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Source: Gamefreaks -
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Platform: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PSP
Publisher: THQ
I'm oiled up, shirtless and ready to punch some guys in the face. Those in the know realise I'm an up-and-coming star with unmatched style and power. But in my championship match I forgot how to tackle and now I'm nobody. Welcome to the unforgiving and technical world of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
UFC is the world's premier mixed martial arts organisation. Unlike boxing or wrestling which focus on one specific style of fighting, mixed martial arts throws all sorts of fighters into an eight-sided cage and lets them go at it. Winning a UFC match requires getting your opponent to submit, knocking them out, or winning on points. The game version is no different, and offers fans of the bloody sport the chance to live out their fantasies in the virtual ring.
But here's where you might hit a snag, because the controls for this fighting game are complex and numerous. Those who played the first UFC game last year will recognise the system, with the addition of new mechanics such as swaying and pushing your enemy up against the side of the ring. New fighters stepping into the ring will have a lot of work to do. In addition to the average punches and kicks, there are grapples, height modifier buttons, standing attacks, ground attacks, tackles, counters, pins, reversals, ground reversals and much, much more.
It's hard to fault the game for being complicated, given the endless nuances of the sport it represents, but sometimes it feels less like a game and more like an exam. It may take a few solid hours to come to grips with the controls in UFC, and well before that happens you'll get used to losing two minutes into a match because you rotated the stick the wrong way. An in-game tutorial will teach you the basic moves, but this section is so long, drawn-out and boring that you will forget the first half by the end. None of the moves are shown in context either, meaning you get pushed out of the nest still feeling very confused.
Put the time in, though, and you start to reap the rewards. Jumping into a tense fight with one of the hundred-or-so real world fighters on offer for an exhibition match and managing to hold your own is good fun. Having the referee declare you the bloodied and beaten winner is more fun.
Career mode is the main focus of the game, allowing you to create your own impressive looking martial arts expert (or overweight ginger brawler) and take them from nobody to champion. The game gives you the option to go to fight camps and learn different moves until you find a style that suits. Each week you can choose to upgrade your fighter through sparring while trying to manage your stamina for the upcoming match. All the glitz, glamour and girls are present in the matches, with somewhat tailored commentary for your character which really draws you into the UFC world. Unfortunately it does drag a little when you settle into a routine of fighting, training, fighting and training.
Outside the career mode there are various types of exhibition matches you can hop into, such as 16-man tournaments and title matches with specific objectives to meet. Online is there too, allowing you to beat up real people from around the world and try for a spot on the leader boards. The online fight camp system allows you and your friends to join forces under your own team name and logo, although apart from a shared banner this mode doesn't really offer anything interesting. Worth noting is that UFC is part of the current trend to require an unlock code to access online features, meaning if you rent, borrow or buy used you will have to pay extra to use the online.
UFC Undisputed 2010 is a solidly put together game with plenty
of features to play with, if you can get past the slightly
overwhelming control system. Fans of mixed martial arts should
definitely pick up a copy, and fans of fighters in general could do
much worse. The game doesn't do anything spectacular to wow you,
but it does the job.
Rating: 8/10
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