Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is one of those sports that are enjoyable to watch and play. Of course, not everyone is suitable to participate in a cage fight, but the sport does not require abnormal physical traits to be practiced recreationally. And for those who strictly watch but do not want to participate, there is EA Sports UFC to satisfy their primal urge.
This year, EA Sports will release its fourth entry into the franchise, UFC 4. The UFC franchise is a godsend for fans because there are no other prominent games that focus on combat sports. Each entry has generally had positive reviews, meaning EA Sports has done a decent job in replicating the action inside the Octagon. In the weeks prior to UFC 4's release, EA Sports have slowly revealed features and details. Here are five reasons that have us excited for UFC 4, and five others that may be troublesome:
10 CONCERN: No Joe Rogan
Like him or hate him, Joe Rogan is synonymous to the UFC. The Joe Rogan Experience is one of the most popular podcasts in the world and its frequent MMA-related episodes introduced newcomers to the sport. Rogan is also the color commentator for most of the UFC's PPV events. Whenever there's a massive main event, fans want to hear his commentary.
Unfortunately, EA Sports confirmed that Rogan will not be a part of the commentary team for UFC 4. Instead, Jon Anik and former UFC double champion Daniel Cormier will be on the announcers' table. They'll undoubtedly do an amazing job, but the glaring exclusion of Rogan removes a bit of authenticity.
9 EXCITED: High Impact Moments
An MMA fight is both beautiful and brutal. Fighters train for weeks to be in peak condition and inflict enough damage on their opponent to finish the fight. However, it's the leadup to the finish that requires technique and planning. The end product is a visual display of artistry that can be appreciated by almost anyone.
The UFC games give controls to the players and allow them to dictate the outcome of a fight. Players can gameplan for a striking affair or a grappling chess match. UFC 4's new High Impact Moments system features improved facial and body distortion on the impact of strikes and takedowns. UFC 4 will also feature new visual and sound effects during stun moments, and improved slow-motion replays for players to enjoy their handiwork.
8 CONCERN: The Graphics Are The Same
The evolution of video games is truly remarkable. Visually, there's a major difference in games from five years ago compared to today's releases. However, first-person shooters and sports games only see incremental changes due to their annual releases. The UFC franchise breaks this routine because it releases every two years.
The two-year gap gives developers more time to improve on most aspects of the previous iteration. While UFC 4 does introduce several new changes, the graphics do not seem to be one of them. Aside from new character models, the visuals are reminiscent of UFC 3.
7 EXCITED: New Arenas
Fighting games are a staple for any gaming console. Franchises like Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter have established their place in gaming history. The fighting arena is a big part of these games because every arena has a distinct look. While not exactly a fighting game, UFC 4 added this staple to the game.
As a tribute to UFC 4's cover athletes, Jorge Masvidal and Israel Adesanya, the developers included new arenas that pertain to these fighters. UFC 4 includes an octagon located in a backyard to symbolize Masvidal's backyard brawls prior to his MMA career. The trailer also featured Adesanya competing in a Kumite, plucked straight out of Bloodsport.
6 CONCERN: Smaller Roster Size
The UFC currently has 679 fighters. That number is spread throughout various weight classes and allows the UFC to broadcast several events annually. But not all fighters are the same. Only a few can headline a PPV event while most fighters are allocated to the PPV undercard or UFC Fight Night events. As a result, most of the 679 fighters are not going to be featured in UFC 4.
The developers have to limit the roster size by ensuring there is a balance of well-known fighters and underrated fighters loved by hardcore fans. Unfortunately, UFC 4 has a smaller array of fighters compared to previous entries. UFC 4 will reportedly feature 220+ fighters, slightly lower than UFC 3's initial 239 fighters. EA Sports can always add new fighters later but players without an internet connection will be out of luck.
5 EXCITED: No Ultimate Team
Ultimate Team is a game mode featured in all of EA Sports' titles. The mode works differently depending on the sport but generally involves players building a team through the purchase of player packs. Ultimate Team was praised for its innovative idea and worked well in the FIFA franchise. However, EA Sports have been criticized for its abuse of microtransactions, which reportedly made the company nearly $1 billion in the last quarter of 2019.
EA Sports confirmed that UFC 4 will not feature Ultimate Team. The mode was specifically made for team-based sports games but it has been featured in the UFC franchise since the beginning. UFC 4 will still include microtransactions but will reportedly be limited to cosmetic items and bonus fighters, such as Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury.
4 CONCERN: The Ignite Engine
EA's Frostbite engine is a staple for its first-person shooters like Star Wars: Battlefront and Battlefield franchises. The engine then replaced the Ignite engine present in the majority of EA Sports' titles, starting with Rory McIlroy PGA Tour in 2015. Frostbite is now used on the FIFA and Madden franchises. And yet, UFC has remained on the Ignite engine since the first entry.
Ignite was specifically made for sports games, but Frostbite has been used by EA since 2012. There were a lot of improvements made when FIFA 17 switched to Frostbite, most notably smoother transitions, better lighting, and improved player models. UFC 4 could be seen the same changes but gamers can only hope for the switch in future entries.
3 EXCITED: New Game Modes
As with all sports games, the actual match is the backbone of the video game. But simply releasing a sports game with just the ability to play with your favorite fighter can get boring quickly. Therefore, developers included several game modes to spice things up.
UFC 4 will include a revamped Career Mode, which promises to give players more choices. There are also two unique online modes: World Championships and Blitz Battles. World Championships lets players use their created fighters and challenge other created fighters online to climb the rankings and earn titles. Blitz Battles is a mode that pits the player against online opponents in quick tournaments.
2 CONCERN: It's Current-Gen Only
The release of the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 is quickly approaching. The next-generation consoles will introduce new hardware and software capabilities that will satisfy gamers for the years ahead. But there is some confusion about whether to purchase a new game now or wait for the next-gen consoles' updated ports.
UFC 4 will release just a few months prior to the supposed release of the next-gen consoles. EA Sports has stated that they are focusing on the current-gen version of UFC 4 and confirmed that there are currently no plans for a next-gen version. Since UFC games do not release annually, it is almost certain that UFC 4 will have an updated version in the future. The hope is that EA Sports offers the updated version for free to those who will purchase UFC 4 on current-gen consoles.
1 EXCITED: New Grappling & Submission Systems
Grappling and submissions are essential in MMA. While fights start on the feet, there are several fighters that are amazing grapplers who quickly get the fight to where they are most comfortable. UFC champions Khabib Nurmagomedov and Kamaru Usman are prime examples. But the grappling mechanics in previous UFC games have not lived up to expectation.
Thankfully, UFC 4 has new and improved grappling systems. Performing a submission will be conducted through a mini-game but it will be different than previous iterations. The takedown and clinch now feature Real Player Motion (RPM) technology to differentiate itself from the ground game. These systems will greatly benefit grappling-minded players.