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An avid mixed martial arts fan, my expectations of 2009's 'UFC Undisputed' were not great. MMA offered a terrific platform for an immersive sports game but developers would have to deliver the authenticity and nuances of the rapidly-growing combat sport. To my surprise, developer Yukes and publisher THQ delivered an impressive game. The in-cage combat was authentic, fun and intuitive. However, the game was a little too much of a bare bones combat simulation. More polish was needed, particularly in career mode, to take the 'Undisputed' franchise from good to great. Unfortunately, unnecessary new features in the career mode of the 2010 version greatly undermine this evolution. Before we delve into where this game fails, I'll focus on the improvements. Yukes and THQ have delivered on recreating the in-cage dynamics of MMA fighting. 2009's 'Undisputed' was already impressive but the implementation of authentic arena presentation and the added feature of being able to press an opponent against the cage have enhanced gameplay even further. While some have complained the controls can be overwhelming, I've always found them intuitive given my familiarity with the sport. The learning curve for the game is only about 30 minutes – not bad given how comprehensive the range of combat in the sport is. MMA incorporates a myriad of striking disciplines while standing, and wrestling, submission and so-called ground and pound techniques when the fight hits the mat. Just like in the real UFC, fighters have greater proficiencies in certain areas. An evenly matched contest sees opponents trying to utilize their areas of strengths against their opponents weaknesses. The controls allow you do this, whether standing apart, in a clinch or grappling on the ground. There are range THQ has offered a range easy to understand controls. The nuances of in-cage fighting are improved and AI seems to have been slightly enhanced, delivering a more realistic fighting simulation that will more than please both casual and hardcore fans. 'UFC Undisputed' offers a terrific multiplayer experience, where players can use their favourite UFC fighters against friends. I particularly like the add-on of signature or special combat moves that can replace base combat controls. A tournament amongst friends is a great way to get pumped before a UFC pay-per-view event. Now, the bad. What undermined the original UFC game was the lack of care applied to career mode. You could build a future UFC champion, choosing a base striking disciplines and ground disciplines like boxing and Jiu-Jitsu, and then build them up with rigorous training and care. Career mode got boring real fast, it was the same fight arenas, your characters didn't even age, and interaction via in-game email with opponents and UFC brass seemed arbitrary at best. Yukes has upped the games features on career mode. More cut-scenes, movies, and even an early stage of your career as an amateur immediately creates more emotional investment in the game. Even T-shirts, hats and interview dialogue can be customized, and grudges can be established with opponents. There's more sponsors and lot more options in using other trainers and gyms to enhance your career development. The stats and ability management system is way too comprehensive. Yukes has created a defacto RPG that would rival an Obsidian-published game in micro-managing capabilities. Its way to detailed and way too frustrating, when what I really want to do is build up some decent stats and then open up some tomato cans. Even worse, stats degrade. My first five hours of playing remained in the minor ranks, trying to figure out how the hell to bring up my stats without losing all my other stats. Turns out you have to meet stat thresholds, where you stats won't fall any further. I found stat decay outpaced my skills development. I ended up with a one dimensional mug, who threw great hooks, but little else – my fighter would be hard pressed to fight off a submission attempt by an old lady. I understand the developer's commitment to want players to focus on all round skill development. I find you end up with a mediocre jack of all trades. Part of the fun of MMA is the strategy to make your opponent face your strong set of skills. It's a fatal flaw, and as a result I prefer 'Undisputed 2009' when I'm playing on my own, a shame, because Yukes has really tried to polish all aspects of the new game. I know EA has done an end-run around UFC licensing to launch a competitor franchise without UFC fighters. I'm not thrilled about the prospect, since the UFC represents the best the sport has to offer. Still, EA has had success in other sports franchise by offering customization of game play, ranging from no-rules arcade to RPG like simulation. As a result, the ball is now in EA's corner as to whether they can create the definitive MMA franchise, something that was in the grasp of the UFC franchise. Yukes could take a page from this, at least allowing players to toss out the stat decay and lame micro-managing. Then, maybe this franchise will meet its promising potential. For what it's worth, I'll still buy next year's version, if only for their near perfect in-cage combat engine. Pros: Phenomenal in-cage fighting simulation, including the ability to pin opponents against cage Terrific roster of the UFC's top talent Great selection of sponsors and gym visits which will please hardcore fight fans Cons: Outside the cage mechanics are complicated Career mode is frustrating and still offers too much repetition Stats decay is near a fatal flaw   'UFC Undisputed: 2010' Format: Xbox 360 Publisher: THQ Developer: Yuke's ESRB Rating: T for Teen Official Site: http://community.ufcundisputed.com/ Rating: 6 / 10

 

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