AEW Dynamite (2022 Video Game)

AEW Dynamite (Not to be confused of the Wrestling TV program of the same name) is the 14th Professional Wrestling game developed and published under Bandai Namco Games. It's also the first wrestling game developed for the 9th generation of consoles and the first to use Bandai Namco's updated wrestling game engine, Grappl Engine Mk II.

Development
It was announced in January 2020 that Bandai Namco was discontinuing support for their previous wrestling game, New Japan Pro Wrestling: Strong Spirits, and was working on a new project for the most recent generation of consoles, the official announcement would happen at the AEW Games 1.0 livestream on YouTube, where Kenny Omega, Tony Khan, Cody Rhodes, and Aubrey Edwards would announce their most recent partnership with Bandai Namco, and would be making a new game under the guise of Hideyuki "Geta" Iwashita, the director of the AKI (now known as Syn Sophia) Pro Wrestling video games developed for the Nintendo 64.

Due to COVID 19 restrictions, the game's marketing was limited to the AEW Games Showcases presented by Kenny Omega, who would give insight into the development of the game, including talking about Grappl Engine Mk II, an evolution of the Grappl Engine that was used starting with "Ring of Honor: Death Before Dishonor", gameplay aspects, promised features, mechanics, and modes, and various promises that the game would keep in mind, such as the promise to keep the game going with DLC and patch updates that add things such as match types, modes, and fixes to whatever bugs are present.

The game's original cover, which featured outdated branding (Using the color splash motif Dynamite was known for in 2019 - 2020, along with having an outdated set of champions on the cover), was revealed at E3 2021, however the cover was changed at the start of 2022 to be more in line with the actual branding of the show.

Gameplay
The gameplay of AEW Dynamite is similar to that of various other Grappl Engine games released by Bandai Namco. The most noticeable new addition is that of the match pace system. During a match, a wrestler can switch the pace they want to take the match in using the D-Pad, leading to buffs and nerfs depending on the pace chosen and switched to. These paces include the following:


 * Fast Pace: Stamina drains quicker, move animations are quicker, however, damage is weakened.
 * Working Pace: Normal animations, normal stamina drain, normal damage output
 * Technical Pace: Slower animations, access to rest holds, submissions do more damage
 * Strong Pace: Strikes cause more damage, grapples do less damage

A match pace can be switched on the fly but have a cool down period to prevent from switching whenever. The pace being switched is indicated both on the HUD but also from a specific commentary call.

Returning from Ring of Honor: Supercard of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling: Strong Spirits is the star rating system. Depending how the match goes, you will be rated at the end of the match with a star rating. Generally, you can get from a Half-Star rating all the way up to a 5 Star rating, but if the match goes above and beyond, you can break the scale and get a 6 Star or even 7 Star match. However, this is very difficult to do.

Returning from New Japan Pro Wrestling: Strong Spirits (But was something that was implemented all the way back in WCW/nWo: Bring The Pain) is the ability to do strike combos if your wrestler is in the Striker class and using the Strong Pace.

A returning feature that hasn't been seen since Impact Wrestling is the ability to select your referee before a match. Each referee has their own additional facet to gameplay and the match's pace. Here are the following referees you can select:


 * Aubrey Edwards: Faster counts, more likely to fight back if accidentally hit
 * Bryce Remsburg: Normal counts, easier to knock down
 * Mike Posey: Normal counts, Normal vitality
 * Paul Turner: Slower counts, easier to knock down
 * Rick Knox: Faster counts, normal vitality

While not super essential to gameplay, you can also select your commentary team before the match. You can mix and match the following commentators:


 * Caprice Coleman (Added in Patch 1.1.1)
 * Chris Jericho (Unlockable)
 * Eddie Kingston (Unlockable)
 * Excalibur
 * Ian Riccaboni (Added in Patch 1.1.1)
 * Jim Ross
 * Kevin Kelly (Added in Patch 2.0.0)
 * Nigel McGuinness (Added in Patch 2.0.0)
 * Paul Wight (Unlockable)
 * Taz
 * Tony Schiavone

Match Types

 * Singles
 * Normal Rules
 * Pure Rules (Added in Patch 1.1.1)
 * Hardcore Rules
 * Falls Count Anywhere
 * Lights Out
 * Tables
 * Cage
 * Dog Collar (Added in Patch 1.1.0)
 * Ladder
 * Mimosa Mayhem (Added in Patch 2.0.0)
 * Parking Lot Brawl (Added in Patch 1.1.1)
 * Iron Man
 * 3 Way
 * Normal Rules
 * Elimination
 * Ladder
 * Hardcore Rules
 * Falls Count Anywhere
 * Tables
 * Cage
 * Parking Lot Brawl (Added in Patch 1.1.1)
 * 4 Way
 * Normal Rules
 * Elimination
 * Ladder
 * Hardcore Rules
 * Falls Count Anywhere
 * Tables
 * Cage
 * Parking Lot Brawl (Added in Patch 1.1.1)
 * 5 Way
 * Normal Rules
 * Elimination
 * Ladder
 * Hardcore Rules
 * 6 Way
 * Normal Rules
 * Elimination
 * Ladder
 * Hardcore Rules


