Xboxist

UFC Undisputed Review

What is a fighter's dream? Glory, fame, fortune, or just the opportunity to enter the ring ready to throw down against the strongest opponent? Ever since the mid 1990s, Ultimate Fighting Championship has been number one of MMA(Mixed Martial Arts) entertainment and. Now after five years of waiting, we have another chance to step into the ring on current-generation hardware. Step into the octagon with me as we review UFC Undisputed.

The main tag line for UFC is "Do you have what it takes?" and honestly it is a great question because the game really encourages players to want to win. Within five years from their last title, UFC Undisputed is as challenging as any fight fan would want and you better believe that practice is needed. You can choose to go straight into exhibition and choose many of the new-generation UFC fighters (for example Brock Lesner) and
battle it out through matches. On the other hand, you can do like yours truly and start a career with your own custom fighter.

Once you are done customizing your superior fighter you of course have to train them. In this regard, the game is more like a simulator fighter, with a lot of hardcore gaming to boot. You will get a calendar course to train your fighter in each week and then have your big UFC match. The more you train the stonger your fighter will be, but first you have to choose what style you want to master, as well as your weight class. Yes, I know it may seem like a lot of choices, but it is well worth it to go big in the octagon against the computer.

For those of you that expect to just jump right in and button mash through the game, well you have a surprise coming! There is a helpful tutorial which players will have to consult several times to master all of the techniques necessary to win. You have your strike moves, clinching, submissions, counter submissions, takedowns, counter takedowns and evasion moves. Every button on the controller you will have to use and learn. The A and B buttons are your kicks, X and Y are your punches, and analog left for movement and analog right is for clinches and grabs. You have the shoulder buttons on the left for high and low modifiers just in case you want to do a special move and then your right shoulder buttons are high and low guards. All of your fingers will be used on this control pad I promise you. Now depending on your fighting style whether you are a Muay thai or kick boxer and of course boxer the moves will vary with your fighter. Teach yourself the button combos to have a great fluid fight!

In terms of training, you will have to choose from Training, Sparring, resting, status, and actions. These activities are all available to you on your calendar before your big fight that you choose after each battle. With training you can choose strength, speed and cardio with different levels so choose wisely and don't over exhaust yourself. Then the sparring is where you get the most points to tally out between whatever skill you want to master between defense and offense from submissions, strikes or clinches to name a few. In sparring you will fight an AI character and after it is over you will see how you did with how many punches you landed and how powerful they were. However the game forces you to rest once you did too much and you will get a chance to see your stamina so it is a good thing.

Now that you know about fighting techniques, it is time to discuss actual gameplay mechanics. There will be a lot of blood and loose mouth pieces throughout your career. You can literally feel the impact from each blow especially the sweat falling off your opponent. You will have the option to show the fatigue meter or not, but for those that would like to know if their opponent is tired or not or if you yourself is on the brink of being knocked out, it is recommended to keep that option on. On another note the card females are a nice touch and trust me you want to watch each one of them fully for an
extra bonus.

As amazing as everything in this game is -- with sponsorships and a growing fan base between fights, there are a few flaws. The customization is a bit limited in terms of body mass and tattoo designs. I have also noticed that sometimes online matches will drop customizations like tattoos. The game might also turn away new players due to its intense training system that can become quite frustrating. Hardcore opponents will be in this game offline and online and if you don't train you will curse this game out! So please learn all the moves -- especially counter - before you even think about becoming the champion.

We have reached the final breakdown portion of the review. In Undisputed, you have a lot of star fighters and of course customized characters, different weight classes to choose from. Hot graphics that make you feel as if you are in the octagon yourself, a lot of commentary from your trainer and training modes that will help you through the course. Sponsors and building up a fan base all play into the game and the lovely card holders are a nice touch. Being an extreme simulator kind of singles out regular casual players but that is not too much of a problem, however just same don't expect to pick up and button smash. The customization is limited and some parts won't show up online. The replay value is huge and online ranking is done very well with each fight, but there is no spectator mode which would have been a great plus. I have to say I am going to give UFC Undisputed a 4.5 out of 5; see you in the octagon gamers and always stay frosty!