Far More Newbie Friendly
I like UFC a lot, but I was unable to wrap my brain around the control system in the first two UFC Undisputed titles. I do not dispute (*rim shot*) that the title was excellent, but I was so terrible at the ground controls that if the PC managed to take me down, it was basically "Hold on until the round is over". I can't really fault the control as plenty of others figured it out, but it never once clicked with me.
THQ fixed that with this. They offer a far more simplified ground control system if you wish to use it, which made the game far more than me punching and kicking and hoping that the AI never got me down to the mat. This made the game many times more enjoyable.
You have the usual UFC roster in addition to PRIDE in its prime (well, except for Fedor Emelianenko obviously). In fact, PRIDE was a bit of a revelation as I never saw it in its prime and the show is impressive to look at. The translator sounds amusingly ridiculous and the very real "pro wrestling entrance" vibe was evident. I didn't really focus to heavily on the rule differences in PRIDE and UFC outside of kicks while on the ground. But, with more time, PRIDE rules could provide a wonderful alternative to the usual UFC event.
Technically, the game is still quite good. The lack of clipping is still impressive given the heavy reliance on grappling. Frame rate doesn't really hiccup and the assorted training mini-games are decent enough. Some are more enjoyable than others, but they are an entertaining diversion.
This is the best of the UFC titles, and it also is the one that they need to take a break on. This series doesn't work on a basically annual basis at all (especially since UFC's PPV business seems to be slacking a bit) but they have become quite enjoyable to date.
UFC Undisputed 3 is the pinnacle of the MMA genre. It is more playable than EA MMA and contains all of the names that a fan cares about (again, except for Fedor arguably). Definitely worth playing.
