Fighting games have always been highly popular among the consoles and the sales have shown it. UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) has made its appearance on some of the previous consoles and has impressed most people. The time has come for UFC 2009 Undisputed to enter the ring in the next generation. Will it deal a knockout punch or will it simply get knocked out?
Being a fighting game, UFC offers the player over 80 fighters to choose from in 5 different weight classes. With some familiar faces; Chuck Liddel and Brock Lesnar, UFC is fully licensed. This is a great feature because it manages to give the player the authentic experience of fighting seen in the UFC.
A number of different game modes are on offer in the UFC. You can choose to play a normal exhibition match against the AI (which by the way can be really clever at times). There is also a practice arena that offers you tutorials on how to play or to touch up your skills. With a versus mode, you can take on your friends and deal some K.O’s. A career mode is also available where you create your own fighter and make your way up the ranks to become the Ultimate Fighting Champion and then retire once it’s all over. Lastly you can choose to jump online and play other people in an attempt to climb the online ranking charts.
Another aspect where UFC manages to shine is with the amount of depth that it carries in its fighting and character customization. There are a number of different fighting styles, such as Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, in the game and these will affect the moves and abilities of your fighter. To add more variation to this, the fighters have different styles for punches and kicks, and others for grappling. This creates a great amount of variation in the fighting techniques of every fighter and doesn’t leave you feeling as if each fighter is exactly the same. When you decide to create your own fighter you will be greeted by a massive and overwhelming list of customizations ranging from; the shape of the players face, to the thickness of the hair on his body.
Physics are important in a game like this and UFC does not disappoint. Depending on the power of the attack and the height of the attack, your enemy fighter will react in different ways. Should you hit him with a left jab, his head will move to the right. If a fighter is moving in and receives a punch to the jaw whilst doing so, there is a good chance that they will be knocked out immediately. This single act alone shows how much attention has been paid into the physics of UFC. The physics manage to create an authentic and realistic feeling whilst playing.
The realistic feel that is given off during gameplay is carried over into the visuals themselves. Visually, UFC looks very solid. A lot of detailing has been put into the actual fighters themselves. Facial expressions look very good especially the look that a player has once they have been knocked out. The attention to detail follows into the character modeling from scars on the players bodies, realistic facial hair, tattoos, and even sweat after a few punches are thrown. The fighters are also animated very well; they kick, punch, and throw their opponent to the floor in a fluid motion. The crowds look fairly good too in 3D as they move up and down while they watch the match.
The basic controls work fairly well and you can deal some serious damage with a basic knowledge of the controls. This is another point in which UFC carries a fair amount of depth. Beside the basic controls, there are complex submissions that the fighters can execute and to do so, the combination that you have to punch in to complete these grapples can be quite intricate and demanding on you. This is where UFC caters for both kinds of gamers. It plays very well for a casual gamer because and at the same time it’s a dream for the diehard gamers due to its intense grapples.
UFC 2009: Undisputed appears to have what it takes to become a fighting game worth considering. It has a variety of game modes to choose from, an impressive roster, excellent physics and great next gen graphics. Step into the ring with it, you won’t be disappointed.
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