Fight Night Champion

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Introduction

The Fight Night franchise has set the bar for boxing simulations since it debuted on the PS2 and Xbox with Fight Night 2004. Since then the series has always been able to evolve with it's gameplay, controls and graphics. The games have definitely come a long way since their current generation days. With the move towards next generation consoles the franchise has shifted towards faster gameplay and high-definition graphics. In comes EA Sports with its latest iteration Fight Night Champion. Does this release deliver the knockout or does it fall flat on the mat? Read the review to find out.

Champion Mode

Fight Night Champion has a mode called Champion Mode. For the first time in the series the game features a storyline complete with cut scenes and professional voice work. The storyline is based on the career of fighter Andre Bishop that treads familiar boxing movie territory but it's very well done regardless. Andre Bishop is a rising star in the boxing world and after refusal to sign with a corrupt promoter he finds himself behind bars with his career in a downward spiral. You take control of Andre Bishop as he rebuilds his career while on his way to becoming a boxing champion. He's a likeable character and it's great to follow his path towards redemption and success. Unfortunately Champion Mode lasts only a few hours so it can be completed in one sitting. This is the first time that an EA Sports game has received a mature rating. I was happy about that. The fights are more brutal. The game is darker and grittier. Even the language is explicit. The game does feature an impressive roster of 50 fighters. That's the largest roster in a fight night game thus far. There are 21 venues in which you can compete in.

There are certain scenarios that you are put in. For example, in one match your fighter breaks his hand. To add to that you must knock your opponent down at the same time so it's not simply about winning. Another match has you knocking down your opponent only with the use of body shots. Another scenario has you winning only by knockout. You also get trophies and achievements for defeating the game's huge roster of fighters.

Graphics

Fight Night Champion features some of the best looking graphics that I have seen in a video game. The fighters themselves are very detailed and look really good. Skin texture is amazing with realistic looking scars. Blood fills the air after a devastating punch and it drips from open wounds. A fighter's face ripples after getting tagged with a huge punch. Sweat flies off a fighter's forehead. Tape on a boxer's gloves gets covered in blood as does the boxing ring. Fighter entrances are well done. The crowd is realistic and adds to the atmosphere rather than looking like cardboard cutouts. Even the ring girls look really good. The terrific presentation makes you truly feel as if you are watching a boxing match.

Audio

Another aspect of Fight Night Champion that I really liked was the audio. Punches land with a vicious thud. Fighters react really well when they are in pain. The soundtrack features hip hop themed music which works really well for the game. The trainer will give his fighter advice between each round. The crowd gets alive when they cheer and boo. Joe Tessitore and Teddy Atlas do a good job of calling the fights.

Controls

Previous entries in the series featured a complex punching system. However, there is a new addition this time around which is called Full Spectrum Control. Every punch is thrown by flicking the stick in a given direction which gives you more options as to what kinds of punches you want to throw. They can be thrown by pressing the buttons as well. You really feel like you are in control. Button mashing will not only result in a lost fight but also in tiring out your fighter very quickly. Gone is the haymaker and this it time it is replaced by a modifier which adds extra force to every punch. Blocking is done with one button to make thing simpler. Flash knockout requires a player to utilize defense effectively. Getting KO'd with one punch is always a threat.

Legacy Mode

Fight Night Champion features a solid Legacy mode with a couple of flaws. You create a fighter and take him up the ranks to become number one. Your created fighter's stats are pretty bad to start with but you can improve upon them as you win. There is no story to push you forward. Instead, you just compete from one boxing match to another. I didn't care for the training mini-games. They seemed more of a chore than fun. They were really pointless because you don't even get punished for not successfully completing them.

Online

Fight Night Champion also features a solid online experience. Your created fighter won't start off strong but you can build his stats as you move along. EA Sports really did a good job with the online aspect. I could see it becoming even better in the future. You even have the ability to create your own gym which is a really neat feature. Other fighters can take part in the gym as well. Regular bouts and tournaments can be set up.

Conclusion

Fight Night Champion is a great addition to series. I am really glad that the game was given a mature rating due to it's grittier and more brutal atmosphere. The storyline in Campaign Mode was compelling and exciting though the mode itself is too short. The huge roster of fighters is impressive. The graphics are some of the best that I have seen in a video game. The audio is well done. I liked the Full Spectrum Control system. I really enjoyed the different scenarios that you need to fulfill throughout Campaign Mode. Legacy Mode is good but it does have a couple of flaws with that being the training mini games. It's capped off by a solid online offering. Fight Night Champion is the best entry in the series and is one of the best sports video games of the year.

