Unlike most of the company's other franchises, the EA Sports UFC series is a bit different, releasing every other year. This has paid dividends, with a clear upward trajectory noticeable from one game to the next. EA Sports UFC 4, the latest game in the MMA simulation series, is quite possibly the best, most fully-featured version to date, providing countless hours of fun for UFC fans.

EA Sports UFC 4 does away with Ultimate Team, which, while popular, is known for bogging down the progression in EA's other sports games with microtransactions. Instead of players opening card packs to unlock new content, EA Sports UFC 4 has a simple leveling system. Players earn XP for pretty much everything they do in the game, which allows them to level up and unlock new content. It's basic and simple, and all the better for it.

EA Sports UFC 4 has a slew of game modes for fans to play while they're leveling up, with the focus being on the revamped Career Mode. There's some semblance of a story attached to Career Mode, but definitely not on the scale seen in some other sports titles in recent years. After the tutorials, the story aspect of Career slips away and players find themselves just competing in one professional fight after the next.

EA Sports UFC 4's Career mode can be hard to put down, with players able to micromanage their fighter by training at the gym, engaging with other fighters on social media, and working to hype their fight. Instead of playing as an established, real-world fighter in EA Sports UFC 4, players instead take on the role of a created fighter that they can level up.

Just like in real MMA, there's a variety of different play styles that players can use in EA Sports UFC 4, and the game lets players stick to their preferred fighting style. For example, if someone wants to play as a kickboxer, they can spend their evolution points to level up their kicks and accuracy, equipping them with a deadly roundhouse kick that can give them plenty of first-round knockouts. However, having incredibly powerful kicks will come at the cost of being weak when it comes to other strikes and one's ground game.

The developers have put a lot of work into EA Sports UFC 4's ground game, with a completely revamped system that lets players transition more easily from submissions to ground-and-pound attempts. Even so, the game does struggle to make this aspect of UFC entertaining in video game form. Spending a ton of time wrestling around on the ground and managing stamina meters is not as exciting as dodging strikes and landing perfectly-timed punches on opponents.

EA Sports UFC 4's ground game has been somewhat simplified and made to be more accessible, though the game doesn't deliver that "pick up and play" experience. Those that want to succeed in EA Sports UFC 4 will need to put in the work, as it's not just a fighting game where players can expect to button mash to victory. There's a lot of strategy and thought that goes into every move, and as a result, it's a game that may not necessarily be for everyone. The tutorials in the game aren't very interactive and do a poor job of explaining how everything works, so for many players it will be a sort of trial by fire and they may find the initial hours a little frustrating.

Players are able to practice their EA Sports UFC 4 fighting skills in a variety of different environments. Besides the standard arenas, the game also includes the Kumite, which is a Bloodsport-style arena that gives off serious Mortal Kombat vibes, as well as the Backyard, which, as its name implies, is a cage set up in a backyard.

The Backyard and the Kumite are unique arenas, but they are mostly restricted to the Knockout Mode. Knockout Mode, for the uninitiated, essentially turns EA Sports UFC 4 into a more traditional fighting game. Instead of trying to force an opponent to submit or going for a knockout, it adds health meters. It makes for a unique experience that provides something a little different than what fans will get from the other modes in EA Sports UFC 4, adding some much-needed variety to the experience.

Standard local and online versus modes are also available in EA Sports UFC 4, in addition to more unique modes like Blitz Battles. EA Sports UFC 4's Blitz Battles are designed to be quick fights where players enter a tournament with constantly-changing rules. It's a lot of fun, and it seems likely that many EA Sports UFC 4 players will be spending a great deal of time in Blitz Battles over the game's other modes.

While playing EA Sports UFC 4's various modes, players have access to an impressive roster of fighters. The EA Sports UFC 4 roster features almost every expected face in the spot, as well as some surprise fighters. This includes fighters like UFC president Dana White, Dan "The Beast" Severn, CM Punk (who has not had a professional bout since 2018), and Ronda Rousey, who is technically still signed to WWE. Other guest fighters include the likes of professional boxers Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, though they are unfortunately only available to those that pre-order.

Joe Rogan has also been replaced on commentary, with Daniel Cormier taking the reigns. Cormier does a fine enough job, but the commentary in EA Sports UFC 4 is pretty bland overall. It doesn't add much to the experience, and the lack of Rogan at the commentary booth does hurt its authenticity a bit.

Otherwise, EA Sports UFC 4 does a great job of delivering an authentic UFC experience. Visually, the game is a clear step ahead of its predecessors, with highly-detailed fighters and arenas, not to mention some truly fantastic animations. The instant replays for knockouts look especially impressive, and it's clear that the series has made leaps forward from the 2014 original when it comes to graphics.

EA Sports UFC 4 is quite easily the best UFC experience available on modern day systems, though there are a couple of big downsides. The load times can sometimes be a little long, hurting the pacing in Career and other modes. If the rumored EA Sports UFC 4 next-gen version ever materializes, then it's possible that this problem will be addressed by the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. Those playing on PS4 and Xbox One will want to keep that in mind, however.

The Career mode can also be buggy at times, with our Coach repeatedly sending us the initial invite to join their gym long after we had already done so. It also can be cheesed by doing things like overloading the kicking stat and just spamming roundhouse kicks, which can make things get dull before too long.

Despite some hiccups, though, EA Sports UFC 4 is a mostly satisfying UFC gaming experience. Those who aren't willing to put in the work to really master the combat system will likely not be as impressed with it, but those that put in the time will find it to be one of the best MMA games available on modern day platforms, with a great, incredibly deep roster and a variety of fun game modes.

EA Sports UFC 4 is available now for PS4 and Xbox One. Game Rant was provided with a PS4 code for this review.