UFC 2009 Undisputed (PS3) Demo Impression

Mixed martial arts (MMA) has stayed relatively under the radar for a long time. Shows like Ultimate Fighting Championship are rising in popularity and their mix of fighting styles does make for more interesting viewing. THQ is cashing on this fame with UFC 2009 Undisputed, which comes out May 19.

UFC 2009 has been built from the ground up to look and play like an MMA Sim. The training mode is long and complex, even though the control scheme is simple. The four face buttons correspond to the four limbs on your fighter, the right shoulder buttons are for blocking low and high while the left shoulder buttons are for aiming your punches and kicks low and high. The training mode itself took me a while to complete and I had forgotten half the things by the end of it.

The demo took me by surprise because it was nothing like the other yearly iterations of WWE games that Yukes make, it was a lot of fun. The characters punched and kicked like they would in real life, the animation and even the reaction from the blow are quite beautiful. Hit your opponent hard enough and he will bruise, keep hitting him and he will squirt blood.

This game isn’t just about punching and kicking though, there is a lot of grappling, bear hugging and choke holds. It does not make you feel like an almighty super warrior like the WWE does, it is more grounded in reality. Fighting on the mat feels awkward, there is no mini game or quick time events that will help you get your opponent into a submission. This may look like an innovation, but it left me confused at what I was supposed to do. The octagonal ring doesn’t feel like a ring as you cant use it against your opponent, instead the sides are like an invisible wall which provides no interaction.

UFC 2009 Undisputed presents itself like a very realistic game, having a wide variety of moves and different fighting styles, but at the end of the day it can be boiled down to punching and kicking as hard as you can. The large range of moves is impressive, but mashing the punch button will provide equally favorable results.

Still, the demo was very fun to play. I had a great time spamming the high kick button and trying to knock my opponent into the mat and punch him silly like a big bully in a school yard. Average fights lasted 45 secs, even when I tried to artificially lengthen the match by punching once a while. One good shot to the face would always take the AI down.

UFC 2009 may have more depth in the retail game, but I got the impression that this is a fun fighting game that’s not as hardcore realistic as Fight Night, but isn’t as irrational as SmackDown Vs. Raw. UFC fans will definitely like the wide roster of fighters and the different fighting styles available. Online multiplayer mode is included, and that’s probably where the game will shine, but we’ll need to wait for the full game to see.

So if you’re a fan of fighting games, give this one a try. This will probably take away the bad taste that the WWE games left in your mouth. Fight Night Round 4 is a while away, and this will satisfy your thirst for blood.