Fight Night Champion Xbox 360
User Score
7.1 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 75 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 55 out of 75
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 75
  3. Negative: 12 out of 75

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  1. emmitt18355
    Mar 20, 2011
    0
    I couldn't be more disappointed in this game. I had very high hopes, considering their last installment was good. All I found was a clone of Fight Night 4, including Legacy mode which was a complete debacle, not to mention the horribly difficult training games. Online mode has many exploits and crashes constantly, and in offline mode the game crashes constantly as well. I sold it the same week, on ebay.… Expand
  2. POPMasterGod
    Mar 2, 2011
    9
    A Truly Great Sequel. Improved Graphics, Gameplay And Physics. The New Champion Mode May Feel Shallow At Times, But It's A Great New Addition To The Series. This Game Is A Must Buy For Every Fan Of The Series.
  3. dafishboy
    Mar 4, 2011
    10
    Now i'm not a boxing fan but picked up the last night Fight Night Round 4 when I purchased a new console. I downloaded the demo of Champion and it just felt different. Much more snappy and responsive. I pre-ordered and received Champion a day before release and played it for about 3 hours. I am totally blown away with this release. Everything feels just right. Much quicker response wise and the graphics do feel much more polished. The deformation of the characters are brilliant and with the blood effects included for good measure things are clear cut :). I've not played it online just yet but the concept of Gyms are a welcome edition. I am around 2 hours through the Champion story mode which is a great edition. Maybe not being an avid fight fan helps me enjoy this game more than others who have left a review on meta.… Expand
  4. raefon
    Mar 2, 2011
    4
    Being an avid fight fan, and fan of the series for many years I constantly want it to live up to the hype and expectations that i have and im sure many other fight fans have.

    So do you bench mark the game for where it is now, where the hype places it, or where it has improved. Me i was critical and looked at what they had improved.....well pretty much nothing. The blood is there, but so     what its static and after you play a few times will see the same graphics and effects over and over again. I could list every catagory and say do the same, so to be brief let just say yes its all the same, over and over repeition. The game doesnt react to your play it just drones out the same mediocre rendition of give is money on something we did not deliver on.

    Fighter modelling is boring and so lack luster, animaition is slow and the supposed new fully encmpasing punch control, is the same old thing with everything in FN round 4 thrown aside.

    If it has worked before they didnt bother to use it and instead it looks like a beta from 5 or 10 years ago, where it had the basis for a good game, but they never really finished the polish and made it something to rave about or go out of your way to play.

    Instead its a dust collector who will soon be forgotten and not played, so in all a show of the times that EA need to start looking for some new talent, and a new direction instead of just playing safe and just bunting into the foul area over and over again. Yeah it doesnt get you out, but eventually everyone just switches off and looks for something else.

