Last Updated on Wednesday, 14 March 2012 06:27 Written by PunchDrunkGamer Wednesday, 14 March 2012 05:59

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UFC Undisputed 3 – Review & Game Analysis

By Justin Bolduc

 

 

 

 

Developer:  Yuke’s

Publisher:  THQ

Platforms:  PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Release Date:  February 14, 2012

Genre:  Fighting

Modes:  Single-player, Multiplayer

Rating:  Teen

 

 

The last two UFC games were met with praise and criticism, but overall did a great job simulating mixed martial arts in a video game.  EA then released their own mixed martial arts game which further represented a quality option for fight fans.

 

Now the third Undisputed iteration has been released.  How does it stack up?

 

Right off the bat the gameplay feels more responsive.  Punches, kicks, step strikes, and power shots are all easy to string together in combinations.  Takedowns and grappling register as expected, and the submission system has been overhauled.

 

The first time you load the game you are prompted to choose between Amateur and Pro controls for grappling.  Amateur controls lower the learning curve and make the game more accessible for newcomers, whereas Pro controls will be familiar to veterans of the franchise.

 

The submission system has seen the biggest change.  This time around during a submission an Octagon shaped gauge appears.  The defender and attacker each have a bar, with the attacker’s goal being to overlap the defender’s bar.  The attacker’s bar degrades over time, so attacks are limited in that regard.  If the attacker overlaps the defender’s bar enough to fill a gauge then the submission ends the fight.

 

While the change to the submission game makes submission finishes more common, it is still not a perfect solution.  Still, it is a step in the right direction and shows that THQ has listened to criticism.

 

Additional changes include a PRIDE rule set, fighter entrances, TKO’s via leg kick, bantamweight and featherweight divisions, and being able to pounce your opponent to finish a fight by TKO rather than the odd KO’s from previous releases.

 

 

With the PRIDE addition there are entrances as seen in the now-defunct Japanese promotion, including the lift and ramp.  Also fighters from PRIDE appear in the game, such as Paulo Filho, Denis Kang, and Ryo Chonan, amongst many more.  An interesting addition to career mode this year includes being able to compete in tournaments in PRIDE affectionately known to hardcore fans as Grand Prix.

 

Speaking of career mode, THQ has made more changes to the series in the career.  You can create a fighter or use a fighter from the roster.  You start off in the WFA and work your way into the UFC and PRIDE.

 

In career mode you spend less time focusing on your skills and stats.  You are given actions pre-fight and you use your actions towards skills and stats, but the emphasis this time around has been placed on your actual matches.  You play mini-games to learn skills and level up your stats, but overall the action is faster paced and more streamlined, allowing you to jump into matches more quickly and feel like you are making progress.

 

Graphically, UFC Undisputed 3 looks good.  Player models look like the real fighters, sweat and bloody cover bodies, and bruises slowly form.  The animations look better than before, although there are still the occasional odd moments.

 

The sound is good in the game as UFC commentators Joe Rogan and Michael Goldberg call the action.  Inside the PRIDE ring you are treated to different commentary however, by Bas Rutten and Stephan Quadros.  Of course after playing the game repeatedly you will run into some repetition, but all-in-all the commentary is fantastic.

 

UFC Undisputed 3 is one of the best MMA games ever made.  Some gamers are still die-hards of EA Sports MMA release, and some prefer the older Undisputed releases.  All the same, if you liked any of the current generation mixed martial arts releases then UFC Undisputed 3 is worth your time.
 

 

 

 

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