Gabriel

I quite enjoyed it, and so did my partner (who isn't huge on comic book stuff, but watches them all with me anyways). She typically enjoys watching most of it once-through, especially because of how excited I get, but there are a few shows and movies that she's really enjoyed. Most of them are the obvious ones like Guardians and Thor, where it's just more zany and fun, so it was quite surprising that she came out of Secret Invasion wanting to see where it goes. Myself, I think that it's a great companion piece that sets up some potentially major events in upcoming films. There were some touching moments, and the plot point of the world's xenophobia being so central comes at a very interesting time, when the MCU is awaiting the arrival of the X-Men. A lot of people complained that it didn't follow the comics enough, but in order to do that, you're looking at needing at least a trilogy of 3 to 4 hour movies with a cast that would cost more money than we've ever dreamed of. I really like what they did with Secret Invasion here. It was different from the other MCU stuff, feeling much more like The Winter Soldier than anything else, and it sets up some pretty cool possibilities for future projects.

From has such great potential and the first two seasons have been very good television. The Lost connection and my fear of shows being canceled willy-nilly after I fall in love with them had me on the fence about even starting it... but my boy Mercutio is getting his well-deserved run as a leading man on the show and I was hearing good things, so we started it and it's been great. It has a lot of the same allure as Lost, but it doesn't feel like they're going to fuck us around as viewers like Lost did. I really do believe that when they made Lost, they thought they had this great slow-burn mystery, but then everybody called the end-game in season one and they spent subsequent seasons trying to throw everyone off that scent, only to arrive at that same bloody destination anyways. Anyways... off my Lost frustrations and back to Harold Perrineau... very slight spoiler, but the moment that hooked me is in the very first episode when he just full on pimp slap's the ever loving shit out of a dumb moron. This show is fire, people. If you haven't watched it, give it a go. Season 3 is coming.

After having spent a couple of weeks with this, there are three things I really want to see them work on for content updates. Two of them, I believe are reasonable asks, and the other is a bit more of a long-shot. #1: the creation suite. They NEED to add more content into the creation suite. We've been given 100 CAW slots, but I can't imagine myself needing more than 5 to 10 with what's available to use in-game. They've gotta add to it. #2: customization of existing wrestlers. They sure made it sound like we'd be able to fully customize the in-game roster's attire. I don't even need anything overly crazy here. Add the ability to color-swap for existing wrestlers, and also the ability to use anything from the creation suite if we want to give them a completely different look. I want to put FTR in some long boi's. #3: single player "season/GM/Universe" type mode. This is the long-shot, because it would be a fairly large update. Most games, when they add something that "big" for the players, will use it as the selling point of their next entry. I don't want to have to wait until the next AEW game to be able to have additional single player content. It's not the end of the world if it doesn't make it into Fight Forever by any means, as we all have imaginations and paper/pens or a computer we can build our own world in. I'm having a blast doing my own little tournaments and shit, but this would really help add value to the game and extend the life-span of the game for people who only play offline. It doesn't even need to be anything crazy. Here Comes the Pain had a fantastic season mode with stories, and you could save your attribute changes, face/heel turns, records and title holders to carry over to your next new season. If 1 and 2 get done, I have no doubt that I will be playing this game for a very long time. If they don't, it's still worth what I spent on it because it's something I can pick up and play for 30 to 60 minutes when I have some time to kill but can't commit the time needed to MLB The Show or whatever else I might be playing.

That's the big thing I'm not a huge fan of in RTE. You win a title to close out a story, and then move on to the next story. That part is fine, but it would be nice if that next story was a title specific story, or gives you the option of vacating the belt you won to try something else. I figured branching stories might include you defending a championship, but once you finish a story, you just move on to the next one. Maybe that's something they can add with content updates. It's really just a mild annoyance for me, but it would be nice to be able to defend the belts you win and that could add a lot of potential stories to the RTE mode.

I spent all day yesterday getting used to the controls, but after seeing some of what other people did for button mapping, I think I might play with that a bit too. The gameplay feels like No Mercy, 100%, and I'm loving it. The controls though, were definitely not feeling the same, but other people suggesting different layouts has me thinking that can be fixed. Don't get me wrong, the controls are fine if you're picking up for the first time and have no expectations. Just, for a No Mercy love-fest, a lot of buttons were not at all where I would have expected them to be. Like I said, the gameplay is exactly what I anticipated when they started talking about the THQ/AKI n64 influence. Now, let's get some more shit fleshed out like actually being able to customize existing wrestler attires, loading up the CAW suite more appropriately and some type of other mode to help with single player replayability.