    Really disappointing.    … Expand
  5. brizzo
    Mar 11, 2011
    10
    Champion Mode is a great addition to the series and an exciting development for the sports game enthusiast. A story that pulls you along and gets you into the game. Outstanding graphics and gameplay. New controls that make it easier to start fighting and every animation in the game looks 100 times better. This is the best boxing game in the series. Hands down.
  6. TheSkunk
    Mar 16, 2011
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I have never felt so ripped off by a video game purchase, and I typically enjoy even average titles. However, I want my money back for this game, and here is why: The entire game builds up to a fantastic climax, earning it 5 points. However, the final battle is TERRIBLE. It requires no skill, and is purely frustrating, and nearly impossible on any difficulty level. All of the positives building to this point are immediately erased when you fight Isaac Frost (over, and over and over...), and I have seen this same feedback across review forums. Apparently EA did not have time to QA the end of this game, or it never would have hit shelves in this format.… Expand
  7. BingoTrousers14
    May 21, 2011
    9
    This game is great. It's a fun enjoyable experience for one to play with alone but it's much more fun with friends. The roster in this game is great with many famous faces as well as downloading boxers and creating your own. The champion mode is really fun and I found it enjoyable throughout. The legacy mode is great and gives you hours of time on your road to becoming the Greatest of All Time. I haven't played much online but it seems solid and I've had a few good fights on it. The game also holds a pretty sweet soundtrack. The AI seems to be the problem at the moment. It seems that it can be really dumb at times or way too hard to beat.… Expand
  8. stevogboy
    Mar 24, 2011
    5
    Solid advancement on previous versions yet nothing spectacular. best and worst of all is the new championship mode. as a solid veteran fight nighter i started championship mode on the second easiest level (cant remember the name) prgressed through with great success and definitely enjoyed the improving opponents on the way through. BUT.....lets just say completing the finale was torture. not so much too hard as too time consuming to get through to checkpoints and after hours of swearing and tantrums i finally got through. all i felt was relief and i can honestly say the adventure has completley turned me off the game. i will never play it again. all those who conquer it effortlessly i salute you.… Expand
  9. pinkSnip3r
    Apr 14, 2011
    8
    punches flow smoothly with joystiq controls. the animation is also much more fluid i don't feel like i'm playing rockem sockem robots like i did with the previous installments. paquioa's combos look as fast and devastating as they do in real life. i give it a 8.5. 9 for multiplayer it's real fun when playing against other fans of the game. it makes for a good sh!t talking session. 8 for story mode.… Expand
  10. KBT
    Apr 28, 2011
    8
    Being a veteran Fight Night gamer by now, I find this latest installment of the franchise entertaining again, but unfortunately with too little of innovation. Yes, the champion mode is a welcoming dimension, in fact it is the best what the game has to offer for experienced and new players. But this mode is fairly shallow, short but nevertheless much fun. Personally I think this is the direction EA has to take with Fight Night since the legacy mode is, once again, boring and repetitious (especially trainings are still terrible). Considering the gameplay itself; the fighting has been simplified for the better and this has definitely improved the pickup and play element. Blocking has become easier and the haymakers are gone although it is possible to perform hard but slow punishments. Dodging is still tricky and needs a lot of practice to master. Sound and graphics (slightly improved) are, once again, good (although the OST of round 4 is better I presume). But is it realistic? No, it is still fairly common that your fighter is capable of throwing punch after punch after-or-while being hit by the opponent (but that's ok). Fun? Definitely still, but it is more of the same compared to the previous installments instead of truly a new game. The only new elements worthwhile mentioning are the use of button controls besides (the simplified use of the) right analog stick, the too short but fun champion mode and the soundtrack. My advice is rent for the experienced, a go for the interested.… Expand
  11. frikkingsweet
    May 12, 2011
    8
    Def. not a boxing fan but i reallly enjoyed this game. It was fun and easy enough a noob to fighting games to pick this up and be able to hold my own. But the great part is its VERY deep that you can still enjoy it after learning all the nuisances. Only complaint was online matches... ran into abunch of guys dumping every point they bought into one punch and man when you do that it doesnt matter what you do if they tag you with that punch once its over.… Expand
  12. Negatron
    May 16, 2011
    9
    Being an avid fan of boxing and video games,i say EA has done a good job of giving the player a sense of being in the ring. Whether you like total punch control, using the right analog stick, or just buttons in order to fight, the options to adjust controls are there. Once in the ring, the game appears latent until you realize the lag is apparently intentional. Button presses seem to be delayed in order to fine tune your attack/strategy. e.g. Unintentionally tap the jab button 4 times rapidly, and your character will continue to throw extra punches you may feel you didn't call for, when really 4 were input intentionally or out of panic. The punches in Champion feel solid when landing, and also demand respect depending on player used, power, stamina and/or countering with power modified* punch. Some will nitpick over minute details like static blood (pointless), and repetitive mechanics, but compare that to the performance and feel in the ring. Knockout animations are not great but are better than the last few iterations and the fights can be fought they way the player intends to. Unsure of your opponents skill or power and would rather score points and be evasive? Pick the right boxer and give it a go. Not all boxing matches are exciting to watch and frustrating an opponent into fighting sloppy is all apart of the game.… Expand
  13. plo76
    Oct 10, 2011
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. nice and reality cg and good story like rocky the movie but some times i missed up the passion in the game easy to beat me lol wait another squeal from ea titles
    and nice site to review the game    … Expand
  14. Sirdjay14228
    Dec 16, 2011
    10
    Best online sports experience I've ever had. very robust online element. huge "legacy mode" keeps you busy off-line as well. flash knockdowns have never felt so real. catalog of fighters is extensive. if your a boxing fan, this is your game.
  15. crumbzilla
    Mar 27, 2011
    7
    It has to be said that FN Champion's gameplay is a thing of beauty - the way the boxers move, punch, block and lean is top notch and a clear improvement from Round 4. EA Sports however decided to make the terrible decision and include the random stunning and knocking out of opponents which can turn a beautiful, tactical rendition of the sport into Mike Tyson's Punchout. Aside from that flaw other elements could have been vastly improved from R4, including the legacy mode. Whilst legacy mode has had some of the fat trimmed it still suffers from most of the pitfalls that other EA Sports 'season modes' suffer including the now legendary 'EA inbox from hell'. Your email is the place where all your most boring colleagues inundate you with tiresome tales about rivalries and sponsorship. The legacy mode could have incorporate some kind of interactive weigh in or pre-fight interview where you could decide what to do to your opponent instead of being sent the same emails with only the fighter's name changed. This is where EA Sports need to take a look at themselves, they often produce technically sound simulations but fail when it comes to making a fun and interesting experience. FN Champion can be a hoot (especially with friends) but once the gloss wears-off the flaws do tend to niggle.… Expand
  16. aryanrule
    Mar 14, 2011
    7
    Nice game. I started to play it then i was just bored. Then i watched The Fighter with Christian Bale and gained wish for playing again...so...nice cinematic experience of intro campaign, hard AI.
  17. orion
    Mar 1, 2011
    8
    This review contains spoilers. I think that Fight Night Champion is one of the best boxing games out there. Champion mode is really good, makes you want to play the whole thing without stopping, as for the legacy mode there's not much improvement from before, still i think this game is a must play.… Collapse
  18. Gunn_Matt
    Mar 7, 2011
    8
    Generally, I have always been a huge fan of EA licensed sports games. My biggest criticism of them is that there never seems to be enough new or original content to justify a new game every year. For example, EA's NHL '11 had no noticeable gameplay improvements over the previous year's NHL title, and Tiger Woods PGA '11 had only minor gameplay refinements over the previous release.

