• Posted May 20th, 2009 at 09:52 EDT by Steven Williamson
• 18 Comments

Review Score

UFC 2009 Undisputed

PSU Review Score

8.5

Avg. user review score:

8.0

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Summary

A technically impressive brawler that looks just as good as it plays.

We like

• The top notch graphics, animation and audio
• The powerful fighting mechanics
• How the clash of fighting styles keeps you on your toes

We dislike

• The lackluster career mode

See PSU's review on Metacritic & GameRankings

Participating in or even just watching Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) won’t appeal to anyone of a nervous disposition. However, with the sport's popularity soaring across the globe, and the release of the first official current-gen recreation imminent, UFC 2009 Undisputed (UFC 2009) is set to showcase its legion of tough men and array of martial arts disciplines to a whole new audience. Protective parents need not be overly concerned though because UFC has changed drastically since its early days. When the sport first began, its violent and bloody battles were described as being little more than human cock-fighting spectacles, but over the years new rules have been implemented and UFC’s no-holds barred label has slowly but surely been peeled away. In recent years, mainstream media has helped to drive its popularity and though UFC still has its critics, it’s now a sport that has become almost as socially acceptable as boxing.

Playing UFC 2009 gives you a small taster of what being involved in UFC is really all about. Developer Yuke has done UFC a great service with its interpretation of this hard-hitting sport and has dispelled some of the negativity surrounding its supposed brutal nature. Yes, UFC 2009 is ultimately about beating the living daylights out of your opponent, but the deep fight mechanic showcases superbly the highly technical side of the sport, as well as the diversity of the fighting styles and the skill it must take to become a UFC champion. While UFC 2009 isn’t as “explosive” a fighting game as the recent marketing push has led us to believe, the intensity of each battle is undisputed. UFC 2009 is a battle of minds as well as bodies, a game where a blend of carefully measured strikes, counter-attacks and takedowns wins the day.

In terms of game modes, Yuke has taken some of its inspiration from its WWE series of titles. There's a customary career path to follow that sees you starting off as an unknown figure in the world of UFC, plus a fairly in-depth create-a-fighter mode that allows you to customize every aspect of your fighter. A classic mode gives you the opportunity to re-live some of the major fights from UFC history (which should appeal to any fans of the sport,) while an exhibition mode allows you to jump straight into the Octagon after choosing from an exhaustive list of known UFC Fighters. Finally, a practice mode and a sparse online component complete the set of solid, yet predictable, game modes. Still, there’s enough content and replay value in UFC 2009 to keep you going and enough depth to the fighting system to ensure that it will take you some time to master all of its moves.

The extensive tutorial mode is the first indication that winning in UFC is going to take a lot more than just button mashing. The tutorial takes you through the standard move set and introduces you to combos, submissions, takedowns and transitions, as well as showing you a range of attacking and defensive maneuvers. In fact, there's so much to think about that by the time we had stepped forward for our first fight our head was already spinning before the first punch had even landed. Nevertheless, despite initially being overwhelmed (and beaten senseless) by our first opponent, plenty of opportunity is given to master the moves, and as your fighter’s attributes and skills grow, so does your confidence in the Octagon.

Most people will probably dip into the Career Mode to start off their UFC experience, but we found it the least enjoyable of the game modes available. Career mode starts off very slowly and rarely picks up in momentum. After customizing your fighter with some limited options, you can set up your own fights and add them to your calendar, but in-between clashes you have to carry out a number of different tasks, such as deciding on training schedules, hiring and firing sparring partners, checking through emails, or deciding on your sponsors. You can also spar in the lead up to each fight, which awards you with points that can then be spent on improving your fighter’s attributes and skills. There’s plenty to think about before each fight ... (continued on next page)

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