A good, clean fight
For starters (and this applies to all titles in the EA Sports range) the game is authentic. Bravo, once again EA. I’m no boxing fan, or at any stage of my life was remotely informed, (hell, before this the only boxing hall of fame I was acquainted with included names such as ‘Gabby Jay’ or ‘Bald Bull’) but it's a no-brainer that you have a line-up of some superstars here.
But boxing fan or no, one cannot deny Fight Night’s appealing simplicity. The controls feel very natural with the two joysticks substituting for your left and right fists. To jab you just push it forward, to pull a haymaker, you wind it up THEN push it forward etc. It’s remarkably easy to string combos together. Equally important is learning how to defend yourself which is also simple enough to pick up using the L trigger to lean away (or mistakably but hilariously into) punches and the R trigger accompanied by the analog stick to block. What this basic control scheme does is bring the game down to an easily playable but intense round of boxing.
Did I mention that it’s mad fun?
The audio of the game is great. Terrific bone-crunching effects sound as painful as they should, although the odd punch here and there may not satisfy you with those terrific sounds for some strange reason. The commentary is actually a welcome addition. It never really gets annoying and it’s actually a good indication of the status for both fighters. For instance, the commentator may let you know that the ref is about to end the fight, or he may let you in on the damage done to his (or your) face.
From a graphical standpoint, the game is absolutely fine. Player models look brilliant (the audience looks kinda crap, but who cares, really?). Occasionally however, some of the animations may appear a bit awkward. Sometimes a punch just won’t look right and a lot of the times a fighter, when knocked out, will fall on the floor in the most retarded way possible. The facial expressions also tend to remain rigid.
Criticisms from me would have to involve the career mode. Although the customisation for your own fighter is actually quite good, the career you lead him through is very ordinary. All it consists of is fights, one after the other, occasionally mixing it up with a ‘hard hits match’ (where there are no rounds, just keep hitting each other until the other goes down) or a match with a famous person. You accumulate cash (with which you buy new gear) and train to improve your stats in between. This drones on until you either retire or get sick of it. In this respect, Fight Night as a single player game is really quite short-lived.
But when it all stacks up, Fight Night is definitely a game worth your time. It’s fun, especially in its multiplayer aspect and can guarantee many hours of hard-hitting action. EA triumphs again.