The first thing I do in any new sports title is jump into a match or game. I ignore the new modes in favour of getting of flavour of how it feels to play. With EA Sports UFC 6, it was apparent just how it felt different to its previous release. Sometimes, new entries take a step back or try to change winning formulas that make the overall gameplay suffer, but my first fight highlighted how striking and pacing felt better than ever. EA Vancouver has made sure combat is as tight as it can be, despite one new mechanic that doesn’t quite work.
The streamlined striking rewards you with carefully executed combos. Going into this thinking button bashing is going to help you succeed is the wrong mentality. Meticulous jabs. Timed uppercuts. Placed knee strikes. Punches and kicks need to be both timed and placed with precision. Sure, there are times when flurries heading into the final ten seconds might be a necessity, but you’re rewarded for picking your moment. Pressing the right trigger to dodge, then landing a counter is so satisfying. The new QTE feature here makes the world of difference.
Grappling feels wholly unchanged. Despite sticking to the same floor game, it was at its best last year because of how much more accessible it was. It gives you confidence to try out the entire roster without a fear of being taken to the mat. When you throw in the improvements to striking, EA Sports UFC 6 feels the best it has. The new ‘flow state’ mechanic makes fights feel less authentic. I get what the developers were going for, but it feels less sim and more arcade which, for those wanting realism, it shies away from this.
When successfully landing strikes, a fighter’s flow state gauge builds until you initiate it by pressing down on the d-pad. The area around your fighter darkens and it sends you into the zone. Strikes do more damage, recovery is quicker, and it provides more opportunities to knock down the opponent. It’s good in theory but feels to gimmicky. I rarely used it in all honesty. It might be cool the first few times, but it turned EA Sports UFC 6 into something akin to Street Fighter than an MMA title.
Some of the new game modes in UFC 6 are great. The Legacy offers a story mode where you play as Chris Carter; a guy living in his father’s shadow while traversing the pitfalls of an up-and-coming fighter. It’s corny as hell, but I was still hooked on the story. Watching his relationship with his coach, as well as his friend-turned rival Danny Lawrence. Sure, it takes cues from a whole bunch of clichés from sports dramas, but that’s why I loved it. The cinematics are gorgeous, and the story beats kept me going despite the still-present frustrations of fight preparation.
The Hall of Legends is the other great mode. It lets you relive the careers of three icons of the modern sport in Max Holloway, Alex Pereira, and Zhang Weili. Max ‘Blessed’ Holloway is one of my all-time favourite fighters, and getting to soak in his legacy was incredible. You wander around in third-person as if at a personal museum, reading up on his culture, his most iconic fights and rivalries, as well as getting to participate in actual scenarios. I would love to see more added as DLC. Regardless, it does a super job of honouring three legends.
There are refinements to the game as a whole. Jumping into your own career strips away the painful climb of starting off at the bottom and lets you jump into your own UFC career from the get-go. I’ve never been a huge fan of the way you have to play out each week during fighter preparation as it seems to take too long. Training drills feel the same, and while these can be simulated, you’re never rewarded in the same way. There are new storyline events, though, and these help to add personality to your own UFC career based on your own decisions.
The Gym is a little underwhelming, too. I was expecting an in-depth Ultimate Team where recruiting fighters felt like I was in charge of my own actual gym, yet it’s little more than a way to earn a bunch of cosmetics. It’s fine if that’s your thing, but I got much more from Hall of Legends and The Legacy. Despite this, there’s plenty of modes for players who aren’t always in to playing online. EA Vancouver has catered to single player fans just as much as those wanting to fight others from around the world and it shows.
EA Sports UFC 6 feels amazing to play. Victories feel earned and they’re at their most realistic. Like in reality, fights can be won in the first ten seconds or they can go the full three and five rounds. Hall of Legends and The Legacy are exciting, and the range of fighters on the roster will please most fans. Animations are stunning, and the realism is exceptional, even if certain knockouts still look comical. This isn’t just another entry with seldom changes. There’s plenty to love, outweighing the things that don’t quite work.
UfcgoM
At last some banger fights announced. Do you guys think there will be any upsets in the prelims? Ufc