EA Sports MMA is a genuine contender for the title of best Mixed Martial Arts fighting game of the year.
What really matters is how EA MMA performs when the cage is locked, the fighters have touched gloves and the bell rings, and this is where the game really comes to life. What at first seems like an overly-simplified recreation of a very worthy sport soon reveals itself as a tremendous mix of brutal bloodiness and supreme balance. In short, it’s one of the finest fighting games i have ever played.
MMA, though, takes time for players to get to use to, not only on its controls, but those of the world it represents. Make sure you ignore the tutorial and dive straight into the career mode, where the barbaric lunatic Bas Rutten slowly takes you through the three phases of MMA – standing, clinching and grappling. It’s never overwhelming, testing you on each area of understanding before moving to the next.Over time, you’re fighting fit and ready to get into the ring.
The career mode itself is an enjoyable mix of globe-trotting and face-punching, focusing less on RPG upgrades and more on getting you back into the action. Far more depth comes from the superb online modes though, which feature lag-free bouts, a smart levelling-up system and even the promise of Live Broadcasts, a potentially revolutionary online telecast with real-world commentary.
When you do finally find yourself under the lights and staring into the cold eyes of your first opponent, what’s immediately apparent is just how good the game looks. EA MMA uses a modified version of the Fight Night engine, and it shows. Every one of the roster’s combat moves, flexes and grunts just as they do in real life.
MMA is one of the most intense and exciting sports to watch, but notoriously violent. For those not up to the intense dedication and training that learning MMA take, PS3 and Xbox offer a number of games which are the next best thing.
"Overall the game play is strong, with the striking aspect being very good. It’s a little bit easier to link combos together than UFC, although grappling is definitely not as good as it should be, it’s far too simple and limited. However, the submission system for the game is excellent: not simply a case of mashing the buttons, there is a much greater sense of strategy in this aspect of the game."
EA MMA released this past October, and although it did fare well with critics, the sales were said to be on the disappointing side. But lackluster sales are not stopping EA from creating a sequel to EA MMA.
Of course they're going to have a sequel. They've got the money to spare to try and make a profit from this one.
As long as they don't have the rights to anyone from UFC the game will never succeed.
I would care, but I've got the first one, and when Fight Night Champion comes out, I'll be glued to that for months.
