Since the start of gaming’s eighth generation, EA Sports UFC games have seen three iterations with each being a mostly rewarding experience with action against real people and AI opponents. “UFC 3” changed a lot about the stand-up presentation compared to its predecessors; setting the stage for a direct sequel. After the developers allowed gamers to take part in a beta test to see what is different, improved, or made worse, “EA UFC 4” has arrived. Following the beta and a ten-hour trial, I found myself excited to get back in the Octagon while worrying about how much longevity this experience will have compared to its predecessors.
Did I Complete “EA Sports UFC 4”?
Unlike the last two UFC games, “UFC 4” doesn’t provide too many things to entertain a player both online and offline. After creating my first fighter meant to be both my on-screen avatar and the character who will attempt to go up the ranks of “UFC 4’s” “Career” mode, I took to playing around with some of the new arenas that are essentially just skins of every MMA setting including someone’s backyard and the “Mortal Kombat”-inspired “Kumite”. Moving online, I earned championship glory during a session of Middleweight fights after coming up short when the only division available was Welterweight; while the game’s new “Blitz Battles” became the only thing temporarily stopping me from achieving platinum trophy status. I would have to defeat six online opponents in a row during various stipulation fights including only punching in “Knockout Mode”, only having one minute to win an entire fight, and the kicking-focused “Taekwondo” session that I eventually succeeded in becoming the “Ultimate Victor”. Another twenty hours went into completing the game’s “Career” mode with the focus on becoming the greatest of all time once again; doing so on “Hard” difficulty as “Normal” proved a little too easy after getting the hang of the in-game systems.
Did “EA Sports UFC 4” Live Up to the Hype?
After two iterations and many improvements across the generation, “EA UFC 3” completely changed the basis of its franchise’s stand-up fighting system. Gone was the reliance on parrying strikes to complete counters & combos that could knock out an opponent in a flash. In its place became a focus on body movement, bobbing & weaving, swaying, distance judging & stamina conservation in a slower paced fashion compared to its predecessors. A majority of what was changed in regards to the stand-up a game ago remains the same in “UFC 4” with the fights being faster and stamina being less of a factor early in this development release (the latter being modified in “3” after several updates). Each type of strike is connected to the face & bumper buttons. Every character’s base strikes are mostly the same with jabs, leg & body kicks, hooks & uppercuts attached to the face buttons.
Pressing the bumper button(s) alongside the face buttons allows a fighter to throw modified strikes such as roundhouse kicks and spinning back fists. Holding the left trigger while tapping a face button focuses on body strikes. Using the right analog stick to move & sway the upper body of a fighter to set up a well-timed counter strike if done right or a potential knockout for the opposition if a player moves in the wrong direction really helps this version stand out compared to its predecessors. Holding the left bumper while moving the body allows for stamina-draining sways.
Unfortunately the control scheme still feels a lot more awkward compared to its previous offerings especially when it comes to blocking. In the first two “EA UFC” games, blocking the head by pressing the right bumper and blocking the body with the right trigger felt natural. Now the player is forced to block the head with the right trigger and block the body with both the left & right triggers. The input delay when it comes to blocking the body or to catch an incoming body or leg kick is rather annoying at times and can prove to be detrimental. Another issue with the controls is throwing uppercuts. Depending on what arm the player wants to swing with, utilizing an uppercut means tapping one of the punch and kick buttons at the same time. This can mean instead of throwing an uppercut the player might use a leg kick because of how a player’s fingers land on the controller; leaving the fighter open to a devastating counter.
Unlike the stand-up portion of the game, the clinch system has been greatly reworked from being a modified version of ground grappling into its own presentation. By hitting the right bumper button and holding one of the punch buttons, the player can pull off a single arm clinch that can be transitioned into a full plum for devastating knees to the face, or turned into takedown opportunities. Instead of using the right analog stick for transitions like the old games, the right bumper-plus-face button combination is used to create transition moments while breaking free from the clinch comes by simply moving away from the opponent (though in the heat of the moment and depending on the camera positioning it may prove more difficult to get out of the clinch than expected especially when pressed against the cage).
Beyond some collision issues and general input delay, the only major problem with the clinch system is how fast everything moves; especially when a player is on the defensive side. The offensive striker can unleash debilitating knees aplenty before the defensive fighter can react. Considering the overall speed of fights no matter where they go, it won’t be surprising if EA never slows down the clinch action.
