FIGHT NIGHT CHAMPION - MY THOUGHTS - Dazraz's Blog

Dazraz's Blog

FIGHT NIGHT CHAMPION - MY THOUGHTS

Posted on March 7, 2011 at 02:35 PM.

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The Fight Night series has always been about giving you the opportunity to fight with or against some of the greatest fighters ever. With the latest edition looking visually stunning, featuring a new Champion Mode, an updated & expanded roster of boxers, it seems the potential of this game being great is high.

However the mantra of the Fight Night series appears to be, for each good thing we do there will be something we won't bother to do.

The Champion Mode is where most gamers are likely to go first with this game. The mode offers an RPG element that works well in giving your fighter a life & personality around the sport. Ultimately though, once you've spent the few hours it takes to complete the mode you will likely never touch it again.

The 'long term' career option once again is Legacy Mode. Largely unchanged from FN4 it's a case of create a fighter, develop him, rise through the ranks & then inevitably win the title. Increasing skill attributes at a variety of gyms isn't very realistic but works well within the game. You are able to keep track of the results/rankings from across the many weight divisions within the mode. This is a nice touch but more could be done to expand on this. Being able to play as more than just 1 fighter across the different weight divisions would give a longer lifespan to the mode, maybe with an option to sim fights you didn't fancy. Another idea would be to allow you to play out fights between non user fighters to mix it up & break up the monotony of going through the ranks.

Sadly for those like myself who enjoy playing Fight Night with friends offline there isn't much on offer. A create tournament feature such as that in THQ's UFC game would have been a simple but effective way to cater for this market but it seems EA's focus is on single/online players. Play Now is the only way to play against a friend offline but sadly you can't have a one off fight as a title match. What better way to celebrate defeating your buddy than having your boxer lift a belt in triumph at the end!

The gameplay in FNC is mostly solid. Adjustment to sliders can iron out most issues. That said I do have a couple of early concerns. The introduction of Flash Knockdowns introduce an element of uncertainty throughout a fight. I just hope EA haven't made the likelihood of these too high. I was involved in a fight in which I completely dominated. With 30 seconds of the last round I knocked my opponent to the canvas. He got up at the count of 8, threw one punch that barely connected & knocked me out cold. It can happen I know but hopefully this is not a frequent event. Getting knocked down by a weak punch is another of the games curiosities. One minute a nothing punch can send you to the canvas, the next you take a uppercut flush on the chin & barely flinch. How much of an issue these problems pose can only really be determined in the long term but hopefully they don't become game breakers.

Other niggling issues largely reside around the presentation. The commentary is a slight improvement from FN4 but still weak. Pre & post fight presentations do little to capture the atmosphere of a big fight. Replays, or the lack of are a wasted opportunity to capture the great visuals on offer. Replays only occur directly after a knockdown & even then there is only a playback of the last few seconds. If you sent your opponent to the canvas with a vast array of combination punches you won't see this in the replay. Why EA have neglected this area is a bit of a mystery. What would be really great is to have a highlight reel at the end of the fight. Little features like these can capture the occasion so much better than what's currently on offer here.

All in all FNC is a welcome game because it brings boxing to our consoles which almost in itself makes this a good game. However you can't help but feel that with a bit more attention to detail this game could of been great.