The entire non-boxing game (including grabs, submission control, and clinches) is manipulated using the right thumb-stick, and it takes practice. Thankfully the developers included a fantastic “training” mode in UFC 2009 Undisputed that will help the newest of UFC fans learn all the basics of gameplay. This mode is critical to the success of the game because it’s just not fun to play if gamers don’t take advantage of the revolutionary gameplay mechanics specific only to a UFC game. Each of the 80+ fighters have their own strengths and weaknesses, so you can choose who to fight as in exhibition mode based on what style you like. The best part about the game is the exhibition mode, as that is where the true stars of the UFC are; and this is obviously where the developers spent the most time making sure the game was perfect.
As if people were going to complain about exhibition and “classic fights” modes not being enough to warrant a $60 purchase (trust us, these two modes alone are worth every penny) there is also online fighting over Xbox LIVE and a full single-player career. As of this writing we have not had the chance to try out the online mode just yet so stay tuned to our review for more information on that, but looking at Yuke’s track-record with the WWE games we aren’t too worried about it. We will dive into more detail on the career mode in our final review as well but it basically consists of a full “create-a-fighter” mode and then progressing that fighter through the ranks of the UFC in whichever weight class is chosen. The single-player portion will take players through a number of different title fights and PPV events and overall does exactly what it needs to.
Even though the developers decided not to include any “mini-games” there is a number of different tasks to juggle during the 7-year career. Having to balance training, sparring, camps, rest, and publicity stunts with upcoming fights add a level of strategy to UFC 2009 that is unseen in many other sports titles. After putting a good number of hours into all game modes the underlying fact that the fighting itself is the game’s number one focus still shines through. A great presentation and plenty to do means little if the action in the ring is sub-par, and with the UFC’s first next-gen venture it’s by no means sub-par. UFC 2009 Undisputed goes on sale May 19, 2009 and every fan of the sport should rush out to pick up a copy. Stay tuned for our full review next week, until then make sure to download the demo available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace right now.
