The first thing I noticed when getting into Fight Night Round 4: "HBO Entourage - The New Season" advertisement on my loading screen. ON MY FUCKING LOADING SCREEN!!! Really? I mean, I'm okay with Everlast or UnderArmour or something like that showing up. It's boxing-related. Sure, I understand that HBO is related to boxing as well...BUT FOR FUCK'S SAKE!!! That's right...I can't even ABBREVIATE it!
The second thing: I got 105G from 4 achievements in one match as Mike Tyson by kicking a dood's ass onto the fucking ground with just jabs to the head. Weak, EA. Fucking weak. Sure, the dood got back up, but at least make your mediocre AI block once in a while. After I kicked it up to the G.O.A.T. difficulty (which I hate that fucking term), I felt like I was getting a real challenge...but solely because they block like crazy and continue to walk backwards. There's little fighting and lots of running. = / The same poor AI that was in Fight Night Round 3, which refused to fight but instead felt like it was programmed to simulate Ali's tactics at the Rumble in the Jungle, has returned yet again. Seriously, why the FUCK would Mike Tyson do that shit? Tyson is a beast with a short reach, so he's going to rush you hard and quick. He's not going to run away and play hopscotch to the fucking corner, just to trick you into running around in circles. Hell, there's not even any fucking stamina loss over doing that, so what is the computer REALLY doing? When they aren't running, they are throwing jab after jab to the point of hinting me at the fact that they are about to toss me a fucking hook or uppercut, and it feels absolutely lame.
The third thing: You've probably noticed a lot of talk about the computer so far. Why is that? Well, I haven't seen a single ranked match online. NOT A SINGLE ONE! I don't know what the deal is, and I'm sure that I could "research" it...but fuck that! I hit Xbox Live, it should at least come up with a match. Then, after playing a local multiplayer match, I realized why there are no ranked matches: Lennox Lewis. Here's the issue: Philly Shell defense is used incorrectly in the game, as well as every other style of boxing...at least when you go against a dood like Lewis. You're talking about a fucking giant that fights on the outside, as he's got a RIDICULOUS reach on him. Well, unless you pick an equally tall guy...which you'll find most are weaker than Lewis...then you'll be able to block any incoming punches ON YOUR FACE...not the top of your fucking head...which you could potentially do in real life. What makes it worse is that head health degenerates and chips way too quickly in the game WITH JUST JABS TO THE HEAD. Therefore, just pick Lewis, keep throwing jabs, and that new block breaking system they keep talking about seems to glitch those punches to the top of your head. Even against Foreman...who should be a good matchup to Lewis...Lewis fucking raped him. But maybe I'm just not on at the same time as people. I do play after midnight most of the time, but even then...I can find people on F.E.A.R. 2. = /
The fourth thing: People bitching about the corner game need to shut it. You know what your problem is? You expect to be rewarded for throwing wild punches and general button mashing. That's why your sacred fucking button presses are being added back into the game in a later update, you pampered shitstains. Go back to your Martyrdom and your Last Stand and your noob tubes and all your glitches, PLEASE!!! The new corner game never rewarded me with less than 40 points, and why? Because I slaughtered motherfuckers by connecting my punches in well-timed and correct combos. The Total Punch Control in FNR4 is excellent, judging both flowing movement and velocity well. It's a drastic improvement over FNR3. I hope EA cancels the plans to put button mashing back in the game. You don't get it with Skate, so why should you get it here? Force people to learn how to play the game. UFC Undisputed 2009 has proven that people are more than capable...and willing...to learn complicated controls for a fighting game!
The fifth thing: The Legacy mode is pathetic. Why is it that games like UFC and Round 4 think I care about my damn message inbox when it is continuously spammed with the same fucking message over and over? The way that stats are handled now is great, as the training challenges are actually a bit harder and feel more robust now. Nonetheless, YOU DON'T HAVE TO TOUCH THEM!!! You can just as easily hit "Auto-Train" and get a beefed up character without any effort. Then, you can jump into the fights that you schedule and slam into a dood with basic jabs and body uppercuts, to which they'll rarely block in time for about five or six punches. In essence, it's just too easy. I was playing it on Pro before I realized that I might as well just fucking play it on the easiest setting at this point.
Now, what does all this mean? Look, I played a FUCKLOAD of Fight Night Round 3, folks. I had just as many criticisms about that game as I do about Round 4. Does that mean Round 4 is a bad game? No. It's actually got a lot of depth and detail in its fighting mechanics. Unfortunately, those mechanics also seem to work against it in many ways. I still thoroughly enjoy knocking someone the fuck out, but it's just lost some of its pizazz to me with Round 4. Despite that, the improvements to the Total Punch Control mechanic and the ability to break through blocks offers up plenty of strategy and fun to boxing fans who know what a good boxing match looks like and feels like. To everyone else, just push up over and over on your joystick and you've got a 50% chance of winning.
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