EA Sports UFC
After THQ's closure, EA Sports took over the series of games dedicated to the UFC and the world of MMA, turning it into a near-photorealistic game and a highly detailed simulation.
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Banned from competition in France, mixed martial arts (MMA) are not banned from the world of video games. Previously developed by THQ, the license for the sport's premier championship, the UFC, was left without a home after the American company disappeared. But EA Sports picked up the torch and produced one of the major titles on next-generation consoles.
Above all, the game looks beautiful. Powered by the same graphics engine as FIFA 14, it is almost photorealistic. Whereas a football simulation has to animate 22 players, EA UFC only has two fighters to animate. The result is muscles, sweat and blood, with fighters' faces becoming increasingly marked as the fight progresses.
Endurance at the heart of strategy
But realism is not limited to the graphics. This is very much a simulation, firmly positioned at the demanding end of the genre. EA took the gameplay system used by THQ, assigning kicks and punches to the controller's four face buttons. The triggers are used to choose the height of a strike and to perform special moves unique to each fighter. It takes little time to handle basic attacks, but longer to land signature moves.
The core of the gameplay lies in the endurance gauge.
In Bruce Lee's shoes
The ground game is where the game's major innovations can be found. Attempting a submission opens up an entirely new management system: a kind of mini-game in which you can move the stick in four directions (up, down, left and right) to try to fill a gauge by holding that direction. To defend, the opponent must counter the movement by moving in the same direction.
The Career Mode lets you create, train and shape your fighter from A to Z. A Single Fight mode is also available, as is a multiplayer mode. The legendary Bruce Lee can be unlocked as you progress through the game or obtained as DLC.
In 2014, we had already seen plenty of beautiful games, and you have probably noticed that some only reveal their beauty after several hours... That is when you can more easily appreciate the details, artistic choices, subtle color work and everything else. Why am I telling you this about a fighting game based on the most violent sport of all? Because you will not immediately appreciate the technical achievement and graphics in
EA Sports MMA.
Indeed, you will immediately notice that the fighters are extremely well modeled, with sweat beading on their muscles, which contract on impact and relax afterward... That alone should impress you, but it is above all the bruises, cuts and the way the fighters' skin deteriorates throughout the fights that will leave you floored. So even if the crowd modeling will not be remembered (although it remains decent), you will find it hard to forget the level of detail the developers have brought to the fighters' bodies.
In this respect,
EA Sports MMA is truly a tour de force, both superb and impressive, even for newcomers. It is also worth noting that the twisting of muscles and especially joints (wrists, knees, etc.) has received a great deal of attention, although under certain conditions the curvature of the ankles tends to lack realism. We can live with that, because the gameplay system will keep you busy for quite some time and offers an impressive learning curve.
There is no need to detail every last aspect of
EA Sports UFC's combat system. Put simply, you can strike with your fists, elbows, knees or feet while standing, along with all the expected nuances (hooks, reversals and so on).
As in reality, fighters can also enter a "clinch" (close-quarters grappling), and you will gain or lose the advantage by using movements of the analog sticks. Next come the ground-grappling phases, which are also played using the sticks. Naturally, you can strike with your legs and arms at any time, whatever your position. The result is the full range of moves seen in real UFC fights.
While striking is easy, managing a clinch or ground-grappling sequence is considerably more complex, and it is ESSENTIAL to go through the tutorials to understand how everything works; otherwise, you will quickly be overwhelmed. Because let us not forget: although MMA is a sport where direct strikes are spectacular (or monstrous) to watch, a fight often ends with a takedown or submission.
So be prepared to spend hours practicing these phases, or you will flirt with defeat far too often. Overall, this gameplay system, which makes use of every controller button, including the stick, is comprehensive and rewarding over time, but it requires plenty of practice to master. Rest assured, however, that the time investment will ultimately pay off, as you will become highly effective once you understand the game's rhythm.
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Above all, the game looks beautiful. Powered by the same graphics engine as FIFA 14, it is almost photorealistic. Whereas a football simulation has to animate 22 players, EA UFC only has two fighters to animate. The result is muscles, sweat and blood, with fighters' faces becoming increasingly marked as the fight progresses.
Endurance at the heart of strategy
But realism is not limited to the graphics. This is very much a simulation, firmly positioned at the demanding end of the genre. EA took the gameplay system used by THQ, assigning kicks and punches to the controller's four face buttons. The triggers are used to choose the height of a strike and to perform special moves unique to each fighter. It takes little time to handle basic attacks, but longer to land signature moves.
The core of the gameplay lies in the endurance gauge.
In Bruce Lee's shoes
The ground game is where the game's major innovations can be found. Attempting a submission opens up an entirely new management system: a kind of mini-game in which you can move the stick in four directions (up, down, left and right) to try to fill a gauge by holding that direction. To defend, the opponent must counter the movement by moving in the same direction.
The Career Mode lets you create, train and shape your fighter from A to Z. A Single Fight mode is also available, as is a multiplayer mode. The legendary Bruce Lee can be unlocked as you progress through the game or obtained as DLC.
In 2014, we had already seen plenty of beautiful games, and you have probably noticed that some only reveal their beauty after several hours... That is when you can more easily appreciate the details, artistic choices, subtle color work and everything else. Why am I telling you this about a fighting game based on the most violent sport of all? Because you will not immediately appreciate the technical achievement and graphics in EA Sports MMA.
Indeed, you will immediately notice that the fighters are extremely well modeled, with sweat beading on their muscles, which contract on impact and relax afterward... That alone should impress you, but it is above all the bruises, cuts and the way the fighters' skin deteriorates throughout the fights that will leave you floored. So even if the crowd modeling will not be remembered (although it remains decent), you will find it hard to forget the level of detail the developers have brought to the fighters' bodies.
In this respect, EA Sports MMA is truly a tour de force, both superb and impressive, even for newcomers. It is also worth noting that the twisting of muscles and especially joints (wrists, knees, etc.) has received a great deal of attention, although under certain conditions the curvature of the ankles tends to lack realism. We can live with that, because the gameplay system will keep you busy for quite some time and offers an impressive learning curve.
There is no need to detail every last aspect of EA Sports UFC's combat system. Put simply, you can strike with your fists, elbows, knees or feet while standing, along with all the expected nuances (hooks, reversals and so on).
As in reality, fighters can also enter a "clinch" (close-quarters grappling), and you will gain or lose the advantage by using movements of the analog sticks. Next come the ground-grappling phases, which are also played using the sticks. Naturally, you can strike with your legs and arms at any time, whatever your position. The result is the full range of moves seen in real UFC fights.
While striking is easy, managing a clinch or ground-grappling sequence is considerably more complex, and it is ESSENTIAL to go through the tutorials to understand how everything works; otherwise, you will quickly be overwhelmed. Because let us not forget: although MMA is a sport where direct strikes are spectacular (or monstrous) to watch, a fight often ends with a takedown or submission.
So be prepared to spend hours practicing these phases, or you will flirt with defeat far too often. Overall, this gameplay system, which makes use of every controller button, including the stick, is comprehensive and rewarding over time, but it requires plenty of practice to master. Rest assured, however, that the time investment will ultimately pay off, as you will become highly effective once you understand the game's rhythm.
