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The Win Button - are fighting games getting too realistic?
Fight Night Round 4 vs. UFC Undisputed - does their authenticity make them less fun?
Written by Chris Schilling, 30 June 2009
I had this blog post all planned out. I was going to talk about the recent rise of MMA propelling UFC Undisputed to the top spot in the All-Formats Top 40 and compare its fortunes with Fight Night Round 4, examine how boxing seems to be yesterday's news by comparison to this young upstart, and what its implications could be for videogames. And then EA's game debuts at number one and buggers my plans right up. Damn.
Anyway, I've played both games, and it's clear they have a lot in common - incredible respect for their host sport with almost anal attention to detail shown throughout, huge and well-animated combatants beating the snot out of each other with little background distraction, and slightly flawed career modes on the pair of 'em.
360Zine Issue 33
For our latest Fight Night coverage, click here to download 360Zine Issue 33 for free.And then there's one additional similarity which seems to be splitting opinion right down the middle - the introduction of single-hit KOs.
The implementation of these differs slightly. In Fight Night, they can't just happen within ten seconds of entering the ring - a fighter might be stunned by one punch, but it'll rarely floor him unless his energy meter is depleted slightly. Whereas in UFC, a brawler can be knocked-out with a single well-timed head kick or perfect punch as your opponent is advancing, but that requires the other combatant to leave themselves wide open. It's true that fights can throw up sudden shocks like this - a boxer battering his opponent for nine rounds can take a solid shot in the tenth and sink straight to the canvas - but should this be happening in games? Is this concession to the real sports' unpredictability harming these titles as digital entertainment?
Though I've been on the receiving end of seemingly unfair defeats in both Fight Night and UFC Undisputed, I think I'd have to say 'no'. Both games feature enough 'gamey' elements - in UFC, you'll rarely find brawls this exciting or action-packed, while in boxing you won't find quite such a heavy reliance on counter-punching for victory (a left hook is a left hook - it doesn't matter whether your opponent has thrown first or not, it'll still hurt just the same). Besides, a one-hit KO requires a very specific set of criteria to be fulfilled in both games - and if you're finding yourself affected by this 'issue' more often than very occasionally, then perhaps you need a bit more practice at your chosen discipline.
As for which game is the pick of the two, that's a tough question to answer - Fight Night has a more polished front end, is faster and better-looking, but at times its speed seems counter-intuitive to forming any kind of strategy, with fights sometimes evolving into fist-flailing chaos. UFC's slower approach arguably has more depth, and its commentary is vastly superior, but it's not quite as instantly satisfying as EA's game. Ultimately, it comes down to which of these two sports you prefer. And if you're not choosy about the method you use to beat a man unconscious, then it's a win-win situation - buy both games and enjoy the sights and sounds of videogame flesh being pummeled.
Fight Night coverage available in 360Zine Issue 33 - click here to download it for free!
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Bluez
14 July 2009 @ 14:53PM GMT