Fight Night Champion

Where other major sports franchises from the EA Sports stable often see annual releases, new releases bearing the Fight Night name have been few and far between. So when fight fans do catch wind of a new game on the way we get pretty excited; and rightfully so. The Fight Night series has thus far delivered what most will agree to be the best representation of the sport to grace gaming consoles, and Fight Night Champion continues that trend, expanding on the core concepts of previous iterations and adding a thrilling new narrative which drives the whole experience forward.

Fight Night Round 3, the first in the series to appear on the current generation of consoles, was heralded by many as a visual triumph let down by a lacklustre career mode. This was remedied to some extent by Fight Night Round 4 thanks to a more fleshed out Legacy mode which allowed the gamer more freedom in all aspects of career progression. It still wasn't perfect, but it made for a more compelling way to live through the career of a boxer, even if - at its heart - it was still really just a series of fights tied together. This time around, however, it's a whole different story. Or, to be more specific, this time around there actually is a story. And the best news? It's an absolute cracker.

Fight Night Champion is built around the Champion mode, a single-player campaign the likes of which we rarely see in games of this sort. The story follows the turbulent - but ultimately triumphant - tale of one Andre Bishop, an amateur gold medalist, and it's pure Hollywood from start to finish. Starting out as a promising boxer, Andre soon finds himself in the slammer for a crime he didn't commit (naturally), and from there it's a zero-to-hero tale of a man down on his luck who fights his way back to the big time. It all builds up to a grand final battle of vengeance with the deadly monster Isaac Frost, a gargantuan fight reminiscent of Rocky vs. Apollo Creed. I said it was Hollywood, I didn't say it was original. The story is tied together with brilliantly executed cut-scenes, woven into the fabric of the fights themselves and Andre's life outside the ring. It's quite a remarkable achievement actually, and gives Fight Night Champion such character and soul, rare for what is essentially a sports game.

To the uninitiated, this might all sound like a lot of fluff simply there to give some context to the fighting, but it's so much more than that. Having a well crafted story, filled with twists and turns, creates opportunities to implement all new elements to the fighting itself. Think about it: how else would it have been plausible to include bare-knuckle, no-rules prison fights with tattooed skinheads, or a desperate defensive fight with a broken hand? It's these elements, and more, that spice up the action and make you feel like you're taking part in the next Rocky movie.

Most fights have some sort of restriction or specific angle, and it's never the same thing twice. You'll find yourself in a situation where your man gets cut up in the first round, forcing Bishop to constantly protect his bad eye - a certain number of shots landed on the eye and it's game over - and still work out a way to win. Later you'll be stuck in a bitter brawl to prove to an arrogant heavyweight that you're not just a washed-up has-been after your prison spell, with a fast knockout win required to prove your point. These elements add great depth and variety to each fight, even if it does mean that you can't always handle a fight dynamically. If there is any issue to be had with this way of doing things, it's that fights sometimes feel more scripted than you'll be accustomed to - the right thing has to happen at the right time in some fights, regardless of your actions. These rare moments are obviously a necessary evil for the implementation of such a linear story, and it's a only a very minor blemish on the all-round excellent Champion mode.

The narrative is seamlessly tied together thanks to the stunning cut scenes, featuring extremely lifelike characters and flawless voice work which really does wonders to make the story feel alive. Subtle lighting, amazing character models and facial animation, and movie-quality direction and editing all adds up to a superb cinematic experience. The visuals which make the cut-scenes so special are carried through to the fighting action too, and while Fight Night Round 4 was an achievement in graphical fidelity, this year's release somehow manages to better it. Textures are clearer and sharper, from skin to the fluidly animated fabrics and ring-side elements. Blood spatters across the fighters in a most realistic manner, staining clothes and skin and dripping onto the mat. You really can't fault this game from a visual point of view. I thought that EA Sports MMA had muscle definition and flex sorted, but this one takes it to a whole new level, adding to the brutal realism of it all. Throw in the informative and entertaining - if not always accurate - ring-side banter and commentary of Joe Tessitore and Teddy Atlas, and you've got a very immersive representation of the sweet science of boxing.

A change to the Fight Night formula that won't be to everyone's liking is the revamped Total Punch Control system, which has seen some adjustments since Fight Night Round 4. This time the gesture-based system has been simplified somewhat, taking away the need for half-circles and so on for power punches, and replaced with straight flicks from the right stick. Each direction results in a different punch. It works, but it feels like some of the analogue control has been taken away from you, since there's less of a perceived connection between your thumb movement and your fighters fist motion. Granted, it's more of a revision than a revolution, but it took me some time to get used to it and even once I had, I found myself wishing for an option to revert to the old style. Keep in mind that this is a matter of personal preference, so others - especially those new to the series - will surely love this updated system, which results in even faster combos and more leather-to-face interaction. Otherwise, the gameplay is as tight, fluid and brilliantly executed as ever before. Counter punches are still effective but more realistic this time around, having been far too powerful in Fight Night Round 4, and there seems to be a better balance to fight damage overall. The storyline may be what pulls you into the game, but it's the actual boxing that will keep you hooked.

The Champion mode should definitely be your first stop in Fight Night Champion, but seasoned Fight Night fans will complete the story in only a couple of sittings, so it's a good thing that there is still a solid Legacy mode here too. Very similar to the last iteration, the Legacy mode is your more traditional single-player mode where you create a character and forge your way through his career. There have been numerous tweaks and improvements here, including slightly less frustrating training mini-games and an improved fight scheduling system, but overall the Legacy mode will be deja vu for those who played Fight Night Round 4, and should only be taken into consideration once you've been through everything Andre Bishop's enthralling story has to offer.

It's clear that EA Sports has put a lot of effort into making the single-player aspect of Fight Night Champion the real star of the show, but the developers know that without a worthwhile multiplayer component many gamers will lose interest faster than Ali can throw a jab. Local Versus matches are great fun, and even though it's possible for a beginner to give a veteran a run for his money with random button bashing, it's when there are two pros going at it that the real science of the sport comes into play. Online is the same story, but the learning curve is something that may scare off Fight Night virgins. As seems to be the norm for fighting games online, it takes a lot of time and effort to become a worthy competitor, but the matchmaking system does help ensure you aren't completely overwhelmed right away. The option to create your own boxing gym and take on rival gyms adds a social element to it all. Competition is intense so be prepared to have your face knocked in at an alarming rate.

The general consensus is that MMA is the combat sport of choice these days, pushing boxing out of the limelight somewhat, but that hasn't stopped EA Sports from delivering a crashing blow to fight fans with this latest effort. With truly astounding graphics, the close to flawless presentation we've come to expect from EA Sports' games, solid boxing action and an immersive and cinematic story mode to lose yourself in, this is a game which surpasses last years EA Sports MMA, as well as just about any other combat sport simulation; previous Fight Night releases included. An already brilliant game has been made infinitely more impressive thanks to the new Champion mode, and if this is a glimpse of the future of EA Sports fight titles, then the next one couldn't come soon enough. I didn't want to have to say it, but... Fight Night Champion is a knockout.

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