UFC Initial Thoughts

Review Fix got an exclusive hands-on with Electronic Arts’ recently released UFC game on Monday in a Times Square event that had both the development team and several UFC fighters and sports celebs in attendance. Was it all too much hoop-la or did the game knock us out?

Electronic Arts’ UFC game reeks of visual polish, from sweat, to creases in skin and bruises. Simply put, this game is one of the best looking games EA has ever produced. It might even boast the best character models in any game, period. Add in plenty of presentation polish, from the pre-fight screens to solid commentary and you’ve never been this close to recreating a UFC fight.

Plenty of fighters, as well as the creme of the female crop also add to the playability, setting the scene for what should be an awesome experience. However, much like the older UFC games, this title is not to be enjoyed right out of the box. Just like a real UFC bout, there’s a level of strategy involved. Those who go in and button mash will quickly be dispatched by a smarter fighter. The same thing goes for the actual UFC stars. Try to fight like a welterweight with Frank Mir and you’ll quickly get dispatched.

While this is a testament to the realism EA has provided here, casual gamers will be turned off by the number of buttons needed to latch on submissions and to ensure a win. At the same time, UFC purists will love the counter system and attention to detail.

In the end, if you’re a real fan of UFC, this short run-through we had made us think this could be the best game based on the promotion we’ve seen since the Dreamcast. If you’re looking for a few quick knockouts however, this won’t be the experience you’re looking for.

The Good:

Risk vs. Reward Gameplay: If you leave yourself open, you’re going to get hit. If you miss a big strike, you’ll leave yourself wide open. Miss a counter opportunity on the ground, you’ll expose your back and it’s pretty much game over. To see the reality of a UFC bout in a video game is super cool.

Beautiful Presentation: From the player models to the plethora of fighters and commentary, EA did a great job recreating the UFC experience.

The Bad:

Hard to Pick Up and Play: Lots of button combinations and things to press once you’re on the ground made it less than an intuitive experience for anyone not eager to look up a move set.

Strikes Don’t Feel Super Real: While nailing an opponent with a strike is fun, there’s too many times where you’ll hit an opponent with a kick to the face and nothing really happens.

For more information on the game, click here.

Check out a Trailer for the Game Below:

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About Patrick Hickey Jr. 14230 Articles
Patrick Hickey Jr. is a full-time Assistant Professor of Communication & Performing Arts and Director of the Journalism program at Kingsborough Community College and is the chairman of the City University of New York Journalism Council. He is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of ReviewFix.com. He's also a former News Editor at NBC Local Integrated Media and National Video Games Writer at Examiner.com where his work was mentioned in National Ad campaigns by Disney, Nintendo and EA Sports. Hickey was also the Editor-In-Chief of two College Newspapers before he received his BA in Journalism from Brooklyn College. Hickey's work has been published in The New York Daily News, The New York Times, Complex, The Hockey Writers, Yahoo!, Broadway World, Examiner, NYSportScene Magazine, ProHockeyNews.com, GothamBaseball.com, The Syracuse Post-Standard, Scout.com and the official sites of the Brooklyn Aces and New York Islanders. His first book, The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult And Classic Video Game Developers was released in April 2018 and is chock full of interviews with legendary developers. His second book in the series, The Minds Behind Adventures Games, was released in December 2019. His third book, The Minds Behind Sports Games, was released in September 2020. His fourth book, The Minds Behind Shooter Games, was released in March 2021. The Minds Behind Sega Genesis Games and The Minds Behind PlayStation Games were released in 2022 and The Minds Behind PlayStation 2 was published in January 2023. Hickey is also a contracted comic book writer, currently penning his original series, "Condrey," as well as "The Job," "Brooklyn Bleeds" "Dem Gulls" and "KROOM" for Legacy Comix, where he serves as founder, owner and Editor-in-Chief. Hickey Jr. is also a voice actor, having starred in the 2018 indie hit and 2019 Switch, PS4 and Xbox One release, The Padre (also serving as English language Story Editor), from Shotgun With Glitters. The sequel, The Padre: One Shell Straight to Hell was released in February 2021- Hickey also served as a Story Editor and Lead Voiceover performer. He has also done narration and trailers for several other titles including The Kaiju Offensive, Relentless Rex and Roniu’s Tale. Hickey is also the lead voiceover performer on Mega Cat Studios’ upcoming title WrestleQuest, responsible for nearly 90 characters in the game, as well as Skybound's Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, where he voices both Dracula and Renfield, as well as several other characters. He also stars in Ziggurat Interactive’s World Championship Boxing Manager 2, where he performs the VO of nearly every male character in the game. He also worked on the Atari VCS’s BPM Boy.

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