There is a
certain lethargy associated with the heavyweights, but Evander “The Real Deal”
Holyfield has flash in those huge hands, and strings together combos with
regularity that staggers and drops the stumbling Meyers. A first fight opponent
versus a revamped legend. What fun!
EA Sports is
gearing up for the Feb. 22 release of Fight Night Round 3 on the Xbox and one of
the game options players can leap into is taking a legend and starting the
career path anew.
The game has
a few stumbling areas, but is generally a solid fighter that brings the thrill
of boxing to the fore with great controls, solid graphics and sound.
There are
several ways to play the game. Play Now is the instant fight mode; ESPN Classic
offers historic fights and the chance for players to rewrite or participate in
legendary rivalries; Game Modes offers up Xbox Live multiplayer options and Hard
Hits fights; but the crowning single-player mode is the career mode, in which
you create a fighter, skill up the attributes, work through the amateur rankings
and finally turn pro. There are eight attribute categories: power, speed,
agility, stamina, chin, body, heart, and cuts.
In the
preview build received, you can’t have two careers going at the same time. You
have to retire one fighter to begin another.
Once you
have either recreated a legend or created a new fighter (using a very nice
customization options package), you begin by signing a contract for a fight. You
can scout your opponent, but you also need to look at the contract terms. Some
will offer rounds for the fight, but others can be a hard hit encounter, meaning
that rounds are ended when one fighter hits the canvas. Others will offer
increased paychecks for winning the bout or bonus to other areas, like
popularity.
The fight is
signed so you head to training. You can hire a trainer, some are free but offer
no bonuses, while others will cost a bit and give improved results. Training
falls into three attribute-specific areas plus sparring. You can auto train or
play the training mini games. The latter offers the opportunity to get bigger
rewards but you can also fail and come off with losses in categories. You will
only get half the points for auto training but it gets you to the fight faster.
Win fights
gains popularity, more money and unlocks better gear and fighting styles. If you
unlock a new fighting style, you need to return to the edit boxer screen to
activate it.
The controls
did feel a little sluggish at times. The right analog stick controls the
punching. If you push the stick to the right, rotate clockwise and then
counterclockwise you can execute one of the new Impact punches – the Flash KO.
The other new Impact punches are the Haymaker and Stun Punch.
The Xbox
version uses the health and energy meters along the bottom of the screen. If
your fighter runs low on energy, the punches will be slower, you will hear
heavier breathing and you will tend to stand there and take counters. Moving
away will recharge the energy meter, plus give you more room to set up better
combinations. Standing toe-to-toe is not recommended in most cases.
Of course,
not all blows are recognized in the game’s AI. The meter of the opponent is low,
and you send in a hard combo that totally rips the wind from him and starts him
on a fall toward the mat. His hands drop and as they do, you unleash a vicious
uppercut. Ok, now if that landed to the chin of a stunned and unprotected
fighter, chances are really good that it is light’s out. But the game doesn’t
seem to recognize the free shot. If the foe has not been knocked down before,
the odds are good he will be back on his feet by the time the bodiless referee
gets to the count of 7.
The
soundtrack blends in nicely with the mood of the game. Featuring songs like Sean
Biggs (Featuring Akon and Topic) “Never Gonna Get It” or Young Roscoe’s “Itz
Nothin’,” this is foot-tapping smooth backdrops for the interface. The announcer
does a decent job of keeping abreast of the action. On a couple of occasions,
the corner chat (which can be repetitive) dropped out, though the crowd noise
was still there.
And the
announcer did get off track or so it seemed at one point. The amateur title was
on the line. The challenger (player controlled) known as Silk, comes storming
out and pummels his opponent. A knockdown early in the fight sets up a
devastating combo before the round ends. Silk wins by a knockout. The announcer
intones that “Silk really has to take this loss to heart. It is a devastating
knockout win for his rival.” Sorry, but that was the other way around.
The graphics
have some clipping problems (at least in this preview build), but nothing too
huge. There are load times that are not overly long or distracting. Some of the
animations are not too accurate. A solid blow to the solar plexus usually does
not cause a spew of blood from the mouth, or if it does, the ring doc better be
ready to step in. Occasionally a disembodied arm floats through the center of
the camera, clipping causing it to appear as an angular blob.
But again,
this was a preview build and these may not be on the final release.
Overall,
this is a wonderful and addictive fighter title. The career mode is well done
and a lot of fun to play. Stepping into the legendary rivalries is always
exciting and challenging and there is enough here to please just about any fight
fan as well as those looking for a solid fight title.