 * Tag Team (2v2)
 * Normal Rules
 * Tornado Rules
 * Elimination
 * Ladder
 * Tables
 * Hardcore Rules
 * Falls Count Anywhere
 * Cage
 * Dog Collar (Added in Patch 2.0.0)
 * Parking Lot Brawl (Added in Patch 1.2.2)
 * Tag Team (3v3)
 * Normal Rules
 * Tornado Rules
 * Elimination
 * Ladder
 * Tables
 * Hardcore Rules
 * Falls Count Anywhere
 * Tag Team (4v4) (Added in Patch 2.0.0)
 * Normal Rules
 * Blood and Guts
 * Anarchy In The Arena
 * Tag Team (2v2v2)
 * Normal Rules
 * Tornado Rules
 * Elimination
 * Ladder
 * Tables
 * Hardcore Rules
 * Falls Count Anywhere
 * Tag Team (2v2v2v2) (Added in Patch 2.0.0)
 * Normal Rules
 * Hardcore Rules
 * Ladder
 * Specialty
 * Casino Battle Royal
 * Casino Ladder Match
 * 10 Man Battle Royal
 * 20 Man Battle Royal
 * Stadium Stampede (Added in Patch 2.0.0)

Roster
AEW Dynamite would launch with 72 wrestlers in the base game, with 89 more added in through post-launch DLC. Thus making the current roster 160 wrestlers.

Arenas

 * Dynamite '22
 * Dynamite '22 (Daily's Place) (Added in Patch 2.3.0)
 * Dynamite '23 (Added in Patch 1.1.0)
 * Dynamite '19 (Added in Patch 2.0.0)
 * Dark '21
 * Dark (Soundstage) (Added in Patch 1.5.0)
 * Dark '23 (Added in Patch 1.6.0)
 * Dark '19 (Added in Patch 2.0.0)
 * Dark: Elevation
 * Rampage '21
 * Rampage '23 (Added in Patch 1.1.0)
 * Collision '23 (Added in Patch 1.9.0)
 * Dynamite (Jericho Cruise) (Added in Patch 1.2.5)
 * All In '18 (Added in Patch 1.5.0)
 * All In '23 (Added in Patch 2.3.0)
 * Double or Nothing '21
 * Double or Nothing '23 (Added in Patch 2.5.0)
 * Double or Nothing '19 (Added in Patch 2.0.0)
 * All Out '21
 * All Out '23 (Added in Patch 2.5.0)
 * Revolution '22
 * Revolution '23 (Added in Patch 2.5.0)
 * Full Gear '21
 * WrestleDream '23 (Added in Patch 2.5.0)
 * Dynamite: Fyter Fest '21
 * Dynamite: Fight For The Fallen
 * Forbidden Door '22 (Added in Patch 1.7.0)
 * Forbidden Door '23 (Added in Patch 2.5.0)
 * Dynamite: Grand Slam '21 (Added in Patch 1.7.0)
 * Dynamite: Grand Slam '23 (Added in Patch 2.5.0)
 * Dynamite: Road Rager '21 (Added in Patch 1.4.0)
 * Dynamite: Blood and Guts '22 (Added in Patch 2.0.0)
 * Dynamite: Blood and Guts '23 (Added in Patch 2.5.0)
 * ROH '23 (Added in Patch 1.7.0)
 * ROH Supercard of Honor '23 (Added in Patch 1.7.0)
 * ROH Death Before Dishonor '22 (Added in Patch 1.9.0)
 * ROH Final Battle '22 (Added in Patch 1.9.0)

Main Soundtrack

 * Aesop Rock - "Nickel Plated Pockets"
 * Amine - "REEL IT IN"
 * All That Remains - "This Calling"
 * A$AP Rocky - "Palace"
 * Denzel Curry - "X-Wing"
 * Dropout Kings feat. (hed) P.E., Crazy Town, and Twiztid - "GlitchGang (Remix)"
 * Eminem feat. Jack Harlow and Cordae - "Killer (Remix)"
 * Evanescence - "Broken Pieces Shine"
 * Fozzy - "Nowhere To Run"
 * God's Hate - "Finish the Job"
 * grandson - "Darkside"
 * Lil Uzi Vert - "POP"
 * Limp Bizkit - "Dad Vibes"
 * Linkin Park - "Hit The Floor"
 * Lio - "Off The Top"
 * Platinum Max - "Damn It Feels Good To Be Elite"
 * Run The Jewels feat. Greg Nice and DJ Premier - "Ooh LA LA"
 * SaifLove and Austin Gunn - "ALL ABOUT ME"
 * Token feat. JID - "Boom"
 * Trippie Redd feat. Chino Moreno - "GERONIMO"
 * Westside Gunn feat. Joey Bada$, Billie Essco, and Tyler The Creator - "327"
 * YUNGBLUD feat. Halsey - "11 Minutes"