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Fight Night Champion, is by far the best boxing game ever created. The game was made with detail as each fighter looks like the ACTUAL fighter. Fight Night Champion's campaign is what makes this Fight Night different from others. I'm very pleased with the M rating, since it allowed this game to open up to a whole other level. Once I put the game in I was just blown away with the graphics and game play. It puts you immediately in the campaign which was different but got me hooked the minute it started. Fight Night Champion has a large selection of fighters, something I thoroughly enjoyed bringing up old fighters and new upcoming fighters.

The Online game play is NOT laggy at ALL. That must be one of my favorite things. Fighting against someone else online couldn't be smoother.

The ONLY thing I found confusing and a LITTLE disappointing was how in the BANTAMWEIGHT class, you only have 1 fighter to choose from (Nonito Donaire). To use him, you would need to fight a different weight class as it's only him in his class, BUT that doesn't take away from a game that was made for Boxing fans that brought me TO a WHOLE OTHER LEVEL. If you LIKE boxing this game is for you. If you like graphics, fighting, details and a great Campaign mode then this game IS FOR YOU :D!.

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The Champion mode actually does a really good job of outlining the strengths and weaknesses of this game.

Strength:

1. Lots of time spent on graphics makes this a beautiful looking game.

2. More emphasis placed on footwork and head movement

3. Movies during the Champion mode gives the game lots of action

4. Unique boxing styles with more work put into making each boxer look like himself

Weaknesses:

1. Inconsistent Range, there are lots of jabs and numerous punches that just simply..... well..... disappear with no explanation, they were not blocked or dodged but didn't land...in the replay it shows your fist actually punching the opponent with no reaction. To add insult to injury there is a counter opportunity created from these unfortunate moments. I guess this might just be a case of the graphics being so good that they actually catch major flaws in the game.

2. The Champion mode is a little bit too scripted. At some points you might as well have Rau and Ken performing Shouryuken punches. If you are a boxing purist like myself who isn't so much into old fashion rock em sock em them you might find the contender type music and scripted gameplay over the top.

3. Over exaggerated reaction to power punches. If you think Ring King was the greatestest technical boxing game ever because an uppercut could literally send opponents through the rafters then you will love the way fighters reel and rock after body shots as if they have been shot with M16 assault rifles (and then get back up?). Its a little dramatic for me though on anything less than a K.O.

Conclusion:

Imagine that while Madden on Frahchise mode you were told, "Kid you have to run the ball for the first half of the game to wear the Steelers down then you can pass" and the GAME ITSELF, actually making sure that no pass was successful in the first half. Imagine how cheesy that would be. Well that is Fight Night Champions Career mode in a nut shell. I find it hard to give it a high rating simply because it almost intentionally diminished its strengths with very avoidable weaknesses. I'm actually sticking with Fight Night Round 4, where the game play is much more realistic.

The vs mode is what saved this from being 1 star in my opinion.

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First of all, where is Floyd Mayweather, Sergio Martinez, Vic Dachininan, Saul Alverez, Yuri Gamboa and Andre Ward? Why is Tommy Morrison, the late Diego Coralles,and Kendall Holt on this game? This is not a game for true boxing fans because the biggest boxing stars are not on it. As far as controls are concerned, Round 4 was better....much better. I hit the button 2'x but he threw 5 punches...smh. Its great that Mike Tyson is on this game but his accurate fighting style is not portrayed. The defense sucks as well. The storyline was a good add but it has its shortcomings.

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Overall, this is the best boxing game ever made. I will break it down for you.

PROS

1. Amazing controls that allow you to hit in a number of different ways very intricately and precisely. Does not get boring quickly.

2. Graphics are insane. They did an unreal job of the graphics while playing. Crisp detail.

3. Story is interesting and it gives you a number of different venues.

4. Multiple ways to play. Champion mode, Legacy mode, and online.

5. VERY challenging fights. Every fight is different and they throw in little twists to keep the game fresh in Champ mode.

CONS

1. The videos for cut scenes and story lines are pretty choppy I'm not going to lie. It's kinda disappointing and strange at the same time. The in game graphics and smoothness blow the videos away. Not so bad that your getting dizzy but I will admit there were some videos that got pretty choppy.

2. In champ mode they just throw you into the mix. They never formally teach you the best way to throw punches and how. As you progress you realize your way behind the 8 ball in fighting and it's kind of up to you to figure out the best way to fight. They give you little tips before the fight on how to beat the opponent which is all well and good but you still need to execute.

Overall great game. Hope this helped.