With EA Sports UFC just a little more than a month away, we’re starting to see more and more details of what we can expect from this title. With information now available about the game’s roster, graphics as well as physics, the time has come for us to break it down and tell you exactly why you don’t want to let this one slip through your fingers.
Next-Generation Graphics
Let’s start off with something that is important if you own a PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. This title will be on the next generation consoles only. That means the development team didn’t have to split their time between five or six platforms. It shows, too. Where some games will run at 1080p on the PS4 and slightly less on the Xbox One, users on both systems can expect that 1080p resolution, the way next generation games should always be experienced.
Jon Bones Jones in 3D
The crew at EA Canada did something that nobody else has pulled off. They used a 3D technology to scan every single real life fighter that will be in the game. George “Rush” St-Pierre will not only look the part, but his facial expressions will stay true to his real life counterpart. Not only that, but players are able to put themselves in the game by uploading their photo. Neat, we’ve always wanted to see if we’d look sexy with a three inch cut along our eyebrow.
Sponsored by TapouT
Alright, so we don’t actually know what sponsors will exist in EA Sports UFC. What we do know is that depending on your level of popularity and success, you’ll be able to deck your character out with cool gear. If you never become popular or successful, don’t worry, you can always keep wearing those plain UFC shorts you earned in the TUF tournament.
The Ultimate Fighter
Speaking of the TUF tournament, that will be the starting point of the EA Sports UFC career mode. Not only will you fight your way into the tournament, the coaches will consist of one of 13 pairs of real life UFC rivals, such as Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson or Chris Weidman and Lyoto Machida. That’s just the beginning! Once you’re the TUF champion, you’ll have to fight your way off the PPV Under Cards and onto the Main Cards before taking a shot at the title.
Let’s Get Physical
You know how it always looks strange when an athlete in a sports game glides across the ground? Yeah, that doesn’t happen in this game. While having feet that actually plant is impressive, what’s even better is watching the ripple effect your body kick has on an opponent’s rib cage, or seeing the redness develop on their thigh from your brutal leg kicks. Excuse us while we go buy some Muay Thai Pads.
Introducing Bruce Lee
Alright, fair enough, if you’re even a small fan of MMA you likely don’t need an explanation about who Bruce Lee is. What you do need to know is that he’s available as a playable character. There are two ways to unlock the father of mixed martial arts. First, you could do things the hard way and beat Career Mode on Pro difficulty or higher. Second, you could just pre-order the game and have instant access as soon as you fire it up. If you want our advice, do both.
Beat up your In-Laws in Online Mode
While players of all ages want to beat up their friends in head-to-head matches online, only the older crowd will get the in-laws reference. Still, friends across the entire video game world have been pushing each other for years, always scrapping it out in a variety of games for nothing more than bragging rights. While claiming the title of Mario Kart champion is cool, there’s something more definitive about being a UFC champion. Don’t you think?
Popularity vs Longevity
This might end up being our favorite feature in the game. Call us a true MMA purist, but in the UFC, the fighters that choose to brawl it out, going shot for shot tend to not have the longest or most successful careers. However, they do end up being some of the most popular people in the fight game. Think about Roy Nelson, Mark Hunt or even Clay Guida. None of them have ever, or most likely will ever claim the title, yet they are three of the most popular people in the sport. At the same time, fans love to boo guys like Benson Henderson who may not be the most entertaining, but have previously held UFC gold. It’s an interesting choice. Which will you go with, popularity or longevity?
In Theory, Who Would Win?
The UFC does a masterful job of matching up fighters who make great fights. Think back to Mark Hunt and Antonio Silva, perhaps one of the greatest Heavyweight fights of all time. At the same time, there’s no way to make all the great match-ups happen. That’s where you come in. Want to see Roy Nelson and Mark Hunt trade looping bombs? Make the matchup. Look at you, wearing Joe Silva’s shoes.
Ignite Your Passion
The proven Ignite engine has been used on titles such as FIFA 14 and Madden NFL 25. That’s a pretty good resume of sports games right there, giving us no reason to believe this one will be anything shy of a smash hit. See what we did there?
EA Sports UFC will be available on Tuesday, June 17, 2014 on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One platforms.