The ground grappling system is mostly the same, though the developers unwisely switched the buttons for executing takedowns from the left trigger-right analog stick combo that worked so well for three games to holding down either punch button alongside the left trigger that may cause the player to throw a body shot instead of shooting for a takedown, or vice versa. The biggest control change in regards to the ground fighting is the new “Simplified” control scheme where the players on the top or bottom can press the left analog stick to perform a per-determined action from that position be it a transition, submission, or getting up. This implementation is fine for those who don’t care to learn the ground grappling’s core mechanics, but leaves a lot to be desired if someone is an experienced “EA UFC” player. Thankfully the “Legacy” control scheme for ground grappling is available, though it doesn’t fix the control issue when attempting to execute takedowns as that remains the same no matter what grappling control scheme the player chooses. There are a few transition changes that really add some variety to the ground action including the ability to posture up from side control and having more submission opportunities from various positions. Players can also use sways to avoid ground & pound punches to the head that may lead to a reversal if timed properly; or greater damage because the person on the bottom made a wrong move.
In regards to submissions, gone is the “Gate” system from the previous entries. In its place are two new variations with chokes being connected to the cat & mouse wheel system seen in the recent WWE games as well as “UFC Undisputed 3” from 2012. For joint submissions like arm bars, a pendulum system has been implemented with both systems seeing the executor of the submission attempting to get in the middle of the bar representing the fighter trying to escape. Though not the most intuitive pair of systems, they reward erratic movement by the defensive fighter while the potential patience exhibited by the offensive grappler will potentially produce success. During certain submissions moments will appear that will allow for strikes to further the submission and even counters by the person on the verge of tapping. Like many of the various systems implemented in “4”, the submission system definitely takes some getting used to.
“EA UFC 4” mostly keeps the tradition started in the previous games by featuring a good amount of modes to keep one busy both offline & online. First there’s the highly promoted “Career” mode where a player can take either a created character or a real UFC fighter through the ranks in hopes of not only winning the World title, but also becoming the “Greatest of All Time” by accomplishing certain criteria such as going on an undefeated streak or breaking pay-per-view buy rates all the while attempting to avoid enough damage in fights to stop deterioration of the “longevity” bar. “Career” mode embraces the grind to become a better fighter by giving players the option of spending the weeks leading up to each fight training via sparring sessions, spending time on social media, signing contracts for sponsorships, and even inviting real UFC fighters to help teach the protagonist certain moves.
By training and completing certain sparring challenges such as “land body shots on a wrestler” to temporarily buff uppercuts for the next fight, players gain “Evolution Points” that can be spent on increasing attributes like punching power and grappling efficiency, as well as buying “Perks” that can be equipped in one of five slots. These “Perks” have certain boosting elements including reducing stamina usage when performing ground transitions or being able to recover quicker from near knockouts. But when it comes to upgrading moves, usage is the only way to progress.
Whenever the player throws a jab or performs a takedown said move will gain experience points before leveling up and reaching that perfect five-star rating. Out of anything in “Career” mode that makes the player feel a sense of progression it’s the handling of move expertise & effectiveness. “Evolution Points” also play a major role in recovering from injuries. Injuries can occur during fights or training sessions including gaining a broken orbital bone from taking too many hooks, or breaking one’s foot thanks to a checked leg kick. Injuries can be detrimental to the success of a fighter during battle and limits training camp; with the only way to alleviate these injuries is by spending “Evolution Points”.
On the negative side of the spectrum is the fact “Career” mode isn’t much different in its narrative presentation than any of the other versions that came before it including being trapped fighting the same fighters over & over again during the mode’s latter half. The promise of a rags to riches story focusing on the player’s character learning from Coach Davis lasts barely an hour if the player is somewhat decent at the game. After the first four amateur-level fights, there’s a chance the player will go right to the UFC and begin grinding with the coach rarely appearing via cutscenes. The promised social interactions between the player’s character and their opponents is lacking as well. Rarely a fighter will call out the player with text messages & social media postings that last all of a few seconds. Only once was there a weigh-in face-off that was presented as if someone from the crowd was recording it on their phone – a common practice used as a loading screen between training camp and the actual fight. There are no pre or post-fight interviews, no ability to call out fighters, or even the commentary remembering that two fighters went to war recently and the upcoming fight was a highly-anticipated rematch. Essentially, “Career” mode is nothing more than what’s been seen in the past with an added bit of cutscene fluff to give the illusion that the journey about to be taken is truly unique.
