EA Sports UFC Reviews
The good news is that while there are parts of the game that need a major overhaul, there are still parts of the game that are extremely impressive.
The striking is the shining spot of the fighting, but even that lacks oomph. This is a flashy game that's better against a human opponent than AI. Changing up some of the design will help in the future. Until then, date it for a while, have fun, but remember -- it's not marriage material.
EA Sports UFC will undoubtedly appeal to fans of MMA, but a convoluted control scheme, poor tutorials, few modes of play, bad acting, and an offensive use of DLC make this a game for hardcore fans only.
It's early in the fight for EA and they are a bit bruised and bloodied up after this round but they are wearing the opponent down and in the next round they could very well take the title.
EA Sports has been developing their first UFC game for some time now and, while they have shown they know their material, it's unfortunately weighed down by shortcomings. On one hand, the mechanics are satisfying as timing counters and ground passes are down to precision.
Like so many early releases in a console's life cycle it's a showcase title -- get it if you want to justify your console purchase to your significant other or if you want to punch-on with your mates without the legal repercussions, but fair warning -- dig at all and you'll realise just how shallow the game really is.
There's a good game at EA Sports UFC's core, it's just a shame that it's not as seamless in its delivery as we'd hoped it would be. Fingers crossed that that changes in the inevitable sequel.
Overall, it's a tepid entrance into the ring for EA Sports and their new UFC title. The game looks, and even sounds like the real thing, but a slightly awkward grappling engine and a lacklustre approach to the energy and thrill of an actual fight is disappointing. Let's just hope that the franchise builds on this foundation for 2015, because there is technical promise here.
If you like EA's first venture into the MMA world, you will probably like EA UFC. If you are a UFC fan, you will definitely like EA UFC. Heck, the roster is over 100 fighters huge, and that's saying something. However, if you are a fighting game fan, this isn't the game for you. If you are looking for a sports like simulation experience, this isn't the game for you. If you aren't looking to play with other players, this isn't the game for you. In the end, you just can't take EA Sports UFC all that seriously, and if you can manage that, it's a pretty fun distraction to play with friends and fans of the sport. However, if you are looking for a lot of replay value or a deep strategic fighting experience, then you are probably climbing into the wrong ring.
UFC isn't as polished as it needed to be, but I suppose it'll give avid fans a thrill. There's plenty of content and if you've got the requisite diligence and patience, your training can really pay off. The designers do a good job recreating the tension and invigoration one feels when squaring off against an equally powerful opponent, and the freedom to create and build any fighter you wish is intoxicating.
EA Sports UFC is like EA Sports MMA in that they represent good starts to a franchise but need lots of work in their current state. If you can get past the new submission system, the overall fighting is very solid and satisfying once you learn all of the nuances. Online matches perform well for the most part, and the presentation is great despite a few issues here and there. Career mode can drag on at times, and the character creation system could benefit from some improvements. More importantly, the lack of modes when compared to older titles hurts the game, especially if you prefer to have a few offline solo modes to accompany the online fighting. UFC fans who live and breathe online or local multiplayer will easily have a ton of fun with this game, but those who'd rather play solo are best served by renting the title first or picking it up if it gets cheaper later on.