    Fight     Night: Champion (released March 1 for the XB360 and the PS3) is the newest title in EA's successful boxing franchise known for its realistic boxing physics, tight gameplay and true to life graphics. So, I'm sure you're wondering, "Is Champion just another rehash of Fight Night: Rounds 3 and 4, or is there something more to this year's title?"

    There have been several improvements made to Fight Night. Yeah, amazing isn't it? Probably the biggest update is the gameplay itself. Do not adjust your set; Champion plays a lot faster than Round 4 did. The overall pacing of the game and the punch delivery feels much faster and more realistic. I have never boxed a round in my life, but I watch it on TV occasionally, and these guys seem to move pretty quick. These refinements are made possible by the enhanced controls - gone are the days of attempting complicated semi-circles with the right analogue stick to perform punches in the heat of battle. Just flick the right stick in a specific direction to perform all the punches you need. All the same throws you know and love are still here, it's just way easier and more natural to pull them off. No weird semi-circle nonsense.

    Champion mode is the all new single player campaign that follows a young boxer by the name of Andre Bishop. You start out in prison, get beat down by some skinheads, then flashback to your early days competing in the Olympics. During the campaign you and Andre go through a lot together, and you witness his evolution from lightweight rookie to heavyweight powerhouse. Champion mode is meant to be an extended tutorial that teaches you everything you need to excel and stay competitive online and off. Fighting in different environments and eras was very interesting.

    The graphics are as sharp as ever with no noticeable frame rate issues during gameplay. The material of the boxing shorts and the sweat look photo-realistic. The punishment you inflict on your competitor's face looks great also - split your opponents lip, and the effect is seen on your body and trunks. Fight Night: Champion boasts another EA title first: an M for Mature rating. Sorry kids.

    The only downside to the graphics are the cut-scenes. They look good enough, but there are lots of glitches and frame rate problems. I found that the in-game graphics looked better than the cinematics.

    Champion features the largest roster of any of the Fight Night titles with 50 boxers over 7 weight divisions. Favorites such as; Muhammad Ali, George Foreman (young and old), Joe Frazier, Sugar Ray Leonard, Evander Holifield and Iron Mike Tyson are represented in all their glory.

    Legacy mode returns from Round 4 and is by far the least appealing part of Fight Night: Champion. You create a boxer and build him through training to be a professional swing doctor. If only it were that cool - in contrast to Champion mode, it feels slow and sluggish. In my opinion, Champion mode should be the main single player campaign, not Legacy. The plus side of Legacy is the new economy system that allows you to train in better facilities and fund your career with sponsorships earned.

    The multiplayer aspect of Champion is great if you prefer battling real people over the clever AI. Online you will start off severely underpowered and have to build yourself from the ground up. The ability to create your own gym and have other players join is a nice touch.

    If you're looking for the ultimate boxing experience than look no further than Fight Night: Champion. If you're a fan of the previous games in the series, than you will be pleased with the amount of new content and improved gameplay. All I would like to see next time is an expanded Champion mode that replaces Legacy.

