EA Sports wants you to step into the octagon again in UFC 5. Is the game ready for PPV or should you wait for it to land in the bargain bin?
Read on to find out
Developer EA Vancouver has done a pretty good job with fighting games over the years, ans made the jump from the square ring and ropes of Fight Night Champion over to the octagon of the UFC in 2014. Since then, the rough and tumble world of the octagon had seen four releases in the franchise, each with varying improvements and roster updates. With UFC 5 not only did we get some new fighters, a new gaming engine is in use that allows for better fight animations and an in depth cut system. The game also received an ‘M for Mature’ rating due to the new level of damage and for some bad language in career mode.
UFC 5 Review -A Cut Above the Rest
The very first thing that impressed us with UFC 5 was the boxing animations and new cut system. The Fight Night Series has always been a popular franchise around here, and some of us even watched some of the greatest fights in history on TV (Rumble in the Jungle, Thrilla in Manila to name two), so we tend to be more into the stand-and-bang fighting style in UFC games versus the ground-and-pound style. Using the sweet science of boxing in UFC 5 brings back fond memories of the Fight Night Round 3 days of Pac-Man Pacquio taking on Ricky Hatton.
The cut system in UFC 5 can be brutal. If the cut is bad enough, and they can get pretty bad, a doctor may stop the fight. Even if you’re ahead on the cards, you can still take the loss if your opponent cuts you bad enough. In career mode, you can use the training system to bring your cut resistance up, but in online play and fight now when using rostered fighters, you are at the mercy of their personal stats. More on career mode in a minute. The amount of blood that ends up on the mat might be a little disturbing for some players, and again the game is rated ‘M’, so keep that in mind if you have younger kids around. All in all, the cut system is a huge step up from past releases and using the Frostbite engine was a smart move.
UFC 5 Review – The Road to Greatness
Career mode in UFC 5 is a pretty in-depth system that gives the game an RPG feel, which isn’t a bad thing. You’ll start out as an unranked fighter, in the weight class and sex of your choosing,and will be given a chance to impress Dana White for your first UFC contract.The climb up the ranks may be quick or slow depending on your skill level and how well you train.
The weekly training system gives you a certain number of weekly points you can spend in a variety of ways. Promoting the fight is sometimes up to you, and other times you’ll have no choice but to spend some of those much needed points on an in person interview or other promotional event. In order to improve your fighter, you’ll want to use those weekly points to invite other fighters to your camp in order to learn new moves, or hit the heavy bag to earn training points to improve your cut resistance or stamina. Keep in mind that while the heavy bag can’t hurt you, your gains are suppressed by 70%.
Sparring is also an option, and sparring partners come in multiple flavors. Boxing, wrestling, and martial arts partners can each help improve your abilities in different areas, but keep in mind that if you hurt them too bad, you may not get another chance to use them in your current training camp. With sparring, you also run the risk of being injured via cuts or concussions, but you’ll have the option of visiting a doctor or specialized healing center, it’s just not free.
UFC 5 Review – Defending Greatness
Once you reach the pinnacle of your weight class and grab that title belt, each subsequent defense will add a new stone to that piece of hardware that you can cycle through after each fight. Pretty cool way to keep track of who you beat the crap out of. Eventually, depending on which weight class you chose, you’ll be given the option of moving up or down in weight to take on another champion. After you beat that fighter, you can choose to move to that class or continue to defend your first belt. All in all, the career mode is a well thought out system that can give you the full UFC experience.
UFC 5 Review – Fight Now Venues
KU MI TAY! KU MI TAY!
If you’ve never seen the movie Bloodsport (how is that possible), Kumite means very little to you and can you really call yourself a fight fan? If you have seen it, then you know that the Kumite is a no holds barred unsanctioned fight tournament held somewhere in Asia. UFC 5 brings that venue to you and, if someone wanted to, they could set up their own virtual Kumite as a cool party game. There are multiple other venues to choose from in Fight Now mode, but why chose any other?
UFC 5 Review – Fight Week Challenges and Picks
Another cool feature for UFC 5 is when there’s a major scheduled upcoming fight. You can earn rewards by picking who wins and how they win, and you can also see your weekly challenges you can complete to earn new gear and emotes.
UFC 5 Review – Conclusion
Developer EA Vancouver has a history of creating top-notch fighting games, and UFC 5 continues that trend. The graphics are some of the best on the market, and the fighting and cut animations are down right brutal. The online community is full of great fighters that are highly skilled, so you better hone your skills well in career mode before venturing into the online world, or you’ll probably find yourself begging for your life. Occasional roster updates, and weekly challenges gives this game a breath of fresh air and will make you want to come back daily.
Best Sports Game of the Year, by far. Good Job EA!
9
UFC 5 review code provided by publisher and reviewed on a PS5. For more information on scoring, please read What our review scores really mean.
