying to take the crown from a titan. Also much like its source material, its first outing is a decent foundation for what its future could provide. The roster is a good primer on the current AEW lineup, there are enough match types to keep things fresh for a while, and Road To Elite is an irreverent look at the life of a wrestler that made me smile. There are some bumps in this road–particularly the lack of trios matches and the disappointing entrances–but those are all things which can be fixed in future installments. If AEW truly plans to Fight Forever in the video game world, then they’ve thrown an effective first punch.”

Ben Potter of Push Square gave it 5 out of 10, wrapping up his review by saying “AEW: Fight Forever is an incredibly faithful tribute to 90’s wrestling gaming, and it’s clear that a lot of love has gone in to ensure the presentation, gameplay, and atmosphere all harken back to that time with unyielding accuracy. But the world has moved on, and more importantly, wrestling games have moved on, and the dogged determination to honour what came before has resulted in a title that will ultimately prove incredibly divisive.”

Gaming Bolt posted one of the more generous reviews, handing the game an 8 out of 10 and praising its sense of fun. “AEW: Fight Forever feels like a return to form for pro-wrestling games. Long mired in the depths of attempted simulation for the sake of “realism”, the genre has mostly been monopolized by a singular franchise. With the release of AEW: Fight Forever, however, we finally have a decent alternative for those among us who are more interested in the fast-paced, almost fighting game-esque gameplay of the WWE games of the past.”

Marcus Stewart of Game Informer also acknowledges how fun it can be and the potential it has, but also points out the lack of content, saying “The gameplay has a strong foundation, and when it’s firing on all cylinders, the action channels the simple fun of the ‘90s and early 2000s. The rest of the package just needs to catch up. Until it does, even the most passionate AEW fans may have a hard time sticking around for this main event.”

My own copy should hopefully turn up tomorrow. The WWE games haven’t spoken to me in years due to their focus on realism and simulation, so I’m approaching Fight Forever from the perspective of someone who just wants a fun wrestling game. For context, the last WWE game I enjoyed was WWE: All Stars, a heavily arcade-focused experience where wrestlers could practically defy gravity and pull off insane moves.

The biggest thing I noted reading through the reviews is that AEW: Fight Forever seems like a good start, which is exactly what I was hoping. Since this is the first game with the AEW name, I haven’t been expecting heaps of content and a massive budget on display because publisher THQ Nordic probably wants to get a feel for whether the AEW name can draw customers.