Glenn Wigmore: After giving the demo a good whirl, I feel EA did a lot right for this first iteration. To start with, the game looks absolutely incredible. There's some astounding fighter detail, as has been talked about extensively, but there is also great animation work before and after the fights (also between rounds). The damage modelling also stands out, as it really shows what it can do when some of the fights wear on. It's neat to see fighters wipe the blood from their eyes during a war or start to squint when their eye is puffing up. Just the same, bruising and flushing on the body and legs looks real cool if you focus your strikes on those areas.

As for the combat itself, I'd say it's a good base for future versions. I certainly understand that the demo was set to easy and that this isn't the whole suite of fighters, but the action definitely feels a bit floaty and arcadey at times, with a lot of strikes flinging out and sort of half landing. Still, the striking component of the game does allow for some reasonable combos and setups, and watching the foot-planting in action is awesome. I must say that it's a bit annoying to not have the robust slip, sway and feint system that THQ had perfected for counter-striking, but there are some options for dodging and parrying that feel decent for this first attempt.

Once the action hits the ground or goes to the clinch, things feel like a hybrid of EA MMA and THQ's games. The animation work is solid and the transitions look nice, but it's kind of silly that you can just click L3 to stand up. I certainly acknowledge that there is a risk-reward element, but being able to hit a button to stand out of bottom guard is a problem. The transition system itself is simple but more or less effective, and the submission minigame seems like a good stop-gap until EA cooks up something better.

In general, I'd say the controls need to be simplified eventually to be a bit more reactive, but as always these types of control schemes do reward those who put the time in. Either way, I'm on board for this game as of now, even though certain elements aren't where they need to be.

Dustin Toms: I agree almost 100 percent with Glenn, especially on the control side of EA Sports UFC. The controls, though very rewarding to those who will dedicate the time mastering them, are a bit complicated. And when I say complicated, I mean multiple attacks and defensive strategies are too similar, causing the wrong action which could leave you floored - literally. But once you get past the controls and learn the very basics after a handful of rounds, the rewards already begin setting in. I can only imagine what can happen with the full retail game.

The game, as does almost every PS4 title, looks absolutely stunning. Character models look great; body contact looks real; progressive injuries look, well, progressive. The realism of the graphics create a more immersive experience by almost "forcing" you to actually land combos than mash buttons. I know it's a demo, but that's pretty impressive to do in a small sample. I'm actually kind of excited to get this more so than I have ever been. I've always been a Fight Night supporter, ever since the third installment released with the 360's launch. But with boxing figuratively dying right in front of us, EA Sports UFC will have plenty of opportunity to sway me for good.

Oh, and Bruce Lee is going to be awesome in this game.

Chris Sanner: I had fun with the game with the demo, although it was set to an ultra-easy mode since I managed to win my first two fights with no idea with what I was doing. The game felt responsive, looks great, and runs smoothly. Where EA Sports UFC is going to really polarize people is with its controls.

At best the controls are complicated so that only the people who put a ton of time into the game will master them, at worst they are a convoluted mess which will turn a lot of potential customers off from the title. EA Sports UFC desperately needs an easy button for people to simply enjoy the game, I can not imagine any scenario where someone who is new to the game will have any measurable success on anything but ultra-easy. I'm not saying get rid of the amazing depth of control, but why is it so hard for all sports game developers to find the happy medium between a useless one button mode and hundreds of different control combinations?

But I digress. For the most hardcore of MMA fans, this game will certainly please you. The controls will take some time to master, but I think most people interested in a sim will find them adequate to their liking. Some of the gameplay issues I saw are likely due to the ease of the mode and not a full-on flaw within the game mechanics. I'm cautiously optimistic that a solid first effort is upon us, but we won't know for sure until the full retail version of the game is in our hands soon!