    8/10    … Expand
  19. Glennman8
    Mar 6, 2011
    2
    This game SUCKS for one simple reason. When in a fight, the damned referee keeps moving in front of the camera, blocking the view of the fighters completely. This RUINS the game play. How the developers could have missed this is completely beyond me. I am playing the game right now, and I got SO frustrated that I literally paused the game, and logged on specifically to write this. I am so frustrated right now.… Expand
  20. hooleyblah
    Mar 11, 2011
    9
    Amazing graphics, very good gameplay, improved controls and robust feature set. Champion Mode is an exciting new addition to the sports genre but Legacy Mode and online play are still a whole lot of fun. Still a little room for improvement, but easily the best Fight Night yet.
  21. SaintsFan
    Mar 16, 2011
    10
    Best boxing game of all time, and the most well rounded simulation fighting experience on this generation of consoles. Champion mode sets a new direction for sports titles - tapping into the drama and emotion that we see in sports movies and combining that with world class simulation gameplay.
  22. wb33brown
    Mar 21, 2011
    9
    While like many sports games aren't really improved considering they're always released every year this one is no different. What is different however is its new story mode or as it's called champion mode. This is considered the biggest difference in the sports games. The story mixed with is well thought out and nearly perfect in regards of challenges except for one particular fight that may leave people infuriated--look at the blogs about why people are pissed off right now! The control scheme is improved for those who don't do to well with analog sticks as you can now strike with the punch of a button. No point in talking about graphics as fight night graphics is always good. Overall this game is a worthy purchase for those boxing fans as it now contains an extended roster of over 50 fighters and a brand new and surprisingly good story.… Expand
  23. rude76
    Mar 21, 2011
    9
    Fight Night Champion is a good-ass game. Having not played Round 4, the leap from Round 3 to Champion is pretty damn crazy. The storyline mode they added is a nice diversion, but the best part of the game is the actual boxing. The stick controls have been dramatically improved, and the game looks and flows much better now. The motion blur makes fights look mad cool.
  24. Samgb
    Apr 3, 2011
    0
    Sorry, forgot to score it along with my rant. Its terrible. Gets 2 marks for the visuals and -8 for a rubbish interpretation of boxing. EA hang your head.
  25. DWlubu1998
    Apr 13, 2011
    7
    I want to say i love this game and that i hate it. I love it because it has a story for the first time that is acually good, it allows you to use the controls however you want and the graphics are very good. BUT there are also reasons to pass this by, The story is good but not long enough it can be easily beaten within 3 - 6 hours. And when your done with the story you can try online leagues or you can try to make your own destiny where you can either make your own boxer or pick one that is already premade and that gets repetitive and boring and the appeal wares off easily. This game is one of those games that you should either pass by or wait for a prise drop.… Expand
  26. ScareCrow
    May 4, 2011
    6
    As a huge fan of the series (well, specifically of Round 3 which is where the innovation leaped ahead and then subsequently died) this game was mostly a dissappointment to me. The new champsionship mode is essentially a very short but entertaining story mode, and even as a very skilled player I was frustrated with the final boss battle - essentially your ability to choose how to fight is completely taken away and you must "do exactly what the game says" and not play the game as a sentient being capable of making your own decisions. Legacy Mode is what I typically purchase FN games for, and this one is just as mind numbingly difficult as FNR4's was, except there is a catch - you see, EA has graciously added purchaseable DLC to help you improve your character, because spending real life money is significantly easier than getting even a reasonable score on the absurdly difficult and blatantly designed to make you purchase DLC training games. Yes, the training games are even more ridiculously hard than they were in FNR4. Oh, and because I picked this game up at gamestop used to save a few bucks - I actually ended up having to pay EA $10 in DLC fees just to have access to Online Mode (which was entirely not worth the money). While playing Legacy Mode and failing miserably at the training games, my character was obviously falling short of where his progression should have been I started to notice that the developers had just re-used a LOT of commentary from FNR4... which makes the game feel like the cheap EA clone factory sports installment it really is.

