EA Sports UFC 3 Reviews
EA went back to the gym with UFC 3 to work on many of the weaknesses that had the previous two games struggling to find their footing. A fantastic new striking system and a much-improved career mode lead the charge, but UFC 3 is still hamstrung by a cumbersome ground game, weird collision issues, and the straight-up terrible Ultimate Team Mode. It's still not a knockout, but Round 3 is UFC's best yet.
With an exceptional career mode and improved gameplay on top of its predecessor's already-strong offerings, UFC 3 is the best MMA game ever released
UFC 3's overhauled striking is wince-inducingly brilliant, but its cumbersome grappling continues to lag behind.
Even with simplified grappling and submission controls carried over from the last edition, EA Sports UFC 3 is probably the least pick-up-and-play game in the sports genre. It takes real dedication, and understanding of one's fighter, to draw out the game's virtues. But they can be found in the anticlimax of a career bout that ends in a fraction of the time spent training for it. For those who can take a staggering punch and remain focused on their game plan, EA Sports UFC 3 is as close as it comes to professional fighting, without the bruises and welts.
EA UFC 3 is closer to nailing this whole UFC video game thing than the comparatively thin EA UFC 2, but while this one has plenty of meat on its bones, it lacks connective tissue.
Fans of the sport will get a kick out of EA Sports UFC 3.
It's about as complete an experience as it can be, and MMA fans will love what EA has done with UFC 3.
UFC 3 has made many improvements to the previous version, both in appearance and performance, from models of wrestlers with the distinctive design and the festive atmosphere before each game and the large number of modes to play available either to play single player or multiplayer, but the game is not making any radical changes in some Gameplay elements such as ground clashes and explicit reliance on the procurement system in the Ultimate team mode.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Probably the best MMA game ever done, but it includes a few failures on almost every corner of the game that make this games less excellent and more so-so.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
With a focus on depth and functionality, the EA UFC 3 development team has created the strongest version in their series. A few minor missteps and the reluctance to embrace or include a true-sim component keeps it from GOAT status. However, there's no question it's a titleholder.
EA Sports UFC 3 is the best MMA simulator we have seen. It is not perfect, but its elaborate combat system transmits all the tension of UFC and its technical section makes it look like we were watching fights on TV.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
EA UFC 3 offers a surprisingly deep experience with complex mechanics and many features for both single and multiplayer.
Review in Italian | Read full review
EA UFC 3 is a good representation of the sport franchise, offering a well put together fighting game that represents the different styles and weight classes found in MMA. The action in the octagon mimics reality very well, with a decent career mode helping people to learn the ropes. On the online front, there's a divide between Ultimate Team and standard online divisions with the latter winning out in both accessibility and fairness. If you're a UFC fan in general, then this is a good game to pick up.
It definitely looks the part, and the striking is excellent, but stodgy controls and a weak ground game makes this far from the ultimate MMA game.
EA Sports has delivered the most complete UFC game ever. This fighting simulator features an amazingly realistic combat gameplay and one of its few flaws is that the Career Mode is a little bit repetitive. Essential for those who love fighting games or enjoy the sport.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
The heart of the game is in its fighting and that's as good as it's ever been.
UFC 3 very well may be EA's best release in the series, but it's only by a small margin that they've improved on their previous effort.
Besides dealing with computer-controlled submission attempts, I largely feel that EA Sports UFC 3 is the best playing mixed martial arts game to date. That's why it was so disappointing to find out that so few of the modes managed to capture my interest. Perhaps it's more of a statement on the current over-saturation of the UFC, but there's not a ton of appeal of going into the exhibition mode and seeing meaningless fights play out anymore. I need something more than that, and I don't feel like either Ultimate Team or the career mode provide it. It's in the weird position of being a game that I like playing, but one that I'm not drawn to at all. But hey, at least there's Snoop Dogg.
The game is a real step forward for the series, adding new elements and refining the already good combat system into something really quite special. There is something here for fans of fighting games, and UFC fans alike.
Once again, being a fighting game fan really helped me get into this game a lot more than what I originally thought. It is a competent fighting game where I feel the standing game is still a better experience then the ground and submission game.