Gamersmint Review : UFC 2010
Two new modes in the form of “Title Mode†and “Title Defense Mode†are also introduced in the game and they add that much extra value to the game. Title Defense mode will see you defend your title against a number of UFC fighters and if you manage to defend it successfully, you can progress to another weight segment and continue the drill (the same holds true for Title mode) whereas title mode will require you to fight your way to the top and earn yourself a title shot. Beat the champ and you become the undisputed UFC champion.
The Ultimate Fights mode now has a three-class based challenge system and you need to complete all of them in order to unlock bonus points and actual footage of the fights. It also offers you a chance to “rewrite history†and enables you to play as the loser of the fight, making him win a bout which he actually lost. The Ultimate Fights mode is the most fun among all the game-modes and you won’t feel bored going through these classic UFC fights.
Moving on, the actual gameplay of UFC has also seen a lot of improvements, some of which are subtle and others being complete overhauls. For example, the Octagon now can be used as a tool to your advantage and opponents can be pushed against the cage while on a clinch to gain a more advantageous position and land more damaging blows. You can also avoid takedowns while near a cage and this does bring it that extra bit of realism to the gameplay. Another completely new and useful system introduced is the “Sway†system. You can now dodge blows without blocking by simply moving the right stick and if executed properly this gives you a chance to land some devastating counter punches and kicks which are capable of knocking out your opponent in one go. This system is rather hard to master but a well executed Sway often provides you with an opening which might make you win the match and is an extremely nifty feature to have.
The ground techniques have also seen a lot of improvements and now it feels a bit more balanced for both the fighters whether he is on the top or the bottom. You can move to a lot of strategic positions and also defend while lying on the ground by moving the right analog stick. Pulling out of a submission also feels easier now and you just need to rotate the right stick when your opponent tries a submission move. You can also try a submission attempt while lying on the bottom. Overall the ground fighting feels a lot tighter now and rookies won’t be pwnt that easily if one tries a takedown. However, it still feels a bit lacking and there is still scope for a lot of improvement. For example, if your fighter’s stamina is high, it’s practically impossible to come out of a submission attempt.
The visuals and cinematics also look much more realistic now and being inside the Octagon actually gives you a feel of being part of the real deal. The amount of moves you can pull off are amazing and watching a slo-mo replay of you landing a knockout punch to your opponent or attacking when an opponent gets rocked is an experience to be had in itself. The audio also plays its part remarkably well with the commentators making some rather interesting comments and mentioning about your previous fight’s result while in a fight which adds an extra layer of realism. The punches and kicks also sound like the real deal and both the visuals and audio plays an important part in the gameplay and compliments the fighting experience inside the Octagon immensely.
Playstation 3 owners are in for a huge treat as UFC 2010 packs some of the best “exclusive†PS3 content I have seen in a while. Not only do you get 3 exclusive classic fighters like Dan Severn and some Ultimate Fights mode bouts but also five HD fights featuring classics like Brock Lensar vs Frank Mir and Rashad Evans Vs Lyoto Machida. These fights are a treat to watch and not only will these be a delight for UFC fans but would also give newcomers a chance to get a taste of some of the best UFC action ever. All this exclusive content certainly gives the PS3 version an edge over its 360 counterpart.
One strange thing I noticed though is that when I tried to play this game on a SD TV, the ratio was screwed up when I was in the game’ menu with only a portion of the display screen being visible on the TV. Switching to a LCD sorted this out and I could view everything properly. I would also like to state that the loading times are rather long in this game and it does detract from the experience a little bit. I would def like to see this being improved in the future. Another thing to note is that Brock Lesnar is practically unbeatable if you’re not a pro in playing this game and he is being controlled by a second human opponent. I would recommend using him if you want to prove to your friends who their daddy is!
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