Two of my biggest problems with the previous entries in this series have been solved in UFC 4. The ground game has been simplified to make it much easier to wrestle in a satisfying and effective way in the heat of the moment, albeit with less detailed control over specific positions. The strikes in other games felt too weak to me too. Many times you would have to punch the other fighter 30 or 40 times in the chin to knock them out. Here strikes land with the convincing weight of a real hit and sometimes all it takes is one accurately placed powerful punch to send someone to the canvas. To me these two changes make this an excellent sports title and one step closer to that perfect combat sport simulation I'm dreaming of.

A quick write-up. It's hard to not compare these games to their previous entries and start counting the cool stuff that is now missing. But if you're looking for a modern MMA game, this one hasn't gone to shit yet and has a good career mode.

If you always hated the ground game, there's a simplified version of it, which lets you get up much easier or attempt other actions by just selecting one direction with the left analog. The striking is alright, but it could feel more impactful.

I appreciate that they update the roster so that the game doesn't feel outdated, adding fighters such as Michael Chandler or Prochazka which debuted after the game came out so if you wanna play with your favorite fighters, this a is a good pick-up. (Played it on EA PLAY)

While I've never been much of a sports sim guy, as a relatively new devotee to all things mixed martial arts I decided I should probably at least TRY a UFC game at some point in my life. I must say I'm quite happy I did. It's clear that a lot of work went into capturing the feeling of what it must be like to be in a real MMA match. Fights require a lot of strategy as you have to manage your stamina across multiple rounds while fending off attacks your opponents are directing at multiple levels of your body and trying to break through their defenses with some of your own. It can be a real game of chess and the only way you're going to get a more authentic experience is to step into an octagon yourself.

Most of my time was spent in the "Career Mode" where I created my own fighter and carved out a nice little legacy for myself in the sport's biggest promotion. Rising from an amateur scrub into a reigning, defending UFC champion proved to be a satisfying bit of fantasy wish fulfillment, especially since the time spent in-between fights in training camps leads to a believable sense of growth. As you complete sparring sessions not only do your techniques naturally become more effective as you drill them, but you're also be rewarded "Evolution Points" that can be used to upgrade various stats. It allows for a lot of flexibility in crafting your own fighting style. You can also use these camps to hype your next PPV and build friendships with or trash talk the competition to learn their special moves or establish rivalries respectively. Honestly, outside of the character customization being somewhat limited and awkward to use the only real complaint I have with this portion of the game is that it needed a more natural conclusion. After becoming a double champ and finally achieving G.O.A.T. status there's not much incentive to keep playing, and if you do decide to burn all the way through your characters longevity all your greeted with is an anti-climactic box of text that basically just says "yeah, you retired."

Multiplayer offers a healthy amount of modes and options to customize matches. My personal favorite being Knockout where wrestling and jui jitsu is eliminated, both players are given a health bar like in a traditional fighting game, and every round ends in a finish. Going online is also where you'll find the real test of your skills as things like the new grappling assist system that simplifies the controls are practically useless when faced with living, breathing competition. Plus, the huge roster of past and present UFC stars, each with their own stats and abilities that are constantly being adjusted through a live ranking/rating system being controlled by none other than legendary hall of famer Daniel Cormier himself means the balance is constantly shifting in meaningful, exciting ways.

The overall presentation of the game is kind of a mixed bag. As cool as it is to have the actual Bruce Buffer, DC, and Jon Anik lend their voices to the commentary and announcements helping sell the feeling of being in the UFC, the amount of repeated dialog means the novelty wears off pretty fast. Same goes for standing across from some of the most notable names in the sport as while the movement animations are flawless and lifelike, but the character models themselves are plastic and last gen. Particularly the crowds which are downright ugly and at times filled with too many of the same faces.

Repetitive sound and lackluster looks aside, I thoroughly enjoyed UFC 4. The gameplay captures all of MMA's complexity and nuance without ever sacrificing the fun, which is exactly what you want from a sports simulator. Plus, as someone who has often dreamed of becoming one of the best combat athletes of all time, this provided me with a means of achieving that chimera.

9/10

krack
the sound of my jab twisting your jaw around
tap
a fast measuring right hand to gauge distance and disrupt your defensive timing
CRASH
your consciousness exploding into a million fragments of lost memories as my left hook shatters your jaw.

The most recent EA installment of UFC games is actually satisfying! While it still preserves realsitic elements of mma fights, the controls are actually bearable and make sense this time! Definitely remeniscent of arcade-like controls and gameplay that I missed from WWE 2k14 some 8 years ago.

The game is actually pretty easy. My first career playthrough I swept my division and completely dominated in my championship reign. I was able to put it on a harder difficulty and was still fairly challenged alongside still being an unstoppable force, which was EXACTLY what I wanted in this game!

game feels very similar to previous UFC 3 with a few graphics updates(still looks bad by todays standards). the regular fight modes are fun but certain things in the game just kinda suck, like the submissions i feel like they need to re work the way submission offense vs defense works. The career mode is my favorite mode of any UFC game and it is primarily basing this review off of. they do get a few things right here like climbing the ranks, managing fight offers, learning new moves, and creating rivalries with other fighters. My biggest problem with the career mode is that you can not simulate the training so you end up doing 10-15 minutes of training before you can fight and this is every single fight and it gets very repetitive and annoying. overall though it is a pretty fun game id probably say dont spend over 20$ on this game