Submitted on: 03/15/2016 by
Glenn Wigmore: EA Sports UFC 2 is evoking NHL 16 for me, where it's a product that's more confident than it's previous iteration, with a better suite of modes, added gameplay depth and some augmented presentation. The improved striking and evasion moves have changed the feel somewhat, with crisper combos and more impact on strikes.
Online, as it did before, works very well. The matchmaking is even faster, and there's basically no lag. I'm enjoying the title chase online championship too, which gives you a reason to pick different fighters, and it supplies you with unique goals during your online runs.
"...but some time with the game has made me realize that the simultaneous input and visual indicators are not only good for casuals but good for pros."
The career mode is kind of breezy, but it's mostly the same stuff that was there before. I've found it sort of painless and acceptable so far, but it pales in comparison to stronger franchise and career offerings in other sports products. Ultimate Team is an unsurprising addition from EA, but Knockout Mode is actually quite fun, providing some comically quick combat.
I'm having a good time with the game so far, and this is coming from someone who logged 250+ hours of the previous game.
Ultimate Team is a fun addition that I would expect to sink the majority of my time into. The ability to craft a team of fighters is great, particularly because of the extensive creation tools. There's plenty of offline and online options to hold my attention throughout the next year, and I like the way the cards have been implemented as well.
I haven't spent much time in Career Mode, so I'll reserve judgement for now. I'm particularly enjoying the multiplayer-friendly Knockout Mode, which feels more like Street Fighter than UFC.
There's a lot here to satisfy fans of the sport. The gameplay only reaches levels of excellence from time to time, but the vast number of game modes should be enough to keep me interested until the next iteration comes along.
With that said, EA Sports UFC 2 seems a different animal. The presentation is slicker, the graphics look better, and oh yeah -- the gameplay is improved in several important and notable ways. I'm digging the submission system, and absolutely love the new dynamic grappling.
Everything seems to flow and work better this time around. Having the experience of a title under their belt and seeing what worked and what didn't seems to have paid dividends for the team working on the game.
"Everything seems to flow and work better this time around."
All in all, EA Sports UFC 2 seems to be improved in most every way over the original. If you liked the first game, you are probably really going to love this edition.
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