EA Sports MMA Demo Impressions - RaychelSnr's Blog

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RaychelSnr's Blog

EA Sports MMA Demo Impressions Stuck

Posted on September 28, 2010 at 01:32 PM.

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What a difference a week makes.

Last week, I was using this space to trash an EA Sports game. This week, I'm going to use this space to praise a noteworthy first effort by the team behind EA Sports MMA.

The game is relatively simple, and in many cases it sacrifices realism for playability and fun. But other than the most extreme MMA fan, I don't think those compromises will be noticed by many.

But EA Sports MMA sticks to the formula of playability over realism, and with that approach we get a game which is not impossible to master, easy to follow and understand, and most importantly: EA Sports MMA really fun to play.

A game of the year contender I don't think this game is, but EA has nailed the MMA formula and in this writers opinion, EA Sports MMA clearly outclasses THQ and UFC Undisputed at every corner. The controls are better, the game is easier to play for everyone, you don't have to be an MMA expert to have a shot, and did I mention it's just fun?

While I don't think the game is a truly realistic sim of MMA, I think it handles the issue of stamina much better than any other fighting game on the market. Don't get caught without any, it turns out bad for you. The game forces you to manage your pacing, go in with a strategy in a fight, and then adapt if your opponent is doing something wholly different. So while the individual aspects of the game might not be completely realistic, I don't think that detracts from the game but rather adds a lot.

You have to use your noggin to win in EA Sports MMA. That's a win any time a sports game can make you do that.

Fighters all seem different. It's different playing as heavyweights vs. middleweights, as it should be. And then there are individual styles. When playing as Bobby Lashley, you notice your stand-up game is a little weak compared to your ground game, as an example. I can't wait to see how this type of fighter variability translates into the full product.

The graphics are really solid, and the atmosphere is ok. We'll see how the full product is in that category as well. The presentational elements of the game do not detract from the experience, if nothing else.

I really like the game, and I think EA Sports has a clear winner on it's hands with EA Sports MMA. I think their first effort is the best MMA effort to date, and there's a lot to like here. We will see how the full product is very soon, but my expectations have definitely risen after playing the demo.

Chris is the Executive Editor of Operation Sports and maintains this blog on the site. He is also a native Oklahoman and avid storm chaser. You can follow him on Twitter @ChrisSnr.

Comments

# 1 Saijahn @ Sep 28

you can't be serious. the game is indeed fun but the fighters don't feel different at all. they move with the same speed, jake and bobby spam takedowns. it's a great first try at an mma game, but it's not as great as you make it out to be. especially on the ground.

# 2 faze38 @ Sep 29

Movement is fluid but ground game needs alot of work on the easier levels to easy to move and control ground game and on legend nearly impossible to move except for on first impact! It's more of a guessing game then an actual skill level game is what it seemed like to me on legend! Still fun tho! Saijahn is right about all the fighter seeming the same tho and having the same take downs and speed.

# 3 Dazraz @ Sep 29

I was thinking yesterday, after hearing of EA's decision to delay NBA Elite. They couldn't afford MMA to flop too. Got to say, from my first look at the demo, I'm liking this alot more than UFC.

# 4 josher898 @ Sep 29

will be a good game for there first attempt at mma

# 5 Beastly Wayz @ Sep 29

This comment is coming from a life long, Fight Night Fan. Damn this game is Awesome. The graphics could use a minor tweak, but overall the gameplay, movement, and Presentation are wicked. With that said punch controls are pretty much the same as fight night, which allowed me to pick this game up ( After never playing UFC, I admit, I should be punished ) and being able to compete. This game seems great, I am actually excited about this release. Now I know why the issues with Madden and Elite have arouse. EA spent a lot of time with this, and it seems to be a winner......