Also for offline players is the returning “Knockout Mode” – which is exactly what it sounds like. A player (or players) can pick two fighters to stand up and go to war (no grappling allowed) in the UFC version of “HORSE” where each character has a specific number of bars representing one’s health. With each significant shot comes a dwindling of the bar until one character is in a fetal position. “Knockout Mode” is a fun “party” mode where friends can sit around and see who goes down first – the same can be stated for “Stand & Bang” mode where there is no grappling allowed for a kickboxing encounter. “Custom Events” mode (where you can create and play your own custom fight cards) is also back alongside the new “Tournament” mode and even “Custom Fights” for exhibition battles where the player can have fighters with even stats or a AI opponent featuring max damage potential.
And then there’s the online portion of the game. Not shocking, “Quick Fight” and “Ranked” online modes return with the latter having one of the most confusing decisions attached to it by only allowing players to partake in a single weight class per every two hours. Instead of being able to play in any division like the previous three entries, players will have to either play whatever division is available at the time even if it doesn’t feature their favorite fighters or go back to “Quick Fight”. CAFs are allowed in “Ranked” this year, but are set at only a four-star rating; potentially limiting them against a majority of the real fighters available. Both having a weight class limit and allowing CAFs in “Ranked” is absurd decisions for an online mode that worked perfectly fine for three iterations.
For the first time since “EA UFC” in 2014 there is no “Ultimate Team” mode. In its place is time-sensitive online mode where specific stipulations change daily, “Blitz Battles”. Up to sixty-four players are placed in a single-elimination pool featuring online versions of “Knockout Mode” or a fight lasting only a minute. “Blitz Battles” have no skill caps or ranking systems in place, so there is a grand chance a player will get stopped early in this tournament or, if they’re skilled enough, may find it difficult to complete all six fights due to a lack of finding an opponent when reaching the final fights. Also gone alongside “UT” is “Live Events” mode – a fantastic, pseudo-fantasy UFC mode where the player was allowed to “bet” on upcoming events with the potential of winning card packs depending on who walks away with the victory and in what way during the next UFC event.
Though “Ultimate Team” is gone, the micro-transactions aren’t as coins are dished out in miniscule amounts by finishing in-game challenges like the daily-changing requirements including landing (X) amount of strikes or completing a certain number of fights in a specific division. “UFC Points” can be purchased with actual money and it usually costs less to buy creation items such as animated fight trunks or “Emotes” for pre, mid & post-fight taunting with “UFC Points” than by using coins. Though it is nice to have some unique clothing options for a created character, nothing really warrants spending real money without something like “Ultimate Team”. The lack of creation options also ties into the removal of “Game Face” – an online feature that allowed people to upload a face picture to, usually, get a nice representation of that person on a created fighter.
As per the norm with these games, the graphics mostly look great, but some of the animations can go haywire at times with clipping and unbelievable falls. Frame rate drops are horrendous when customizing a created fighter including moments where the game will freeze, but the sound of moving the selection icon can still be heard. The commentary courtesy of Daniel Cormier & Jon Anik can be a mixed bag with repetitious statements, delayed reactions to knockouts, DC commentating over his own fights, and moments when Anik might ask DC a question and gets no response. But then there are other times where the banter between Cormier & Anik is genuinely enjoyable with them adding a level of excitement to almost every fight. The soundtrack is also modern rap lover’s dream and may be something gamers will want to turn off immediately as it lacks any genre variety unlike the old sports games from the early 2000s. “EA UFC 4” is more a move to the side than an obvious step forward.
For all the improvements in regards to the gameplay there are some odd decisions connected to the online modes and a “Career” mode that doesn’t live up to the expectations set by the developers. This could’ve been the true greatest of all time when it comes to MMA video games, but definitely falls short.
Should You Play “EA Sports UFC 4”?
Just like its most recent predecessor, “EA UFC 4” is nothing short of a mixed bag. The overall gameplay is just as good, if not better than what was seen in the previous entries; though the control scheme and overall flow both on the feet and on the ground might be a little too overwhelming even with simplified controls. The removal of “Ultimate Team” and changes to “Ranked” mode definitely hinders the longevity of playing online, and “Blitz Battles” already comes across as a dying mode without the ability to play with friends.
“Career” mode is nothing up to the level of promise stated by the developers and eventually becomes just another single-player experience that lasts under two-dozen hours. Fans of “UFC 3” will most likely get a genuine kick out of this while newcomers & casual players may enjoy it for a short period before moving to something more profound. Even if you’re a dedicated “EA UFC” player it’s hard to recommend this at full price especially if a majority of your time is spent fighting online. Those on the fence should definitely do the ten-hour trial by signing up for “EA Access” for five dollars to see if it’s worth more time than that. Who knows – after spending a few hours with it may be the equivalent of knocking out a top contender to your title just when they think they have the fight going in their favor.