I had a blast on my first run through of RTE with Cash Wheeler. I would have liked to have seen what happens in your career carry over from story to story in some form, but it was entertaining and I had a great time padding my record right up to Double or Nothing, where I proceeded to get spanked by the Young Bucks in a 2 on 1 match. I took a look at the CAW feature and if they want people using that (and in turn, more people buying the game) they're really going to need to add to it. Though, my biggest disappointment was that they hyped that we could edit the attires of existing wrestlers.... which implies a No Mercy-esque way to color-swap their existing gear or put them in something else entirely. Nope. I can add a t-shirt. Tristy's more or less hit the nail on the head. It's a fun game, and the building blocks are there. My advice to people on the fence would be to either take a leap of faith in the team at THQ Nordiq, Kenny and Uncle Tony and pick it up within the first couple of weeks to really show them that continued development and investment is worthwhile... or hope that they're all-in on this venture and wait for a sale price. Obviously, even with the lip service we've been given, there is no guarantee that any post-launch additions are anything more than just mini-games and new wrestlers to use... but given the people behind the game and what's been said by so many people involved in relation to future content, I'm more than happy that I took that leap of faith. I'm going to get $80 worth of enjoyment out of this, for sure. It would be even better if it turns into something like MLB The Show for me, where I can play the game consistently for two to three years, pour the hours into it, and stretch that $80 as far as it will go.

On my first play through of Road to Elite, and I'm not sure if it goes the same way every time yet, but I just won the World Tag Titles as Cash Wheeler with Nick Jackson as my partner. I didn't win the Casino Battle Royale in my first match, and was then put into a program with Nick as an opponent first, then as a partner. While I really wish there was a Universe type mode for me to dive into, I'm enjoying the gameplay and likely to go through RTE with several different wrestlers. Add to that, the idea of just using Microsoft Word to keep track of things and just continually run massive tournaments should keep me quite happy with this. I've already put more time into this than I did with WWE 2k22 when it was added to PS Plus Extra. Max Caster revealed that the Acclaimed are on their way to Fight Forever, and they weren't part of the announced DLCs, so THQ and AEW already have additional stuff being planned out. So far, the mini-games are a nice little break from the in-ring action, but I wish they'd give you a bit more on how to play them. I lost my first two because I had no idea what the fuck I was doing.

I've just been screwing around in one on one matches so far, sitting with an 0-2 record because I'm trying to focus on learning the block/reversal system and having a hard time figuring that out. I can see myself playing this a lot, especially as something that I can just throw on when I've got a bit of time to kill and don't want to sink multiple hours into something story-based or my MLB franchise. Anybody have any tips on blocks and reversals?

The first domino has fallen in Calgary. The Devils are getting a very good sniper in Tyler Toffoli. In return, the Flames have added Sharaganovich, who has scored 53 goals over 204 games for Jersey. Additionally, a 3rd round pick is going to Calgary. I don't hate it. Flames fans are crying on the twitter that we should have gotten more, but the biggest asset a team can get right now (for most teams) is cap space. In this market, Toffoli was never going to fetch us anything more than a guy with the potential to be a better version of him and a 2nd or 3rd. No one is going 1st rounder for Toffoli right now. We got a guy who can slot into the middle six, with a 24 goal season under his belt and potential to be more. That's a reasonable, and arguably really good, return.

Stadium Stampede was found during some data-mining and is likely just going to be post-launch content. It looks like it has a Battle Pass and will probably be the major online mode for the game, so it's hard to say whether it will be a free content update or paid DLC. It could go either way, as Stadium Stampede and the Battle Pass look like their "money mode", like an Ultimate Team mode in a sports game, so it wouldn't be shocking if it's a free update, but there's no guarantee. The Elite Edition is guaranteed to give you the already announced DLC. It's likely that any future DLC will be part of an additional season's pass or passes, depending on how long the game is supported with new content.

If you buy the physical copy, you can for sure purchase the DLC to get the rest of the content. The only DLC I'm not positive on is the Matt Hardy pre-order bonus. That said, every other game I've ever had with a pre-order bonus DLC has made it available later on for an extra charge. The Elite Edition will save you money on the already announced DLC though. On Playstation, it's $12 more than the base game. I would imagine that the DLC on its' own will likely be priced at about $5 for each pack. There's what, four or five announced packs?

