UFC 2009 Undisputed
When a sport is billed “As Real as it Gets” the only serious option for a videogame is to follow in its size 16s.
The world of Mixed Martial Arts is a close-knit community, but it’s not just fellow fighters that receive the highest respect. Even the top athletes, according to Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson and Marcus Davis who we had the pleasure to meet recently, recognise that without the fans there would be no sport.
It’s with this same measure of duty that UFC 2009: Undisputed is being brought to consoles by THQ and Osaka-based creative team Yukes. You only need a few minutes inside the virtual Octagon to recognise how keenly the game mirrors real-life aspects of MMA competition. The reason we’ve been kept waiting for UFC 2009 is because it’s a game THQ wants to get right. And it really shows.
Key to whole experience is a convincing Ground Game, which can often turn the tide of a close-fought battle. Replicating the strategy and sense of physical effort to gain the upper hand has warranted its own system within the gameplay overall. As soon as the fighters hit the mat the guy with his back to the floor must wriggle his way out of trouble by shifting his weight to a more advantageous position and ultimately get back to his feet if possible. This is achieved using circular motions of varying lengths on the right analogue stick. You’ll conserve more energy by making a clever escape, reading the situation after each struggle. However if you’ve enough stamina it might be worth risking a Brute Force escape simply by mashing all four attack buttons.
We got the impression from talking to THQ Project Manager Neven Dravinski that the Ground Game has eaten up a lot of creative time and thought on UFC 2009. It balances out what he calls an active / passive defence system that defines how the game is best enjoyed. Highlighting Chuck Lidell as a good example of how a good defence is often the best form of offence, Neven also explained that button mashing will only end in tears in his game. The correct approach is a systematic breaking down of your opponent, allowing for the little guy to outmuscle larger fighters with determination combined with intelligent thought.
When played methodically UFC 2009: Undisputed offers up a unique combat experience that has crossover appeal between serious fans of the sport and players who just enjoy a great beat'em up in general. The game looks great with Pay Per View style presentation setting the stage for uncannily realistic fighters. Seriously, the men are so convincing you'll recognise every tattoo thanks to full-body scanning technology.
Although introduced to distinguish UFC2009 from its rivals and predecessors the gameplay features don't feel gimmicky - the game engine cleverly allows for punches and kicks thrown to meet halfway with unpredictable results, collision detection is the best we've seen. Perhaps the only downside to Undisputed, which is in fact a huge positive too, is that you won't always know which moves have priority over others, in the way that more conventional fighting games behave. Similarly there are no pre-set combination moves to learn, it's all handled on the fly.
Just how robust the painstaking realism angle pans out over time for UFC2009 is something we're very much looking forward to finding out. UFC 2009: Undisputed is released 31 May for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
