UFC Undisputed 2010: Hands On

It’s been nearly a year to the day since THQ released UFC 2009: Undisputed. The mixed martial arts fighting title was a sensation and dealt knockout blows to sales figures all around the world. In New Zealand alone it has sold over eleven thousand copies – an impressive figure for a risky new fighting game.

So it was no surprise that THQ would again employ developer Yuke’s to put the new franchise through another round. The result is UFC 2010: Undisputed, the second and vastly improved iteration of this new combatant in the fighting genre.

If you aren’t familiar with the sporting sensation that is Ultimate Fighting Championship then you must have been living under a rock – or levelling in World of Warcraft. The competition features fighters from all around the world, each with their own unique styles, techniques and specialities. It’s not uncommon to see brawlers pitted against wrestlers, or Muay Thai kick boxers dealing damage to Ju Jitsu black belts. It’s a real world version of mortal combat, an onscreen version of dead or alive without the anatomically impossible boobs.

UFC is a morass of man on man action, and at least when it started, there were no rules. UFC was brutal, and brutality sells.

In fact, the sport was considered so brutal that several US Senators tried to get it banned. The state of New York even passed anti-violence legislation, forcing UFC to relocate its arena. Even before it was put into video game form, UFC had a reputation for wanton violence and some pretty hardcore action.

But the great thing about video games is that pixelated blood sports don’t seem to raise the same amount of ire as the real thing. From what I had the chance to see, Yuke’s has done a great job of transferring the primal feel at the heart of UFC into 2010’s offering.

Like UFC 2009 you can choose to fight on your feet, landing massive hooks or uppercuts, or if you prefer to be more clinical you can bust out the jabs or kicks. Grapples and takedowns are back, but this time around they are more realistic and there are a greater variety of counters available.

One thing that has changed is the complexity of the combat. For a game that has the simple objective of allowing you to beat your opponent into a bloodied pulp of meat, the combat is surprisingly complicated. One of the major additions is the new sway and weave system. Players can now side step or sway around punches and kicks. If you can time this correctly with a heavy hook some serious brain bashing or chin crushing is possible. And pretty damn fun – there’s something disconcertingly cathartic about landing a massive punch to someone else’s face, especially when you’ve timed it well.

If pugilistic punches aren’t your style, there have also been improvements to the mat mechanic. Grapples and clinches have been redesigned giving you greater options for takedowns and the selection of submissions has been expanded. To increase the variety of holds available, certain fighters can now also switch submissions in the middle of an attempt. Add to this the introduction of Greco-Roman Wrestling and Sambo fighting styles and it begins to look like mat fighters will be even more formidable in 2010’s new title. But if you refuse to get down on the ground, UFC 2010 also lets you use your environment to a much greater extent. For a skilled player the octagon’s cage walls can become a match winner.

What sets UFC 2010 apart from other fighting titles is its realism. In a way this makes the game pretty hard to master – when your opponent is sitting on your chest using your head as a speedball, there doesn’t immediately seem to be that much you can do to stop impending unconsciousness.

However, one thing that is clear is that in UFC 2010 the tide can turn at any moment. A fluke kick to the head, or a vicious elbow to the chin can floor a perfectly healthy opponent. In an attempt to ramp up the realism Yuke’s have allowed finishing blows to be landed from any position. This makes matches volatile and quick – in the entire time I had my hands on the game the longest match was just over three rounds. It’s possible that’s because I couldn’t fight my way out of a paper bag, but it’s also testament to the explosive unpredictability of the gameplay.

But all of this realistic action needs to be accompanied by some impressive visuals. UFC 2010 has overhauled not just the menu system but the in-game graphics as well. Fighters are now much more detailed, the crowd around the octagon is rendered in more depth and the entire game has had a shader and dynamic lighting makeover. These are readily welcomed additions. Realistic fighting games just don’t work unless you can see the whites of their eyes and the blood on the mat.

One of the criticisms of UFC 2009 was that its camera was slightly static. Thankfully Yuke’s has paid special attention to the problem. The camera has been totally reworked and now responds much more authentically to the action. Land a crushing knockout and the camera will follow the punch, lock in a submission and your view will zoom in and rotate around the excruciating hold.

THQ’s round two effort is shaping up to be a heavyweight of a title. Its wide array of fighters (both current and classic), its brutal action and its impressive visuals all point to a game that is going to be hungrily played by both UFC fans and fighting game aficionados alike.

Slow motion submissions and furious fists are on the match card and from what I had the chance to see, play and wince at, UFC 2010: Undisputed looks set to go the distance.