UFC Undisputed 2010 is back.

Defends its title from the lesser contenders!

by GrathiusXR

© 2010 Arthur Kotsopoulos

It’s been a year since UFC Undisputed 2009 hit stores and like the sport it represents, it smashed both the competition and fans out of the octagon. With its brutal fighting, its complicated and frustrating ground game and the tedious menu system, will YUKES raise the bar once more with Undisputed 2010?

A roster that features 100+ fighters in the UFC today, a control scheme that whilst still complicated, is a lot simpler than its predecessor, plus a hit detection that works this time around with no air punch knockouts and a much more realistic representation of the sport means an evolution in the game.

UFC Undisputed 2010 unlike the Smackdown vs Raw franchise, has improved in almost every single way imaginable!

• UFC Undisputed 2010 trailer

Whilst the graphics this time around aren’t a massive step up from UFC 2009, they do feature near-perfect character models, more realistic looking sweat and blood, real-time damage that is a bit more visible and extensive. YUKES have also taken a note from the book of Fight Night Round 4 with its stand up game.

Where punches up close and personal don’t do as much damage and arms getting caught in blocks can give you the opportunity to land some nasty uppercuts. All of these small updates do go a long way in making the game just as brutal and frantic as the real deal.

Regardless of almost all the features making a return they are still just as fun to play this time around and with the addition of Title Defence mode where you choose a fighter in any weight division and fight through four divisions of fighters to complete it does put a little twist on the game whilst never making it as hardcore or over the top as any of the SvR match types.

Career mode returns

Career mode makes its triumphant return, but I’m still a little disappointed with it.

When comparing it to the last game, Undisputed 2009, I really hate career mode this time around. In my review of Undisputed 2009 I stated that you can spend up to 10 minutes training your fighter only to have a measly 2 minute fight and then rinse and repeat the method.

In Undisputed 2010 however it’s more of the same, except that training your fighter is more frustrating and confusing than before. I spent far too long figuring out how on earth to train my selected fighter’s strengths, only to result in him being injured and thus needing two weeks (in-game time) to recover.

The more I tried to train my fighter to balance him out in all areas, I got various warnings that by doing so, other stats would start to drop if I did not train them properly in those areas as well. It was just too much work to build up a fighter from scratch and to get him up the ladder to a level to do some good within the game. Even on Experienced Difficulty the fights were a waste of time, as my fighter could never be trained enough to counter or block anything.

I’m a sucker for at least a good career mode, but in games like UFC and SvR over the past few years Career Mode has always been one of the weakest point of this particular genre. They simply offer way too much content and the way in which they represent it is simply shocking and to be honest, a mess.

Overall, it doesn’t detract from the game’s solid gameplay experience, but if you want a good career mode then Undisputed 2010 isn’t the game that will give it to you, although if you want a mode that is an exact replica of UFC main events then Event Mode is where it is at.

You can create an event complete with Undercard, Maincards, Co Main Event and Main Event, choose the division, the fighters who will face off then arena, and save it. Then exactly like real UFC you’ll see the introduction music and video, the fighters talking about their anticipation of the fight as well as Mike Goldman and Joe Rogan talking about the night’s fights in front of the Octagon.

It’s times like these where I sit back and appreciate the developers for all their hard work in developing a game. They create modes which pay homage to the real thing and it just excites me greatly to be able to enjoy it at a level like this.

Fully Soldout – capacity featured

Undisputed 2010 features enough content to keep fans happy!

With Ultimate Fights letting you relive the greatest fights in the UFC, Title Mode, Xbox Live which allows you to do training camps, take your skills and pit them against players from around the world, UFC Undisputed 2010 is a worthy sequel and a great game to settle the score of which fighter is best with your mates.

I was happy with Undisputed 2009 but the horrible hit detection and the confusingly hard control scheme hindered me from really being able to enjoy the game to its fullest extent, but with Undisputed 2010 YUKES have listened to their gamer audience and delivered what is a definte positive build over the earlier iteration. I’ve already played UFC 2010 more times than I did with UFC Undisputed 2009 and I’ve certainly improved in all aspects of my gameplay, both in single player and online modes.

Whether you’re a fan of ‘ground and pound’ or of ‘stand up’ or even the ‘clinch’ styles within the game, UFC Undisputed 2010 definitely delivers in all aspects of fighting in the ultimate proving ground, the Octagon.

The reshuffled control scheme allows a much broader range of gamers to pick up the game and grapple the  learning curve to the ground with ease. With just a little practice rather than a lot as previously was the case, you can easily start winning fights and prove you’re the best ‘virtual’ fighter around.

Whether it’s taking your game online to fight or simply getting a few friends over to relive the latest bouts in the main event, or to prove who is the better fighter between friend or foe, then this is your game. UFC Undisputed 2010 will deliver the experience you are looking for.

It’s brutal, it’s fun, it’s entertaining, and most of all exciting, and will give you countless hours of highlight knockouts until UFC Undisputed 2011 is released next year!

“9/10

© 2010 Arthur Kotsopoulos

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