EA Sports UFC: PS4 Review

EA Sports UFC: PS4 Review

Released by EA Games
Platform: PS4

Mixed martial arts - or button mashing when it comes to the small platform - has always had a mixed bag when it comes to games, with others failing to capture the atmosphere and graphics of the game.

EA Sports UFC manages to look the part in a way that's almost pretty damn incredible. Stepping into the virtual Octagon, you really get the feeling that this game is the one when it comes to getting it right.

After firing up the game, and getting a fighter chosen, the game takes you through an 18 step tutorial, which to be honest, you'd best be paying attention to if you want to have any hope of progressing through the actual game itself and the bouts which come your way. The moves themselves are excellently executed but the problem is that there are so many of them to commit to memory.

Having got through the tutorial, it's on to the first match and a chance to get into the career side of the game. Despite choosing the easiest level around (being a UFC noob), I soon begin to realise that not making notes during the tutorial was not a wise move and find that forgetting the moves means I'm simply resorting to button mashing.

Quitting out of that fight before I get roundly and soundly beaten, I found heading back to the tutorial was perhaps the smartest thing I could do because I'm then able to head back into the actual Octagon with some more knowledge rather than just simply pressing every button and hoping for the best. Knowledge is power in this game to be frank and the more time you spend training, the better your game is for it.

Graphically, there's plenty of attention to detail that leaps out of the screen at you - from the expertly crafted fighters to the crowds around, a lot of effort has clearly gone into ensuring this game looks the part. It's also a veritable who's who of the martial arts world and shows that EA has really put the leg work into making this one of their more impressive sports sims.

Blocking and smacking as well as grappling and rounding down on your opponent is the only way to wear them down. And you have to keep an eye on your stamina as you try and beat the opponent, because a lack of strategy will wear you out quicker and see you taking the beating you were looking to dish out - rather than vice versa.

Training and competitions make up the game, but the gruelling number of combos that you have to try and remember may see you questioning why you're doing this - die hard fans of MMA will be very impressed at the lengths EA has gone to to deliver a great sim - but casual fans, like myself, may find this learning curve a little too steep to fully engage with - and given the off Octagon efforts that have been engaged in the game, that's a real shame.

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