When I had the opportunity to play the demo version UFC Undisputed 2010 a couple of months back, I immediately knew that the game would not only become one of the premier fighting games in 2010, but one of the most polished and detailed games of the year in general.
UFC Undisputed 2010 complete immerses players in the UFC universe. From the second you pop the disc in your Xbox 360 or PS3, it is clear that this game is all about being the ultimate MMA experience. Featuring the tagline “So you want to be a fighter?” UFC Undisputed 2010 allows users to become a fighter in every sense.
The game features a few different modes, including Exhibition, Title, Career, Tournament, Event, Create-a-fighter and Ultimate Fights mode, and those are what you can play before even touching Xbox Live. Exhibition and Tournament mode are pretty self-explanatory, so I will leave it to the player to figure out what those are. The real fun and experience comes when you start a Career with a created fighter.
To start, the create-a-fighter mode is about as deep as any I have seen in any current generation game. Players can create up to 40 unique fighters and every single aspect of their fighter can be customized. The new drag-and-drop feature for tattoos, scars and sponsor logos means you can place sponsor logos on your butt and tattoos on your face if you so please. As far as other aspects of appearance go, there are customizable sliders that can adjust body parts. In addition to the slider options for your character’s physical measurements, there are easily over 25 different templates for hair, face, facial hair, tattoos, scars and post fight clothing designs.
When it comes to fighting style for your created fighter, gamers have the option of selecting a pre-existing template of moves based on traditional fighting styles, or if you are more advanced you can create your own hybrid style of fighting. Everything from the moves in your fighter’s set to the touch gloves, celebration and taunt moves can be customized to your liking.
Once you have your fighter created, you can immerse them into a 12-year career mode in the aptly-titled “Career Mode,” have them face-off against other fighters in Exhibition Mode, chase a title in Title Mode, headline your own PPV card in Event Mode, or enter into an online fighting camp on Xbox Live.
When you take the fight online, you can create your own Fight Camp, with a unique name, logo and banner. These Fight Camps essentially function as the game’s “clan” system and you can invite your friends to join your camp and you will be ranked as a group based on members’ ranks as well as individual and camp-wide accomplishments. When each member of a camp competes online their banner will be seen behind them and their actions will determine the overall prestige of the rest of the camp, depending on their standing in the camp’s hierarchy.
Getting back to the single player experience, die-hard UFC fans can relive or even re-write history with the all-new Ultimate Fights mode. Ultimate Fights allows players to assume the roles of UFC fighters in some of the sport’s classic fights. This mode features 15 different fights, each with three unlockables that are associated with each fight. Each fight is introduced by one of the gorgeous UFC Ocatagon girls, Arianny or Chandella, and shows a brief video preview before you take control.
Now that the modes have been introduced, let’s get down to the actual gameplay. First off, the AI is tough, so don’t expect to turn on the game and jump right to the hardest difficulty. The control scheme is relatively simple for striking, but when fighters grapple and you get to the ground game, most of the action is focused on the right thumbstick. When in a submission hold, players will interact using a ‘see-saw’ system, meaning that you will have to rotate the right thumbstick in the right direction and faster than your opponent in order to either break the hold or get your opponent to tap out.
The most exciting part of the game is that knockouts can happen at any point, meaning once the screen goes gray, you better cover up before your face gets pummeled in by your buddy or the AI.
Aside from the fact that some of the fights end a bit quick (you’ll find that most of the fights end in the first round) and the game’s difficulty, UFC Undisputed 2010 is hands down the best UFC/MMA game ever. The immense level of detail, customization and depth make this truly a UFC experience.
Final Grade: A-
UFC Undisputed 2010 is rated T for Teen and is available for PS3 and Xbox 360
Source: NY Post
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