With spot on fighting animations, better graphics and a new story mode this is the best FN game to be released.
User Rating: 9 | Fight Night Champion PS3
Fight night round 4 was an innovation when it was released, with better visuals and gameplay than the previous, I was sceptical on how champions would trump it. But it has, they have improved it in nearly everyway. First the story mode, this addition is odd to see in a sports game but is delivered with slick cutscenes and great voice acting, this creates a need to win the next fight just to see what happens next. In the story you will fight multiple opponents some you will have to beat within certain parameters, for instance in one of the fights you break your right hand in the first round you then have to continue the fight with only using your left hand. The legacy mode has been improved with the use of xp that you gain from training and fighting, this gives almost an rpg feel to it, when using these points to upgrade new punches. You start out slow and weak but over time saving xp you can upgrade your punches to pack more wallop when thrown, you get new abilities while upgrading aswell like flash knockdown and critical stun so you have to earn the right to knockout a fighter with one punch, which can happen now not only can you knock them down with one punch but you can knock them out. The graphics have been greatly improved, it doesn't feel as cartoony as FN4. The fighters have been improved with new muscle physics, so you can see the muscle under his skin flex or you can see the fat wobble and jiggle with fighters like butterbean. Fighters are now more unique with the new punch animations which are spot on, I was quite surprised with this because it feels so authentic especially with greats like Ali. The online is where it needs improving I had problems with mid match EA server errors which kicks you out of the match which then count as a loss, which can get frustrating. There is also the new reliability multiplier which is the first time have seen anything like this in an online game, this is if you leave the match before it ends your DNF% increases and your realiablity multiplier decreases which then affects the amount of xp you can get at the end of a bout, the online is fun watching your own created character work his way up the ranks to become champion of the world. Also there are 50 boxers to fight with and improved entrance creation such as using your own music.
In summary if you loved FN4 you will love this, if you are new to the series the new full spectrum punch control is easy to use so you can get stuck in. Go and get it already!
