I know from the little we have heard, it sounds like the striking is getting an overhaul this time around like the ground did for UFC 2 and if it was a complete overhaul like i'm thinking, these things should more than likely be fixed. However, just in case it isn't these are a few things I hope they don't miss with it or overlook...
1. Unrealistic Strike Speed: This has been a little pet peeve of mine since I started playing the game. The striking speed is pretty ok when your right up on your opponent (punches in particular) but once you get a bit of a distance away, all of a sudden punches are coming out like you are stuck in mud or something. Idk if the devs were trying to emulate whiffing or something by doing this, but it wasn't a good idea cuz it's not realistic. If a fighter is a certain speed, he will be that same speed whether he is near or far from his opponent. Keep striking speed consistent and leave those kind of animations for when the fighter is tired or low on stamina or something.
2. Broken Evasive Movement: The evasive head movement and back dashing are a bit broken in the game. With head movement, sometimes you can sway back and not get hit in the body even though the opponent is right up on you. Then the other is back dashing. The thing with this is it actually shortens/stiffles incoming strikes, which shouldn't happen. If you throw a strike when someone back dashes it's like your arm won't fully extend on a punch all of a sudden. The last issue on this topic is both those type evasive movements (back dashing and swaying back) work when your back is against the cage! How can you back dash or sway back if your back is right up against the cage? Needs to be fixed...you should only be able to move forward or to either side if your back is against the cage.
3. Combo Multiplier: Strikes are not boosted in damage cuz they are at the end of combos. Then on top of that to make matters worse, it gets a bunch of hit stun too? Hit stun should be solely dependant on move and perk lvls and damage to the area being hit. This has got to go. MMA meets Tekken? No thank you.
4. Parry System: Lastly is the parry system. My thing with this is if it isn't done realistically, it needs to go. But it seems to be EA's thing and it is a realistic part of MMA, so i'm pretty sure they won't do away with it. In this game, it feels more like a gimmick to assist the noobs though. It's current state totally ruins the flow of the striking cuz of how it freezes the opponent and then the damage done is pretty ridiculous. It's basically like something to use to land a free strike on your opponent. As a result you have tons of players just fishing for parries the whole fight. So i'll break down what I think needs to be fixed with it into four parts...
a). Parry Counter Damage: The damage done by parries are a bit much. A parry counter doesn't mean a death sentence or near death experience. Currently it's like parry counters are the most damaging thing in the game but if you counter freely, it doesn't do as much damage? Needs to be toned down a bit. It's to over the top and thus that makes it feel gimmicky.
b). Openings After Parries: I think the openings to land counter shots after a successful parry needs to be dependant on the strike parried. For example, if I parry a jab/straight, I shouldn't be able to counter with a head kick or some huge fancy strike. The opening created after I parry should only buy me enough time to counter with say a jab/straight of my own. Having it like this along with toning down the damage a bit, you won't have these over rewarded scenarios where ppl are parrying jabs and countering with these huge strikes or spinning crap.
c). Counter Hit Damage on missed Parries: I feel this isn't punishing enough which is why some ppl still parry spam. If you miss time a parry and get tagged, the strike should do counter hit damage. Irl missing a parry can be brutal cuz of the fact that you don't expect what's coming. Depending on the strike they throw, if you parry a strike to the wrong side or height, it could cost you your consciousness. Don't believe me? Just ask J Lo...
d). Parries "Freezing" the Opposition: Sure a parry should allow you an opening to land a counter on your opponent, but it also shouldn't freeze your opponent. Irl after you swat the opponents strike away and attempt to land a counter, he doesn't freeze in his tracks so you can hit him. Whatever he was doing, he will still be doing after he gets parried. Like say he was throwing a jab followed by a straight...you parrying his jab doesn't mean he freezes and his follow up punch will no longer come at you. Not a ton of fighters parry in mma tbh, but fighters I can think of that do it alot are Conor and Machida, so i'll use some examples with them...
Aldo vs Mcgregor: Ah the famous Aldo KO. Will be one of the most memorable ko's in history and it was done via parry(this doesn't validate the current horrible parry system btw lol) smh. So notice Aldo comes in with a double feint left and right, and then follows through with a left hook. Even though the 2nd punch was a feint and Aldo didn't intend to land it, Conor was still able to parry it and land the counter left straight. However, the big takeaway from this is that even though Conor parries and lands that counter, it does not stop Aldo from attacking with what he was following up with. Aldo get's SLEPT and STILL lands the left hook on Mcgregor. He didn't freeze in place (until he hit the floor lol) for Conor to land his shot.
Machida vs Evans: Evans paws out with the lead hand to follow up with a straight right. Machida then parries the lead hand of Evans and that gives him the opening to land his left straight. Notice even after Machida lands the parry counter, Evans still comes in with his follow up strike. He isn't frozen in place or anything...he still throws the straight right while getting cracked. Machida even has to slip out of the way of it after he lands his counter.
Ok rant over lol. What are you guys thoughts on all this and what are some other things you guys hope get changed/fixed in the upcoming game?