THQ Nordiq did a FAQ this morning that says that the Elite Edition will not be a physical copy. I am so happy they did that, because now my twitter feed in regards to Fight Forever isn't littered with this one fucking Ross dude who kept sending out tweets to basically anybody involved with the game at any level basically demanding that he get a free upgrade to the Elite Edition because he pre-ordered the base game before they announced it. Beyond that, 100 CAW slots is confirmed (I've seen the number before, but couldn't remember if it was ever officially stated), we can customize the attire of in-game wrestlers and the post-launch content will include additional game modes (Stadium Stampede incoming, updates for Road to Elite likely and possibility of a GM/Universe TYPE mode in some form). I haven't decided who I'm going to run through RTE with first. I might just dive into the Casino Battle Royale and go with whoever emerges the winner. UNLESS there's a Revenge-style battle royal where I can have 30 to 40 guys and eliminations occur via pinfall or submission. I think that's the match type I played the most in Revenge. It was just so much fun.

Just purchased the game. First game I've paid full price for in years. Kinda, I guess. The Elite Edition is 10% off for PS Plus subscribers until the 29th, so I saved a bit by grabbing that. I am off Wednesday, and it looks like it drops Wednesday for pre-orders, or the Elite Edition at least. So I'm incredibly excited to get going.

Craig Conroy has quite the task ahead of him over the next few weeks. Noah Hanifin has said that he won't be re-signing after the year because he wants to play in the States, and he's unrestricted, so he's out. Tyler Toffoli has also requested to be moved out of Calgary after the leading the team in goals last season. Elias Lindholm and Mikael Backlund haven't made decisions yet, and Lindholm is the one guy who alters the Flames' plans based on whether or not he's sticking around. If they re-sign him, Conroy needs to commit to icing a competitive lineup because Elias wants assurances that they're chasing a cup, not a top draft pick. If he decides he wants to try the market instead, Conroy can't walk him to free agency and it's likely a deal is made before the season starts... but that opens the doors for a potential rebuild. That said, Hanifin and Toffoli are the first pieces to go, and I believe that Lindholm's decision will be based on the returns. Of course, it would be a better situation if they could move or sign Lindholm before dealing with the other two guys, because what Lindholm does impacts what they should be looking for in returns for those two. Does Conroy target cheaper NHL players or picks/prospects in return? Well, that depends on whether we're putting our chips in and keeping Lindholm or trying for a quick rebuild. If I'm Conroy, I'm looking for NHL proven young players at lesser cap hits in exchange for Hanifin and Toffoli first. If the best packages come in the form of futures, then it is what it is and you can still try to appease Lindholm by using those cap savings to bring in free agents. Or, I just don't worry about any of the fence-leaners and I move out anybody who doesn't want to be part of the solution for whatever the best possible return is, whether it's NHL ready guys or future assets.

Yes and yes. Without going into spoiler territory, this season dives a bit into the more traditional horror genre and Demon76 (I think, is the title) is one of my favorite episodes of the entire series.

Yeah... it might be time to look at how post-season berths are earned. When there are several teams who will finish with significantly better records than a divisional first place team, and fail to make the post-season, that's a problem. But how do you do it in a way that won't cause more headaches? I would be okay with shortening the season a few games and expanding the playoffs to 8 teams from each league. Maybe winning a division still gets you a spot, but I'd have the first place team face the eight place team, 2nd against 7th and so on. Re-seed each round. It's just absolutely mind-boggling that a team could conceivably finish with a record under .500 in a 162 game season and still go on to win the World Series, avoiding the wild card because they won their division. Should you even celebrate a division win with a sub-.500 record? I'd be almost embarrassed.

I imagine that the create-a-wrestler feature is something that will get some additions as time goes on. Kenny knows we want to be able to create our favorites, and it's likely that they just didn't focus on the CAW aspect in the pre-release development, and will add to it in future updates. A lot of the doom-sayers are forgetting that this game is entirely planned to be given consistent content updates, and that the release version + DLC isn't all that they have planned for us.

