I used to love the show Games Master. I especially loved it's snarky host Dominik Diamond. Hence the name for my bi-weekly blog where I review video games.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship has quickly become the most recognizable organisation in the world of Mixed Martial Arts. There are numerous reasons for this. One would be that most of the top stars in the world of MMA have flocked to the noticeably green pastures of
Whatever the reasoning, fans of UFC will be pleased to know that the newest UFC video game contains all of these features (even if Dana’s language has been slightly toned down). All of your favourite UFC bone breakers are here from quick moving Anderson Silva, to the golem like BJ Penn and the terrifyingly massive Brock Lesnar. Not only are these fighters included but they also fight some what like their real selves. Silva darts around the Cage like a gazelle on Irn Bru 32, Penn tries to ground you and make you tap out and Lesnar mauls you like a grizzly dragging his prey into his cave for winter.
In addition the glitzy production of the UFC Events is recreated. In the previous game, fighters would just sort of appear in the cage and the fight would begin. Sadly, 2010 still hasn’t added fighter entrances but graphics and music really add to the presentation and make you feel like you’re watching an actual UFC Event.
There in may lay the problem. THQ have done a very good job of making the game “feel” more like the UFC and have added little extra nuggets like online camps and “Event Mode” to keep UFC fans happy for longer. But what about the casual fans? What about people who are into the Smackdown and Street Fighter titles and just want to beat the piss out of somebody? Will they be satisfied with the game engine?
Yes and no. The fact is that Undisputed isn’t exactly pick up and play. If you play the game on anything but the lowest the setting and don’t have a good grasp of the controls then you’ll soon be beaten into a miserable quivering pulp. If you have never seen a UFC Fight before then you’ll probably charge in swinging your fists only to be taken down and humped to death by a massive 250 Pound beast of a man. Unpleasant, I think you’ll agree. Thankfully the game does have a rather nifty tutorial mode that will give you a grasp of the basics.
If you dedicate time to learning the controls you’ll soon be massacring the computer on the patronising “beginner” difficulty level. However, after “beginner” is “experienced” and the change is rather vast, especially for a new comer to the franchise. However, the game will reward you for your persistence but only if you’re prepared to lose a lot on the higher difficulty levels. Overall, the game will only appeal to you if you have any sort of interest in UFC or MMA. For those who want a quick brawl then Street Fighter is a much better choice.
Ultimately, Undisputed is a game for the UFC Fan. It doesn’t have the wacky arcade feel of THQ’s other punch up titles like WWE Smackdown. It’s a good game and clearly a lot of love has been put into it. The creators are obviously fans of the sport and have worked very hard to create an accurate recreation of their passion. But in the end the game play isn’t fun unless you actually like watching UFC. Most likely, if you don’t like UFC or understand it then every fight will end up being a kick boxing battle because taking it down to the ground will feel weird and, admittedly, a bit boring. Basically, you’ll be swinging for the fences looking for a spectacular knock out which will be fun the first 10 times but afterwards the original thrill will dissipate and you’ll realise that, for you, the gaming experience has peaked.
Overall Score – 7.5
If you’re a UFC Fan, this game is an easy 9 and definitely worth adding to your collection. If you’re a casual fan who doesn’t know much about UFC then it’s about a 6 so let’s go in the middle for the overall rating.
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