Wrestling promotion AEW recently announced a new branch of their company that'll focus exclusively on game development. AEW Games has multiple projects currently in the works, but the one that's gotten most wrestling fans talking has been the currently untitled AEW console game. AEW vice-president Kenny Omega stated during the announcement that the game would be heavily inspired by one of the best wrestling games ever made and one of his personal favorites, WWF: No Mercy.
No Mercy, published by THQ for the Nintendo 64, holds a nostalgic place in many wrestling fans' hearts. It is often cited as the best wrestling game ever made due to its simple controls and gameplay. Many fans have been clamoring for 2k to take the now bi-annual WWE 2k series back to the days of No Mercy, and it seems as though AEW Games are trying to appeal to this market of nostalgic gamers.
There isn't a lot of footage of this game publically available as of the time of writing. AEW Games showed a short trailer of gameplay that featured character models for AEW stars Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho. These character models appear to be a point of controversy amongst fans, as some are claiming that they look too cartoonish. It's also important to mention that AEW wrestlers aren't unfamiliar with the world of video games, as several of their iconic stars were featured in the underrated Fire Pro Wrestling Returns.
Granted, graphics shouldn't be too much of a concern as No Mercy has never really been cited as a graphical milestone, even when released in the year 2000. Critics called No Mercy's graphical style "too blocky," which parallels the early comments fans have about AEW's wrestling game. The important part about capturing No Mercy's spirit is nailing the simple and addictive gameplay. Despite the limited gameplay footage, a few details seem to point in the right direction.
For one, the game doesn't seem to feature a General Manager Mode, as AEW Games are instead choosing to release that as a separate mobile app. This means that AEW Games doesn't need complicated gameplay to match the accuracy needed for any sports game's management mode. The second ray of hope is that this game will be developed by Yuke's, a company with a long history of creating wrestling games.
That being said, this AEW game could easily fall in the same trap that many critics the wrestling promotion itself of doing, which is trying too hard to appeal to a specific group of fans. No Mercy's gameplay isn't for everyone. Many wrestling fans will often cite the Smackdown Vs. Raw series as having a better balance between arcadey fun and simulating the actual wrestling product. The untitled AEW Game's graphics could be the first sign that it'll do too much to try and mirror No Mercy.
That isn't to say that trying to capture No Mercy's appeal is a bad thing. The game was seen as close to the WWF's actual show as a video game could get, with simple controls and mechanics that allowed players to easily recreate the WWF's Attitude Era action. In truth, AEW Games and Yuke's should look to capture the spirit of No Mercy rather than trying to mimic it.
Creating a game that allows players to recreate classic AEW matches while still providing enjoyable pick-up-and-play gameplay should be the priority. That was the appeal of No Mercy, and why it's still hailed as one of the best wrestling games ever. Players didn't need to understand complicated mechanics to get the most out of No Mercy. Once they understood the consoles, they'd be flying off the top rope and locking in Sharpshooters with ease.
How AEW tackles appealing to the wrestling fans yearning for a nostalgic video game may very well define their success against WWE's WWE 2k franchise. 2k has their own redemption arc brewing with WWE 2k22, not to mention the countless indie devs throwing their own hats into the ring. It seems as though the "Wednesday Night Wars" between AEW and WWE may soon extend to the world of video games.