EA Sports UFC 2 Reviews
Microtransactions and the brutal learning curve make UFC 2 hard to play and even harder to recommend.
The lack of overall options and content creates a shallow feeling that EA Sports UFC 2 can never quite shake. It is more pronounced in the career mode, where there was perhaps the greatest opportunity to do something interesting with the source material, but outside of the original tournament the game never shows much personality in that mode. The same can be true of the other modes as well.
EA Sports UFC 2 certainly has a lot of new additions for fans new and old, but it still hasn't gotten the gameplay right just yet. The standing game is satisfying and has some real weight to it, but the floor and clinch mechanics are where things go downhill. This content-laden sequel packs a fair few punches, then, but ultimately doesn't deliver the knockout blow.
This take on the world's most brutal sport falls short.
Bruising, buggy and beautiful, UFC 2 is a technically triumphant fighter, but its combat can easily flounder and frustrate.
While UFC 2 certainly looks the part, it doesn't feel it. Strikes are razor sharp, kicks are satisfyingly heavy, and each and every fighter is beautifully sculpted and recreated, but each and every element is too robotic and rigid to recreate the dynamism and unpredictability that draws me to real UFC fights. Those fights are often won by finding those spaces between the lines that your opponent hasn't thought to cover, but those spaces simply don't exist here. As a fighting game it's worth your time if you're seeking something other than the usual options, but as a recreation of the UFC it falters before the final bell.
As a mixed martial arts simulator it fails in some key areas and as a balanced, competitive fighting game it just doesn’t compare to the champions of the genre, 2D or 3D, offering limited depth and distinction between fighters.
EA have attempted to fix a lot of mistakes made by the game's predecessor, ending up with something much improved and fun.
It’s been working out, but needs more gym time
EA Sports UFC 2 is a much better excuse to go looking for a fight than the previous game, even if it's missing the allure that made UFC Undisputed 3 so great.
EA Sports Canada has improved upon the UFC formula greatly, although plenty of the modes still feel shallow.
EA Sports UFC 2 delivers the grandeur of MMA in a remarkable and brutal presentation. A traditional fighting game this is not, and the genuine attempts at simulating a dense sport result in clumsy combat that only on occasion captures the drama and nuance of human chess.
UFC 2 is hard to get into and not as rewarding to play as it should be, but its smart system design, presentation, and generous helping of content should keep UFC fans occupied – provided they make it through a gruelling training camp first.
Hard-hitting and visually arresting, EA Sports UFC 2 refines its brutal action while still retaining some notable flaws.
These grappling exchanges typically end up being intense affairs that go down to the wire before someone either escapes or taps out like Mystic Mac.
“EA UFC 2” is an improvement on its predecessor. The next chapter needs to go the distance.
Like its younger brother, UFC 2 looks to simulate the most complex contact sport on the planet, and in some ways does so with perfect accuracy. The new animation and knockout system looks better than ever, and the career improvements are a welcome sight, but the barebones career mode, consistent bugs, and ever-present AI cheating are a pretty nasty cut that, if unchecked, may stop fans from wanting a round 3 with EA Sports UFC.
Charles Darwin would be a big fan of UFC 2. This isn’t just because of the natural selection angle of the combat, where the only the strongest and smartest survive, but rather because this is the most natural evolution of MMA games as a whole. There is certainly plenty of room for continued improvement in the future, but it is still far and away the best take on the sport to date. Those who have already found themselves smitten with the series will find plenty to enjoy the second time around.
EA’s UFC 2 is a good follow up to the original and continues to give a good representation of an actual UFC bout
EA UFC 2 is much better representation of UFC with the improved gameplay features, the expanded roster that covers 10 divisions, and the additional game modes. While career mode was a huge let down, and felt pretty much like a copy and paste, the other modes managed to provide the entertainment of a UFC game. If you wasn't a fan of EA UFC, I would recommend EA's 2nd try as all in all it's a much better game that is worth buying.