There's something going on in his head right now, so I think 3 to 5 starts for Buffalo would be super beneficial for him. I'm a firm believer in using the minor league options on players when it makes sense, regardless of what they're being paid. Field your best players at the Major League level, even if you've got millions of dollars riding the bus for a few weeks. I'm not sure who you bring up to take that rotation spot right now, but a hungry arm might give us a few quality starts or force their way onto the permanent roster. You've gotta give guys those opportunities when you've got a player struggling, who can be sent down to regain their confidence, swagger, control or whatever it is that is missing.

I would be really surprised if the mini-games aren't just a side excursion during Road to Elite to break up the monotony a little bit, with the ability to just choose to play them from the main menu if you choose. I don't think they're going to be all that important to the game, really.

It wouldn't surprise me if there are Day 1 wrestlers who aren't unlocked at the beginning of the game. I imagine Road to Elite will allow us to unlock characters and/or attires for them as we play through that. There's also the AEW Shopping Mall or whatever the hell they're calling it, where I imagine we can use the in-game currency to unlock other wrestlers. I would expect active workers to be unlocked through Road to Elite, and legends to be unlocked through their in-game mall.

To be fair, this isn't an annual release that's trying to bleed us dry for every penny before the next iteration drops and they do the same thing over again. I will happily buy DLC packs for a game that gets continued support, but until I know exactly what it is I can do with them, I'm going to hold off on spending that money. For instance, if I am essentially finished with the game beyond just going back to have a good time, there's no real point in me spending extra money just so that I can pick up and play a quick match or two as Hookhausen while I wait for the bus to work or something. But if the game modes encourage me to continue playing beyond just needing a time killer, they can count me in for buying each DLC. We know there isn't a GM or Universe type mode in the game at launch, and the game may not ever have one. So what can I do with the other modes to keep me coming back? They've talked about replayability for Road to Elite, but beyond that, it's just Exhibition matches as far as I can tell. While I am likely to try my hand at creating my own little Universe type deal with the good old fashioned pen and paper (or computer, in the case of 2023), if my desire to go back is limited, it's unlikely I will care when new DLC packs are dropped. In a nutshell, we just need some more information on what it actually is that we're getting. I'm happy to drop the $90 to pick up the game as-is, but further dollars won't be coming out of my account until I know more. They could drop a bunch of info and have me end up with the Elite Edition, but where we are at with what we know about the game so far, I'm looking at the standard edition and the caveat of probably having to pay more for the DLC at a later date, should I feel there is an actual reason for me to pick it up.

I can't wait for the inevitable video someone puts together of King knocking the ever loving shit out of every roster member with the Spinning Backfist. EDIT: I also really hope that there is an intro video like in Revenge where if you alter the worker's attire, that is reflected in the video.

I believe you can only pre-load if you buy digital, because the download option should not show up unless the console knows that you own the game. Digital downloads for Xbox and Playstation are tied to the account, not the system. Nintendo may have changed, but last time I checked, digital downloads are a little bit trickier on their platform, as they are tied to the console itself. I do believe that there is a way to reclaim digital Nintendo games if your console fails on you though.

Tree gets a lot of misplaced hate. I think he did an admirable job in Calgary, given the restrictions that were placed upon him and the unfortunate situations he found himself in. Not many GM's would have been able to weather the storm that was last year's off-season in Calgary. I think he did great in assembling the pieces, but the disconnect between management and the coaching completely de-railed everything. I still believe that with the right kind of coach, this Calgary Flames team is one to be watched. That said, with the situation in Toronto, I don't believe he's the guy to handle that. I guess, the right GM choice for Toronto really comes down to what Shanahan sees as the plan moving forward. Are they looking for someone who can re-tool on the fly and keep the core together? Are they looking at a longer game and hoping to move out some existing contracts? Whoever gets the gig isn't going to have an easy few months. There are a lot of questions about what direction this team is heading and the ownership group and Shanahan need to decide what path they want to take and get the right person for that job.

If Road to Elite plays like the career modes from WrestleMania 2000 and No Mercy, I'm going to be so happy. I played through those careers so many times over, with so many different wrestlers, and had a great time every time. I need more info on that mode. Is it linear? Are there branching storylines based on our wins and losses or decisions we make? Is the mode different if you use different wrestlers? Like I said, I'm already buying it. I don't even care if they release any more information prior to release date in that sense. I'm making that purchase. But, I am so hyped for this thing that I am just salivating at the thought of more info. If they do end up just adding content post-launch, I hope that they can do some kind of "Universe" style mode. If they do that, I'm sure that the other game modes will keep me plenty busy until it happens.