Reviewed on Xbox 360, also available on PS3
EA Sports MMA is EA’s attempt to crack into the niche martial arts fighting sim genre – a genre which has been dominated by THQ’s UFC Undisputed. Unfortunately, with many gamers already familiar with UFC Undisputed, comparisons are inevitable. EA Sports MMA should of course be reviewed on its own merits, so suffice to say that that the main difference between the two titles is that Undisputed leans more toward having a bunch of pals over for a session of virtual fisticuffs, while MMA is geared towards a deep simulation experience.
One of the first things that need be said about EA Sports MMA, is that this it is a fighting simulation game. It is not an arcade-style button mashing fest with flamboyant combo’s resulting in outlandish finishing moves. This is a cerebral fighting sim, and one that does a really good job of delivering on the complexities of the MMA sport.
One of the shortcomings of EA Sports MMA is the lack of high profile names on the roster of fighters. The likes of Randy Couture, Fedor Emelianenko, Ken Shamrock and Hidehiko Yoshida are probably the most recognisable names to fans of the real deal. That isn’t to say that there aren’t plenty of real professional fighters on the roster – over 60 names from professional MMA appear.
At this point, the licensing of big name fighters is secondary to the actual gameplay on offer, and EA Sports MMA is rich and rewarding. One will start a career in the game by creating and individualising a fighter. There are plenty of customisation options to ensure that most players will look distinctive and unique when hopping into the online modes.
Legendary fighter Bas Rutten will be the player’s guide as they climb the ranks in the career mode, and he will also be a constant and reassuring coaching presence. Rutten’s voice acting isn’t great, but I’m not going to blame a man who makes a living out of hitting things – the script writer is likely at fault here.
Players will start out learning the very basics of the fighting mechanics via the career training mode. There are typically 8 weeks of training before a real fight takes place. After each training session the player is graded according to their performance. Each particular exercise will upgrade specific areas of a fighter’s abilities. These training exercises can be automatically performed, levelling up fighting abilities, or reattempted for some more practice and a better grade. One can also travel around the world visiting the various gyms, learning the specialities of each, and getting coaching from well-known names in the sport.
This is a logical way to deliver the tutorials in digestible chunks, as there is an incredible amount of depth to the fighting mechanics. Grappling, countering, combinations, blocking, dodging, submission moves – all the staples and nuances of the sport are well represented.
The control scheme is also well-polished and there are even configuration options for those who may find the intended analogue centric scheme too new age. The right analogue stick controls most of the direct offensive moves, and it must be swung and moved in a fluid motion, a fitting representation of the flow of real-life fighting (as much as one can translate these things to a game-pad). A modifier key will change the right analogue stick from punches to kicks, and yet another combination of modifiers will unleash some high-risk, high-reward attacks.
The fights themselves are typically a war of attrition, but one can’t make too many mistakes as defeat can come swiftly, especially in the later stages of the career mode. Letting just a couple of punches through defences will stagger and disorient the player character, opening them up to a flurry of finishing blows, or perhaps a sneak submission manoeuvre.
Stamina is all important, and players must constantly balance their offensive strikes against their remaining energy. Stamina also comes into play when defending against, or launching submission moves. Having missed a series of punches and kicks, with stamina reduced, and enemy might take the opportunity to shoot in and attempt a submission. Submissions take the form of mini-games.
The fights are often taken to the ground, and it is here where the attention to detail can be observed. One must constantly jockey to gain an advantageous position, or alternatively, reduce an opponents advantage. As one tries to move from one mount position to another, the fighters can be seen raising their knees and elbows, and grabbing wrists, arms, and legs to inhibit manoeuvrability.
The motions of the fighting system are incredibly well-captured and everything looks fluid and truly authentic. For an expert opinion, this reviewer invited over a friend who participates in the local MMA scene, and he gave the mechanics and appearance of the game two-thumbs up, just before I snapped his elbow in a vicious arm bar.
The game changes camera angles during submission and finishing blow portions, and this is a fun effect giving a close look at the end of a fight. The replays re-capture the moment, but sometimes this system feels a bit flaky, missing much of the build-up, opting instead to showcase the final couple of blows. A deeper replay system would have been greatly appreciated, as would a better highlights reel section.
So, the core of the game is as solid as a rock, deep, rewarding and sure to satisfy those looking for a rich journey through the sport of MMA. The fighter models look good, and the cuts and bruises authentic. The fight sound effects are convincing. Unfortunately the rest of the package seems a bit frayed around the edges.
The secondary and ancillary characters come off looking rather boring. There are a number of real world arenas on offer, but after a while they all begin to look the same. The commentary is bland and generic, and one might begin to tune it out entirely.
The loading screens –oh, the loading screens. You better like loading screens; there are many.
Diving into the online mode was a somewhat disappointing experience. There just weren’t that many players around it seemed. When I finally did find a matchup, latencies became an issue. Once again, the loading screens rear their head. A match was often over faster than the time it took to load. However, there were occasionally matches of epic proportions, stretching into the 15 minute territory. These are immensely satisfying, and make it all worthwhile. Hopefully more players will pick up the game and begin to appear online.
EA Sports MMA comes off as a hearty fighting sim, which has forgone needless frills and fuss during its debut in favour of a deep and rewarding core gameplay mechanic. One simply cannot fault the fighting mechanics and the way they are delivered. For those whom have the patience to learn the nuances of the game, it should serve well. EA Sports MMA seems to be a solid foundation upon which to build a franchise.
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Reviewed on Xbox 360.
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