EA Sports UFC

It's part simulation, part arcade, and all fun. This year's installment is the best in years.

EA Sports went serious with EA Sports UFC. Beyond the awesomeness of it's graphics, the game impresses by its gameplay even if the casual gamer might get frightened after the tutorial. For a first try, this IP hits the top in spite of some drawbacks like an online multiplayer that needs work or the career mod which is quite repetitive and at last some hits that lack a true impact. On that last matter we have to say it's weird from a game as violent and brutal as EA Sports UFC.

This is a very solid first time in the Octagon for EA. The foundation they've put in place for the gameplay is something they can definitely work with going forward. In comparison to the last time a game was released with the UFC brand attached, this does lag behind somewhat. Undisputed 3 played a little crisper, a little cleaner, while exhibiting more confidence to the player that he/she can completely wrap their head around all parts of every control aspect with efficiency.

A good new beginning for the UFC series in its new EA Sports home. It surely could benefit some improvements in the career mode, but it results however in a solid game that every lover of this genre could be willing to try.

EA Sports UFC isn’t the easiest fighter to learn – it’s a complex beast that rewards dedicated warriors who are driven to succeed. Each match plays out like a chess match where combatants feel out their opponents’ strategies and exploit openings. EA’s attention to detail might feel unnatural to fighting fans weaned on titles like Street Fighter and Smash Bros., but UFC’s methodical pacing will knock out MMA enthusiasts.

It is an acceptable first step into the UFC octagon by EA. But considering their experience with MMA in the last generation and the quality that the late THQ delivered, you can’t help but be slightly disappointed. For every positive aspect they put into the game, you’ll discover a detail they didn’t touch, a road they didn’t follow through –starting from visuals way down to the core mechanics.

UFC is not as refined as an experience it could be and compared to other sports franchises it lacks in the depth department; however, there is no question EA Sports UFC game is fun to play and overall is a satisfying fighter.

In terms of gameplay mechanics UFC is a complex game that will keep fans satisfied for months. It’s a shame that the dev team lacked someone who would use a flying knee to launch the animators and guys responsible for physics into the next-gen era. [08/2014, p.58]

A valiant first effort, EA Sports UFC could be the start of something great. For now, it is merely a good try, but one that is still a lot of fun. [Issue#114, p.68]

A fresh start for MMA fighting games on consoles, EA Sports UFC is a solid second crack at the sport for EA that still has acres of room for improvement.

The striking is very satisfying, and the new submission system is interesting and creates a more level playing field than in the past, but the game is let down by poor wrestling and transition mechanics.

EA Sports UFC gives them solid bones to begin with, but the series is going to figure something out how to win over casual sports fans if it wants to be a Madden-like success.

A promising debut, but just too light on options - both inside and outside the Octagon - to be the champ it desperately wants to be.

EA Sports UFC is a game capable of brilliance. It's let down by some curious design decisions, signs of a team perhaps too interested in capturing non-essential moves seen on YouTube rather than nailing the essence of the sport. But when it flows against human competition, it offers beautiful destruction and glorious drama. Landing a picture-perfect head kick in the final minute of the fifth round of a title fight? Well, it doesn't get much better.

EA Sports UFC looks the part to a tee, and its exhaustive list of moves and techniques represent the complex nature of the sport well. But knowing that each second could be your fighter’s last is what gives weight and drama to mixed martial arts, and without that, these bouts fall flat.

Overall, it’s a tepid entrance into the ring for EA Sports and their new UFC title.

The capabilities of next-generation gaming and Ignite Engine can't be seen in EA Sports UFC. This has not only to do with poor qualities, but also with the lack of options and modes. This painful conclusion is only more painful because of the fact that the game is therefore a much lesser game than the nearly three-year-old UFC Undisputed 3.

After much fanfare, EA Sports UFC taps out disappointingly early.

As it stands today, UFC is a title that only the most die-hard fans are going to want to take the time to invest in.

A surprisingly hesitant start to EA’s new sports series, in terms of both the amount of content and the disjointed action.

Visually impressive but hampered by overly complex controls and a fighting engine that captures few of the intricacies of MMA. [Issue#251, p.71]