Does UFC's resurgance into video game get Flash KO'd?
If you were just walking by and got just a glance, you could swear that a live UFC event was in progress on your tv. The authenticity is incredible. Any true UFC fan needs to pick up this game.
The controls are a mixed bag when it comes to complexity. The stand up is pretty straight forward, with face buttons corresponding with left and right punches and kicks. Left trigger modifies the attack to low attacks to the legs/body. Right bumper and trigger block high and low respectively.
The ground game is a different story. Wrestling and grappling are controlled by the right stick. It definetely taking some practice, and the tutorial is very much recommended.
Graphically, UFC Undisputed is great to look at. The fighters are clearly represented by an avatar with unreal detail. For a game that has so much collision, especially with grappling, there is very little clipping of the models. The knock out rag doll physics make the knock outs different everytime, and look great.
Commentary is provided my Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan, just like the telecasts. For the most part, they do a great job, frequently stating saying specific to fighters in the fight. However, after a while, you'll begin to hear the same statements over and over, and you will grow tired of the commentary. Without the commentary, there is little reason not to just listen to your own music as you play.
UFC Undisputed sports an unprecedented 80+ fighters. Most, if not all of your favorite combatants are represented in full detail. There is also a "Create a Fighter" mode, used to create your own fighter to take through career mode to build your stats. While the options are serviceable, if you play online, all of the created fighters will look very similar. This is one aspect I hope the developers greatly improve on.
The modes included are: Career, Exhibtion, Classic Fights, and Online. Career mode allows you to take your newly created fighter through their career. This includes fighting scheduled fights, train, and take part in events to grow your popularity. Exhibition is just a fight between two selected fighters, either against a friend, or the AI. Classic Fights allows you to recreate classic UFC fights, such as the infamous Stephan Bonnar-Forrest Griffen figh from the Ultimate Fighter Finale. Online allows you to fights against friends or strangers online and gain points towards your account to make fights more fair.
Overall, UFC Undisputed 2009 has been one of my favorite games of the year so far. It's great as a sports game, and even better as a fighting game.
