Here, you can build your team of up to five fighters, customize their looks, skills, and moves, and pit them up against other players from around the world. One mode that shall be bolstered for the months to come is EA’s Ultimate Team. Of course there is an actual practice mode along with skills challenges but most of your fighting will come battling a range of opponents. And with the bevy of game modes, fine-tuning and practicing your craft is possible. With the many skills one can choose to attack with, finding the right style of fighter is important. Finding that balance may take some time but, when mastered, can be utilized with deadly results. Most people figuring out the layouts typically stick to the stand-up boxing style, slowly incorporate kicks, and then finally move to the ground, taking on submissions and transitions. As always, there’s a learning curve for those new to the system. But along with the tricky button layout, strategy will play a large role in the outcome of fights. Typically when learning a game, sticking to the basics is preferred. Still, I felt I should at least be able to actually touch my opponent more than just couple times a round.
I was hoping for more of a slugfest, but the opponent had something else in mind for the fight. I swear there was one time I chased my opponent around for 15 minutes, trying to land punches to no avail. Some matches, especially when fighting against A.I., can turn into a game of duck, duck, goose. Visual cues like these will tell you what is and isn’t working you must feel and physically see the action being played out. Or when targeting a particular area on the body, watching as that specific area begins to drip blood or become bruised.
Still, when dishing out proper punishment to an opponent, there’s a satisfaction you get when landing perfectly timed strikes and watching your foe wince in pain. Punches turn into this clicking, robotic animation and leaves you yearning for a better illustration of your latest magnificent knockout. Also, there are times when a replay is shown and the slow-motion mechanics can’t quite capture the highlights as well as they should. On occasion, though, movement is hindered by the targeting system when landing a big kick to the head, the player’s foot can sometimes partially stick to the opponent’s head, as if attached by superglue. When transitioning from the stand-up game to a ground attack, movement still stays fluid. All the while, the commentators hype the fight play by play, the crowd fuels the fire, and your trainers bark instructions from your corner, adding to the physicality of the octagon.īattle animations are well crafted as well, helping keep the flow of action moving. Coming down the ramp with that swag only a competitor on a mission has, as someone with only one thing in mind-total domination of an opponent. From fighter to fighter, pre-match introductions mimic player likeness almost to a tee, making the experience feel authentic as if you were a part of the action for real. And now that the foundation has been laid, these next steps forward are crucial.įrom the most minor of details, presentation has been thought out fairly well. Mixed martial arts and the interest surrounding it have grown substantially over the years-bigger contracts, more pay-per-views, ultra-mega-hyped fights, athlete crossovers, the works. With growth in mind, EA Sports UFC 2 has looked to give off the persona of badassery, and rightfully so.