UFC 2009 Undisputed Update: New Fighters and Control Tweaks

Let's face it, the Ultimate Fighting Championship has had a rough run in games over the years. The mixed-martial-arts sport has always had a unique atmosphere and style that's never been captured quite properly in a game. However, in true dramatic fashion, just when it seemed like the franchise was laid out on the mat, THQ's upcoming UFC 2009 Undisputed is showing signs of getting the beleaguered series up on its feet for a comeback. We had the chance to take a look at an updated work-in-progress version of the game, which showcased razor-sharp visuals and a further tweaked control scheme on the Xbox 360.

The version we were able to check out featured four new fighters, Wanderlei Silva, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Frank Mir, and Rashad Evans, in addition to the two we'd seen before, Forrest Griffin and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. The playable characters featured a mix of disciplines that showcased the game's fighting system, which is still being refined. The basics of the system assign right and left punches and kicks to the face buttons, with blocking, specials, and attack modifiers being mapped to the shoulder buttons and bumpers. You'll use the right stick to initiate grapples and follow up with different movements on the right stick to adjust your positioning and maneuver around your pinned enemy. The system offers a good amount of flexibility, although at the moment it takes some getting used to. You'll perform the various adjustments and repositioning with circular motions on the right analog stick, which can be tricky to gauge. The stick also comes into play for countering, which, once initiated, requires you to quickly spin the stick around. Developer Yuke's is trying some interesting things with the system that seem to have potential.

The visuals in the game continue to impress thanks to an all-new engine into which Yuke's has clearly put its considerable experience. The character models feature an impressive amount of detail that's complemented by some nice bits of subtle animation even in the game's unfinished state. The bulk of the game's polygon budget has clearly gone into the fighters, who look great. The octagon and crowds aren't quite as sharp, but you don't notice them much thanks to the detailed fighters and high frame rate. We always enjoy 60 frames when it's consistent.

In terms of audio, the game is coming together really well. The kick and punch effects aren't quite as meaty as we'd like, but we're hoping they'll get polished up as work on the game progresses. THQ reps noted that there are hours of commentary from Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg. The audio is rounded out by Bruce Buffer's announcing, as well as layered ambient effects from the crowd and the fighters.

Based on what we tried, UFC 2009 Undisputed seems to be the most promising attempt to capture the feel of the sport in a good long while. The deliberate pacing and context-sensitive controls offer quite a bit of flexibility, but we're reserving judgment until we get some more time with the final control scheme. As it stands now, there's a lot of potential here that needs some polish. Even so, traumatized UFC fans should allow themselves some cautious optimism on this one. Look for more on UFC 2009 Undisputed next year in the months leading up to its spring release on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.