    Despite being a huge fan of the franchise, I have to give this installment a 6/10 for the complete lack of innovation, the short "story mode", and the annoying DLC requirements. Hopefully this will be the last time EA fools me out of my money on any sports title ever again.    … Expand
  27. musstang62
    Feb 24, 2012
    3
    Funny story, I actually bought this game because I bought the arcade game for Real Steel (the movie is one of the most horrible ****ing things I have ever seen, and I wish I could have the first hour I spent watching it back) because of a review that said the fight mechanics were similar to fight night. Sweet Jesus. This game is unbelievably horrible. ****************************************************************************************************************
    For anyone thinking of buying this game, listen to this logic: I throw 200 punches (100 of which are not blocked) into my opponents head. I get punched twice. DOWN FOR THE ****ING COUNT! and I lose the match. Needless to say, the real steel arcade game, which I paid $10 for, was infinitely more deep and fair than the EA game I bought for $30. I feel like I should kill myself at this juncture in time    … Expand
  28. greekaussie
    May 20, 2011
    5
    the graphics are pretty good and the sound is top notch (whats with the swearing in games these days?) but the controls for this game still feel a little sluggish, the fighters take forever to just move around the ring and using the analogue to punch just feels very random and you dont always feel in control of your fighters punches/moves. overall for me an average game.
  29. MrMushroom
    Sep 29, 2011
    0
    I like the fast pace. I like the improved punch control over FN4. I like the brutality. Those things said, this is a horrible game. Training is ridiculous. The computer is given unfair advantage in many exchanges (things like punching through blocks and miraculously surviving button-strike haymakers only to knock you out with a feather jab). Worst of all..there are constant crashes and lock-ups.... I sold it within a week of the purchase.… Expand
  30. TheDon81
    Mar 16, 2012
    10
    I used to box actively. And this game resembles boxing almost to perfection! :)
    You can move while punching. Lounge in with punches. Even throw overhands. :)
    You can even implement strategies like the real thing. (outside jab and move/bob weave to inside body shots etc.) So many possibilities! :)
    I've been playing this game locally with my boxing friends over, and we NEVER get bored with t    his.
    A real gem!    … Expand
  31. imthenoob
    Feb 4, 2012
    6
    The controls are a lot easier in this game and the graphics are a lot better and imo far more realistic. Champion mode was an interesting addition but it took me less then 2 hours to beat and the story was pathetic, It was too generic when compared to other sports film. Legacy Mode hasnt changed at all (which sucks because I like playing it) and its a lot tougher this time around (even on amature). Online is ok but still suffers from lag, Even when both players have a good connection.

    Overall the game is ok but still has a good amount of problems to address in future games.    … Expand
  32. dafuq
    Sep 24, 2012
    0
    It's the worst game i've ever played (no exaggeration) and i'm a huge fan of FN3 and FN4. The entire story mode is basically Rocky 4 and lasts for about 2 hours. Online gameplay is awful, fictional characters are allowed in ranked games, Andre Bishop and Issac Frost (two made up characters) have higher stats than Muhammed Ali and Ray Robinson. EA are charging people money to buy points to upgrade their online fighters in world championship mode, i find this disgraceful. The gameplay has no fluidity, the judging system is a mess, boosters, laggers and cheaters are still up to their old tricks. It's truely awful, a 0 doesn't do it justice. How they can take a game as good as FN4 and make it as bad as FNC? it just shows they don't know what there doing. The amount of patches this game has had from it's original release to now is unbelievable. They have changed the judging, removed perfect block, reduced stamina, increased stamina, reduced speed, raised speed, messed about with power. 1 punch ko's happen all the time....i'd be ashamed if i made this game, it's a huge cluster of everyones input and ideas and ends up a complete mess. Next time release the game when it's the finished article and don't cheapen boxing fans by spending your budget on a gimmicky story mode. Stay clear… Expand
  33. Scottixboy
    Oct 16, 2012
    1
    The same as FNR4 but with a **** story and Impossible boss fight ...................................................................................................................................

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
86 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 59 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 58 out of 59
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 59
  3. Negative: 0 out of 59
  1. Videogameszone.de
    May 24, 2011
    90
    Stunning visuals and a great champion mode make Fight Night Champion the best game in the series.
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  2. Game Chronicles
    May 2, 2011
    83
    If you are a hardcore boxing fan and love grinding for stats and money and slowly rising up huge leaderboards then Fight Night Champion is probably the game for you, although from what I can tell, it doesn't really add anything to what you already had in Fight Night 4 other than the whole money thing. Sure, you can square off against 50+ licensed boxers, but for me, the big attraction was the cool story mode with enough blood and F-bombs to force a Mature rating. But even this gritty and realistic boxing story is only good for a few hours of violent fun, making Fight Night Champion a rental for casual boxers and a wait-for-budget-price upgrade for everyone else.
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  3. Armchair Empire
    Apr 28, 2011
    90
    With a great new single-player mode, the addictive and engrossing Legacy gameplay, online Xbox Live matches, the usual collection of boxing's best fighters in history and the further enhancement of great gameplay and boxing physics, Fight Night Champion packs a punch of excellence as an undisputed champion of gaming greatness.
    Read full review
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