Mixed Martial Arts still has some skeptics, but the sport is much more mainstream than it did when it was considered barbaric to many. But shows like Ultimate Fighter on Spike have helped to educate the casual fan, showing that there's more to the fights than pummeling another man who's on his back; there's many different fighting styles, and some matches are quite impressive when two fighting styles clash. Then again, some matches are just bloody.
You get to choose which style you prefer in UFC Undisputed 2010. The second game in the series by THQ was improved greatly after the success of the original Undisputed. In 2010, there are new fighting styles, new arenas, improvements to career mode and, most importantly, TKOs. You can even earn new sponsors in career mode and dress your fighter in their gear, which shows that even the most macho of men like to play dress-up.
gameplay
Three new fighting styles come into play in Undisputed 2010: karate, Greco-Roman wrestling and Sambo. Everyone knows karate, and if you've ever watched real wrestling you've seen Greco-Roman wrestling. Sambo is actually a Russian acronym and basiclly mixes judo, karate and a bunch of wrestling styles, meaning anyone with Sambo style is incredibly well-rounded.
All of this is great if you're an intense UFC fan and can't wait to get someone on the ground in some kind of crazy submission, but my guess is 70 percent of people who buy this game just want to pound the hell out of their opponent's face and knock them out. Undisputed 2010 accommodates both players, except if you're playing online. I tried to beat someone's face in online and my character tapped out before the end of the first. Basically, you better know what you're doing before you try to play seriously.
Career mode was the coolest feature. After randomizing my character—which left him with a purple buzz cut and blue chest hair— you're thrown right into training. After one practice match, if you think you know what you're doing, you can go pro immediately and make your way up the ranks in the World Fighting Alliance. This new feature to the career mode adds a ton of depth and nearly doubles the length of the game.
The training in career mode is much more intense than boxing games like the Fight Night series. You train once in the weeks leading up to a fight in Fight Night, but in Undisputed 2010 you can train once a week until the week of your fight. This is great because you can learn a new move each week, strengthen your skills and even game plan the fight depending on what kind of fighter your opponent is.
The biggest downside to the game play? Load times. Some of them are unbearable. There shouldn't be a game in 2010 where I have time to get a beer from the kitchen during a load scene, but UFC was full of them.
graphics
The cuts and blood are pretty realistic, and if you beat someone's face in it definitely shows. The fighting is crisp and nothing looks choppy, which is surprising when you consider many wrestling games never can get it right. One disappointment is the lack of opening cut scenes to fights, which leaves the presentation feeling a bit empty.
sound
The game features Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg as ringside announcers, which adds authenticity to the experience. But when starting out as a fighter in the WFA, there aren't any announcers at all, which leads to a boring experience.
replay value
Career mode has a ton of replay value because you can start careers with all different kinds of fighters. There are also different fighter packs you can download from the PS3 and 360 marketplaces, but I doubt a majority of players would take advantage of that. If you aren't a hardcore UFC fan, this game could get tired quickly for you, but if you really get into it you could play it for days on end.
bottom line
UFC Undisputed 2010 adds onto what was already a great experience from 2009. It's worth at least a rent to gauge how much you'll play it, but for many people it'll be a welcome addition to their game library.
Review by: Matthew Waters
Posted: 09/20/2010
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Gameplay:
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7.5 |
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Graphics:
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7.5 |
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Sound:
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7 |
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Replay Value:
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8 |
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Bottom Line:
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7.5 |
