UFC Undisputed 2010
I wouldn’t have known what UFC was if it wasn’t for an American friend who introduced me to it via his iTunes TV collection. He wanted to show me this particulate knockout where the guy knocks his opponent out cold. So cold the due has to be carried off with his eyes firmly fixed in the back of his head. The only problem was that to get there we had to go through some of the wrestling type fights, which I had to control myself to stop me from laughing – half naked grown men rolling around on the floor in positions that wouldn’t look out of place in a porn flick. But once we got to the match that had the action in it, things heated up pretty damn quick, with a combination of kickboxing and street brawling, the fight was on. And then so very quickly over with a wicked hook to the face sending the guy sprawling. I wasn’t an instant fan, but I’d had a taste of some of the most brutal fighting ever.
So when UFC Undisputed 2010 arrived on my desk, my first thoughts were to the seriously gay looking wrestling – fortunately in career mode you get to customise your fighter and I went for a combination of street brawler and boxer – there was no way I was willingly going to cuddle a sweaty man on the floor.Â
At first the fights seemed sluggish, I seemed to be in a constant state of slow motion, but then when I knocked out my first opponent cold, I get an instant adrenaline rush. A few fights later and I soon realised that to get a decent knockout I had to wear my opponent down, and the slow motion fighting suddenly disappeared as I realised that it was all part of the game. Prod, prod, prod, bam. This was a game that seemed simple on the surface, but in effect was a complex combination of punches and kicks – and if you so desire, wrestling your opponent to the ground – that if you combined everything properly and carefully, lead to you sending your opponent to the canvas.
Of course, stone cold knock outs are not the only way to win, they are just the most fun way to win. Knocking someone out cold from a standing position wasn’t the only way to go either, as UFC showed it’s most brutal side when I knocked my opponent to the ground, but he was still conscious so I was able to go up to him, bend over and start pummeling his face till he was KO’s or the ref stepped in and ended the fight. That’s brutal with a capital B.
The UFC style of fighting alone would have been enough for me, but THQ decided to take it to the next level, by giving the game the who televised feel, with commentary and theme music etc. This definitely ramped up the expectations and got the adrenaline pumping, but the ‘realism’ didn’t end there. There was also the whole management side to things. Not only did you have to decide on your own training routines and when to rest, but you also had to decide who to fight next, sponsors and such like.
For those who just want to fight – you can jump into a number of different fight options, but I always head to the career mode first, and it’s here that the game really lives.
Graphically UFC is great. When you’re pummeling a guys face you see the blood spray and drops of crimson soon dot the canvas. At the end of the fight you get to literally see the sweat dripping off you, as well as any injuries you may have sustained. Realtime bruising and cuts in the game allow you to judge just how much damage you are doing, and where to apply the pin to next, and then when you land that massive hit, your opponent losses colour and sways slightly – a nice little indicator that if you can manage to get a quick little jab in, the guy will be finished.
UFC won’t be for everyone – to begin with it really only appeals to fighting fans, and is naturally geared towards UFC fans. However, I’m neither and I’m still enjoying the thrill of punching and kicking the living daylights out of any one who dares to get in the cage with me.
Reviewed on: XBox 360
Available on: XBox 360, PS3, PSP
Reviewed by:
I wouldn’t have known what UFC was if it wasn’t for an American friend who introduced me to it via his iTunes TV collection. He wanted to show me this particulate knockout where the guy knocks his opponent out cold. So cold the due has to be carried off with his eyes firmly fixed in the back of his head. The only problem was that to get there we had to go through some of the wrestling type fights, which I had to control myself to stop me from laughing – half naked grown men rolling around on the floor in positions that wouldn’t look out of place in a porn flick. But once we got to the match that had the action in it, things heated up pretty damn quick, with a combination of kickboxing and street brawling, the fight was on. And then so very quickly over with a wicked hook to the face sending the guy sprawling. I wasn’t an instant fan, but I’d had a taste of some of the most brutal fighting ever. So when UFC Undisputed 2010 arrived on my desk, my first thoughts were to the seriously gay looking wrestling – fortunately in career mode you get to customise your fighter and I went for a combination of street brawler and boxer – there was no way I was willingly going to cuddle a sweaty man on the floor. At first the fights seemed sluggish, I seemed to be in a constant state of slow motion, but then when I knocked out my first opponent cold, I get an instant adrenaline rush. A few fights later and I soon realised that to get a decent knockout I had to wear my opponent down, and the slow motion fighting suddenly disappeared as I realised that it was all part of the game. Prod, prod, prod, bam. This was a game that seemed simple on the surface, but in effect was a complex combination of punches and kicks – and if you so desire, wrestling your opponent to the ground – that if you combined everything properly and carefully, lead to you sending your opponent to the canvas. Of course, stone cold knock outs are not the only way to win, they are just the most fun way to win. Knocking someone out cold from a standing position wasn’t the only way to go either, as UFC showed it’s most brutal side when I knocked my opponent to the ground, but he was still conscious so I was able to go up to him, bend over and start pummeling his face till he was KO’s or the ref stepped in and ended the fight. That’s brutal with a capital B. The UFC style of fighting alone would have been enough for me, but THQ decided to take it to the next level, by giving the game the who televised feel, with commentary and theme music etc. This definitely ramped up the expectations and got the adrenaline pumping, but the ‘realism’ didn’t end there. There was also the whole management side to things. Not only did you have to decide on your own training routines and when to rest, but you also had to decide who to fight next, sponsors and such like. For those who just want to fight – you can jump into a number of different fight options, but I always head to the career mode first, and it’s here that the game really lives. Graphically UFC is great. When you’re pummeling a guys face you see the blood spray and drops of crimson soon dot the canvas. At the end of the fight you get to literally see the sweat dripping off you, as well as any injuries you may have sustained. Realtime bruising and cuts in the game allow you to judge just how much damage you are doing, and where to apply the pin to next, and then when you land that massive hit, your opponent losses colour and sways slightly – a nice little indicator that if you can manage to get a quick little jab in, the guy will be finished. UFC won’t be for everyone – to begin with it really only appeals to fighting fans, and is naturally geared towards UFC fans. However, I’m neither and I’m still enjoying the thrill of punching and kicking the living daylights out of any one who dares to get in the cage with me.
Reviewed by: