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The buzz of anticipation around the bone-idle office on Monday morning was very noticeable. Why are people so excited on a Monday morning ? Its only when I saw the rush to the window as the postman approached I remembered that UFC is on its way and sure enough the posty was good enough to furnish us with the full game which meant that the demo that we have been addicted to for the last 2 weeks can finally get a well deserved break.
So first off the presentation is outstanding, the music, the graphics and the UFC announcers Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg all sets the tone for a great game. Fighter likeness is top notch no more blocky characters this is how fighting games should look. But it’s all well and good having great graphics but what it all comes down to is how the fighters interact with each other and again this is brilliantly done, gone are the days of button bashing and watching the fighters on screen pull off wonderful moves without you having a clue how you did it. When you hit someone the recoil is very satisfying. The clinch moves is where most wrestling games are let down with jumpy characters that seem to act as separate entities that barely look like they are locked together. This isn’t a problem here when you’re in a lock it looks like you are in a lock. A lot of time has been put into this game and it shows it’s not just another licensed fighting game cashing in on the popularity of the sport this is genuinely a well put together game.
The basic combat buttons are pretty easy to understand the 4 face buttons make up your left and right punch and left and right kicks. After that it starts to get tricky you use the right analogue stick with the left shoulder buttons to perform clinch or take down moves. The 2 Right shoulder buttons are your defense one for upper and one for lower blocking. After that there is the ground fighting rotating the right stick will move your fighter into better positions but as with every move in UFC it can be countered and as quickly as you got on top you can find yourself getting reversed and the whole fight shifts in your opponents favor. You use every button on the controller which can be quite overwhelming to start with but is necessary to deliver a complete fighting experience.
| The tutorial mode is a must and I would recommend going through it more than once. It can be agonizingly slow and the large gaps between learning one move or the next means it doesn’t flow like it should and by the time you have gotten to the end of a section it’s been so long and has had so many breaks that you have forgotten most of what you just learnt. But you will have a better feel for the game and will go into fights with more moves than just punch and kicks. |
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The most enduring part of the game is the career mode where you build your own fighter and try to make it in the UFC. Fighter customization is quite limited (as they only wear shorts !) beyond the standard fighters appearance you can also add knee or ankle supports mouth guard and short sponsors which give you extra “cred” in fights. At this stage you will also pick your fighters style whether that will be kickboxing judo muay thai to name but a few.
Career mode involves training this is quite basic as you just select the type strength speed or cardio and the intensity. You can also enter into short 2 minutes sparring bouts to practice your moves for your upcoming fights. Each of these sessions will give you extra skill points that can be added to your attributes to build up your fighter as you see fit. If you are a fighter that likes to stand up and go toe to toe then your striking attributes is where you need to concentrate your points, if you prefer to get your opponent on the canvas then your take down attributes should be your main focus. But with large gaps between fights and training turning into not much more than menu navigation it can get a little tiresome but that’s what comes with career modes its why it makes it more satisfying than the exhibition matches. As you start to win fights you will be rewarded with sponsors and new gym equipment to help you along the way.
Carrer mode is your best bet for longevity in the single player modes but nothing comes close to competing against your buddies a perfectly placed right hook that sends your buddy crashing to the canvas in a pile is really very satisfying. The knock outs never get old no matter how long you have played its still brilliant to see them crumble the gloating that goes along with knocking out your buddies is an added bonus. Along with the knock outs your have submissions these take a lot of effort and are one of the games few button bashing moments as both you and your opponent battle to overpower each other by hitting buttons or rotating the right stick.
Online so far has been disappointing its quite laggy at times which ruins the fight as it affects the animation and your own timing I’m hoping this picks up as release day approaches as it would be a shame for a fighting game to come so close to getting most things right only to fail because of the online side of the game.
The classic fights mode offers you the chance to partake in some of the most memorable match ups with video and highlight introductions to the fights which all go to further reinforce just how realistic this game is to play.
Overall if you like fighting games or the UFC you will love this it has all the fighters all the styles all the moves and combos to recreate your own fights. If you never got into the UFC shows you will still enjoy this polished fighting game although it can be slow at times and difficult to get to grips with its is one of the few examples of licensed games that actually deliver. The sheer amount of moves means it will be a long time before you master this game and as such should offer plenty of replay value. |