First Impressions of UFC 2009 Undisputed
UFC 2009 Undisputed
Originally uploaded by brandawg After playing the demo for UFC 2009 Undisputed, here are some of the first impressions and observations based solely on the tutorial and the one match available:
- THQ used some of the same music from the WWE Smackdown vs. Raw series. That was...weird.
- The facial damage system is the coolest thing so far. Punching and kicking to the body will produce welts, but damage to the face results in varying degrees of cuts and bruises based on how often and hard a person is struck. I had Chuck Lidell put Shogun in a half clinch and start pounding away with some dirty boxing and the cut that was already on Shogun's face started to get bigger and bleed more with each punch. Sometimes the eyes can swell shut to the point that the eyeball is no longer visible. This sounds graphic and violent and it is, but it's also true to MMA, which is what should happen in a game like this.
- Each fighter is unique and designed to play to his real-life strengths. Chuck has great wrestling counters, a spinning backfist that knocked me out twelve seconds into the first round and an overhand right that's dangerous. Shogun is great on the ground, has combos that do tons of damage and a flying knee that is impressive as all hell. Those are the only two guys available in the demo, but the replay factor in that alone has lead me to fight at least thirty to forty times as each guy in the day and a half since I downloaded it. I probably won't play as those guys anymore once the game comes out, but that's only because there will be around eighty other fighters available.
- There is going to be a steep learning curve for the controls. The tutorial is very helpful in establishing a basic understanding of what to do, but the nuances will definitely take time to master. Establishing the right distance for certain strikes and knowing when and where to apply the shoulder buttons to add power or height to them is a chore but a rewarding one. Submissions are another story, though.
- Submissions feel impossible to pull off. This could very well be because of the available characters in the demo being true to life: while Shogun is a black belt in BJJ, Liddell has only been submitted once in his career and has great wrestling. Maybe the game is that great that it knows Chuck wouldn't get submitted and that Shogun focuses more on his stand up. If that's not the case, then the submission aspect of the game could turn out to be a disappointment. As it stands, the player has no choice in the submissions they can attempt, as the position of the character determines what they try. In the full mount, Rua and Liddell both went for armbars but I'd love to have the opportunity for a head and arm triangle. I guess once I can play as Lyoto Machida and face Houston Alexander, then it'll be easier to determine if it's the game or the characters.
- Knockouts, meanwhile, seem entirely too easy. It'll be nice if the options will allow the player to determine the frequency and ease of submissions and full-on knock outs because I find the latter to be a little more rare than the former, yet the game seems to think otherwise. However, they look absolutely bad ass because the mouthpiece flies out, the toes curl up and sometimes the dude will twitch. While that's frightening in reality, it's a great touch for a video game.
- Also, can a brother get a decision up in here? I have yet to take a fight all the way, and believe me, I've been trying. Again, this could be the characters currently available, so hopefully a Sean Sherk and Tyson Griffin fight will take up the full fifteen minutes.
- Angela thought it was funny that the boobs of the octagon girls between rounds bounce with each step.
Overall, the game looks like an awesome adaptation of the mixed martial arts experience and I can't wait to pick it up on May 19.