Bigger, badder and better than ever – key words that could spell delight for UFC video-game enthusiasts.
If fans of UFC 2009 Undisputed (note, the reversal of the name configuration) were disappointed with the amount of options for offline single-player modes, they best be prepared for an onslaught of new modes that may boggle their mind.
Starting with the most simple, the Event Mode, players are now able to put together their own PPV or Fight Night events and dictate the match-ups and settings for each individual match. Each event that is created will use opening cut scenes of Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan ranting about the upcoming matches and will end with them discussing the outcomes with replay moments. In addition, Fight of the Night, Submission of the Night and Knockout of the Night Awards are distributed to the fighters that performed well enough in the attributed areas required.
Event Mode potentially could turn out to be the cornerstone of this THQ title, giving players more command of their own virtual UFC with the possibility of introducing a General Manager Mode (which has been discussed internally) of sorts down the road. That’s neither here nor there right now as the Event Mode is THQ’s first attempt at delivering a sim-like mode that puts full control in the hands of the player. With the ability to download events based on real-world UFC events, players are going to be busy simulating upcoming cards before they occur. In addition, the results of cards downloaded from online will be tracked and recorded for use on UFC.com, Undisputed.com and, quite possibly, UFC PPV broadcasts.
Next up is the Title Mode. Many of our readers submitted questions about the ability to use real-life fighters within Career Mode. Well, Title Mode is essentially a mini-career mode for use with the actual fighters such as BJ Penn. Players will jump into this single-player mode and work their way up a random ladder (three ladder sizes included: 8, 10 or 12) of opponents within their weight class to win the championship belt. After every passing victory, the difficulty will ramp up as will the ability to fight in bigger arenas and in front of massive crowds. If players end up losing, they’ll receive the ability to rematch immediately. Once the belt is obtained, players will unlock Title Defense Mode – another new offline single-player mode.
Title Defense Mode is UFC Undisputed 2010’s “Gauntlet/Survival” Mode. Players will compete in back-to-back matches over a certain time period within 5-round fights. The opponent AI is much more difficult than it was in Title Mode and a single loss will result in ‘game over.’ Completion of the game mode is accomplished by defending the belt 12 consecutive times. For fight fans who think fondly of the old UFC tournaments back from the heyday, they’ll be happy to hear that Title Defense Mode brings forth the concept of a fighter’s condition deteriorating over the course of every match.
Each body part of the fighter will have a decrease in health points based on the damage inflicted within their last match. On top of that, a Stamina penalty will be applied and calculated after every match. To assist in recovering a fighter’s condition, THQ is providing a set percentage bonus to apply to each body part to allow rest and recovery before the next match. If players are capable of winning three matches in a row, they’ll be awarded a Milestone Reward that unlocks sponsors, custom nicknames and create-a-fighter pieces. So our best advice is to finish the matches as quickly as possible and beware of entering into a grueling slugfest that could harm your chances in the later stages of the mode.
Another new game mode that should have fans bursting with joy is the Tournament Mode. Allowing players to enter into 4, 8 and 16-man tournaments, THQ has now delivered the game mode with the most replay value outside of Career Mode. The tournaments are single-elimination and provide the chance for players to create an all CPU vs. CPU tournament. While the fighter’s condition doesn’t carry over to the next match, the ability to create tournaments is going to pay dividends when it comes to the replayability factor.
The last addition to UFC Undisputed 2010 isn’t exactly a game mode, but it’s gigantic and is going to be one of the more talked about features – the introduction of Online Fight Camps. These camps will likely create online rivalries between players and make things much more exciting when competing in battles with opponents who are talking trash. Each online camp has its progress tracked based on the average value of all of its members’ rankings, along with their online and fight camp accomplishments.
When creating a new camp, players will select a camp name, logo and banner to represent the team online. The better the fight camp becomes the more customizable options will be unlocked in terms of logos and banners. The banners can be displayed at cage side to showcase the team’s colors and logo. For Team Captains, they are able to customize the UFC ticker at the bottom of the screen with messages scrolling across for the camp. This ability can be delivered to others in the camp as each camp has a hierarchy that gives members a certain amount of control.
Perhaps one of the most intriguing options for the Online Fight Camps is the ability to spar, fight exhibitions or enter Camp Chats together. Teaching each other maneuvers and tricks of the trade is beneficial to those who are at the lower end of the totem pole within the camp. The faster the camp improves in skill and rank, the faster they’ll rise on the Fight Camp Leaderboards and earn Camp Milestones that represent online camp progression.
Tomorrow we’ll return with our hands-on impressions with the improved Career, Create-A-Fighter and Ultimate Fights Mode (a revamped and renamed Classic Fights Mode).
