Re: EA Sports UFC Available Now, Post Your Impressions
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Originally Posted by blackceasar
I have the game now and I have mixed feelings about EA's effort. Again, I think it would involve a much deeper conversation about how EA approaches their titles, especially ones they have exclusivity to.
For myself, this game feels a lot less tactical and technical and more like Street Fighter meets UFC. The Street Fighter reference might be a bit much but it's all I can think of right now at the moment. What I want in an MMA game is to feel rewarded for being a smart fighter, not because I can repeatedly cartwheel kick someone into a knock out. I want to feel that feeling out phase that happens in real MMA fights. Sure that doesn't happen in every fight, but it seems to never happen here when playing against the CPU. I feel like all of my wins are cheap. Sure CPU might have me on the ground and I might reverse it and submit my opponent but what I mean is I want to feel rewarded for going in with a strategy and utilizing not only my fighter's strengths but also my opponent's weaknesses. I just don't get that feeling from this game. This doesn't really feel like MMA to me.. it feels like a more arcadey high paced kickboxing game that lets you take the fight to the ground.
The graphics are great and they will only get better. The sound is ok I guess. I applaud them for at least getting some of the real licensed tracks that some of the fighters walk out to (DMX with Silva for example).
So lets talk about the ground game. On default level, reversals come way too easy. When you kick the difficulty up its almost too extreme on the other end. There doesn't seem to be a happy medium. Also with the ground game, when I'm on top of someone and I've beat them to a pulp and delivered that knock out blow, there is no ref coming in to pull me off the dude. Some people might think this is a small thing, but when the ref is just in the ring to check the "make sure the ref is in the game" box and that's all he's there for. That whole feeling of the ref pulling you off a knocked out opponent is non-existent so when it happens you just feel like the game itself (not the ref) stepped in. Speaking of beating the tar out of someone while on the ground, it would have been nice to see the ref pull someone off when you have swarmed them and they can no longer effectively defend themselves. With this game, if you're not defending yourself, there's no ref to step in and stop the fight, you just eventually get KO'ed. So again, I really have no idea why the ref is even in the game. I don't feel like I'm going to see the ref actually stop a fight. I dont mean someone hurt so bad that the fight is stopped out of the blue on dammage.. but I mean the ref truly stepping in while someone's getting beat down and stopping it. THIS is a big deal... its so much part of the atmosphere of a game like this..and I don't think it's there.
I cannot comment on career mode because I have only played several solo fights. Cant comment about online yet either.
Yes I bought the game, and I don't regret buying it either, granted this is relevant to home much disposable income you have. I'm in my 30's with a career so the pain of 60.00 for this game doesnt sting as much. Also I bought the game more because I'm a HUGE MMA and UFC fan and I knew this would be the only game in town (pardon the pun) on next gen. Also there still is a lack of titles in the PS4's and XB1's libary so some people will buy this game just to help fill a void until say the next Madden or something comes out.
Overall I have to give them game a 6.5.. maybe a 7 after I feel what multiplayer is like but I don't see myself going past 7 on this year's effort. It will be interesting to see what EA does with the game in the future. Will they truly invest the time and effort into bringing out the gameplay intricasies of MMA in this title. I'm sure its easier to develop a more arcadey game (requires less figuring out of the gameplay details) and slap an Octagon around it with a UFC logo on it. I guess only time will tell.
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Originally Posted by The JareBear
This is my impression from the thread that was closed.
Spoiler
"Depends on what you are looking for. If you are looking for a realistic representation of MMA, dont get it. Its not that and really not even close to that.
If you are looking for a fun MMA game that has some realistic elements, get it. I've learned to ignore the flaws and found workarounds for the biggest issue I had with the game (lack of CAFs) so I'm just gonna ignore it.
As long as EA patches the game (like they do with every sports games) and provides and decent amount of DLC, I will be happy." - Aholbert in the impression thread that was closed
That quote sums up my first impression of the game. I've played about 8 full matches so far, still have a long way to go before rendering any sort of verdict or anything, but I feel like, from what I have played, this is extremely accurate.
I'm not gonna give it a rating or anything like thts, that's silly until I play the game for a lot longer.
This post is SOLELY my view regarding HUMAN vs CPU play. Have not yet played against a user
It feels very arcade to me and that's fine. I am not saying it's bad or that it isn't fun. Again, this is just my very very first impression. I don't think EA ever called it a simulation so it's not like something was promised and not delivered.
I have been using the correct transition/sweep/reversal block with the right stick direction and still find them to be too successful for the opponent on the bottom. I will continue to practice this though and hope it's just user error in my part. It's to the point now where if I am in dominant position and they defend against my first submission attempt I immediately try to stand up because a sweep is coming.
I have had a good experiences so far with striking and clinch work, I feel very comfortable in those two areas. Takedowns and takedown defense is natural for me as well. I just need to focus primarily on the ground game and hope it becomes second nature as well. Any pointers here is appreciated.
Using Ronda it felt great throwing Alexis around from the clinch, and using Frankie it felt great stringing together combos and trying to time my opponents punches for a counter.
I wouldn't go as far to say this feels like Tekken or anything like that, but so far I definitely don't think it looks like what I see on TV.
I look forward to getting deeper into the game tomorrow. Also look forward to reading impressions from everyone els
I have played about 10 more matches vs the CPU. I play on Hard, Accel Clock ON (I honestly feel you will never see a five round decision without accel clock on until they tone down the strike output), HUD off
Just like before, everything I say is only regarding HUMAN vs CPU
I wouldn't go as far to say that all the fighers fight the same, but honestly, the only real difference I see is some guys go for takedowns and clinch more than others. Either way the CPU is pretty much always content on being aggressive and never really looking to fight defensively or counter. I'm honestly not sure there are actual "game plans" the CPU follows, I think it just has some ideas of what it wants to do based on what you do, and all those ideas seem to involve being aggressive. I don't feel like there is much chess match against the CPU as there should be.
I have lost a lot of fights, which is good, lack of challenge isn't a problem or anything like that, I just feel like, as I said in my other impression, it's just really arcadey. Not trying to pull the "Tekken" card out like it was in the other thread, but I just really wish there was a "sim" mode. I honestly don't feel like it plays out like real fights.
I knew that the roster was going to be a little small and we knew that a long time ago but I didn't quite realize how many guys are missing.
I also think the controls can feel a little "herky jerky" sometimes, it seems like certain scenarios just animate or control a little awkwardly.
I am going to dive into career mode today and see how that is.
Edit:
Please don't flame me, by the way. I know on this forum there has been a little bit of flaming for anyone who had negative things to say about the game. Please just let me have my opinion. I am not saying the game sucks. I haven't played it anywhere near long enough to give it a rating or render a verdict on it yet. These are just my EARLY impressions. I do not feel like I am right or anyone else is wrong, this is just my observations so far
Edit 2:
I know the dev team went to UFC 174. Well, there were some fights on that card that weren't very exciting, espcially Schaub vs Arlovski. Those kind of fights happen in real life. Sometimes matchups and game plans card to card combine for a crappy fight. I think in one round of that Schaub/Arlovski fight only 30 strikes were thrown total or something like that. That happens in the UFC sometimes. You will never see that kind of variation in this game, unfortunately
Feel exactly the same. Having fun but this game could have been so much more.
Really need to cutdown on how easy it is to sweep people. Also need to tune stamina for someone blocking transitions or transitioning from the bottom. They should be working hard to get someone off of them or from advancing position.