Fight Night Round 3 Review (no fat)

Game Description

Historians have yet been unable to say when, how and why has the act of physical struggle (i.e. fight) turned into a show. In fact, fighting itself seems to be quite controversial among people. Modern sociologists are in a similar dilemma when trying to answer what makes millions of people watch two fellows beating each other in a ring. The spectators are probably unable to say that either, but Fight Night Round 3 is a real blessing from them. The new, improved and polished version of Fight Night is here and ready to please its fans.

Fight Night Round 3 - Demo punch

EA Sports released a demo of Fight Night Round 3 some time ago, a demo that made quite about everyone drool. The hype was very high, and many doubted Fight Round 3 would actually fulfill all the expectations. Still, almost all features EA has highlighted can be found here.

Compared to Fight Night Round 2, things didn't change radically at the base. There's the same box match and the same atmosphere. But not everything remained the same, and one of the main things that were changed is the control system. Like its predecessor, Fight Night Round 3 relies (quite heavily) on the analog stick. However, unlike Round 2, the new system is more technique oriented. It is no longer possible to win a match without knowing what you're pressing. Although this may annoy some new players who will find the controls to be a bit too cumbersome, after passing over the initial clumsiness things will seem much better.

In fact, this seems to come in an overall trend of balancing the whole gameplay, which can also be seen in the special moves. Fear not, for the Haymaker is still present, but a little bit changed. In Fight Night Round 2, the Haymaker was not very realistic. You could literally win a match with Haymakers, without really caring about the opponent's punches, because it was simply too easy to do. This time, things are not as easy. After a character executes a Haymaker, he will be slowed down sensibly, giving the enemy some extra time to recover. The same overall feeling of balance remains in the two new moves: the Flash K.O. and the Stun Punch. The moves are spectacular and well animated, spiced up by excellent replays.

The Flash K.O. is a special move, quite similar to the Haymaker. It can be a more efficient weapon than the Haymaker, but using it is a bit more difficult because it requires perfect timing to do its job well. The Stun Punch is built on a different principle and features an interesting idea. When performing a Stun Punch, the camera switches to the view of the opponent. You will have to direct a quick punch so that it avoids the block, and, if the punch is directed correctly, the opponent will be knocked down. However, this does require some skill and practice.

Fight Night Round 3 Modulations

The big feature of Fight Night Round 3 is the career mode. EA Sports made a great deal of publicity regarding this game mode, and not entirely undeserved. Indeed, there are some innovations, but the implementation itself is tainted by some uninspired choices.

The career mode tries to introduce an element of plot by featuring a rivalry system. What this means is that some boxers will be more important to the main character than the others. While it sounds good, its implementation is a bit superficial. There is nothing special about a rival except for being called a rival. You cannot shout some serious insults at him or bite his ear off (ala Mike Tyson), and you don't get any sort of special bonus for winning against a rival. In fact, even if you got any bonuses, they wouldn't be too interesting, because the game only tracks records and money. You cannot see anything about the actual evolution of a player, apart from the trivial investments that are materialized in some fancy clothes and shoes. This is quite unfortunate, because the idea of introducing some story in a sports game is interesting enough to deserve some more time. Without these, the career mode remains nothing but a preamble for the online confrontations.

The online multiplayer mode is quite well featured. You can either choose a quick match, ranked or not, or customize a match. The later option is well implemented, allowing you to choose the skill level, the game type and pick any venue you like. In fact, after a while, you will probably find yourself loving the multiplayer mode, simply because single player is a bit shallow, as we will see.

The single player mode allows you to pick quick matches too, in addition to the already mentioned career mode. You can also customize your boxer completely, so that you are not limited to the real-world choices. What makes it less interesting than you would have hoped is the rather stupid AI. It's not that the AI does horrible mistakes or has the technique of a piston; it simply lacks any sort of fantasy. Even though the AI is able to adapt to your fighting style, it is simply too predictable to be of any good after a number of hours. This is because the system that adapts it to your style is a bit passive: it simply adjusts the opponent's moves to defend himself better, instead of speculating any excess you may do. This is a bit primitive and a serious drag for the replayability.

Fight Night Round 3 - The show

The technical side of the game is what really shines. There is simply nothing we could say against the graphics in Fight Night Round 3. The fighters are wonderfully built, the crowd looks real, hard punches distort the face of the unhappy receiver and the shadows are some of the best ever to be seen.

The audio side is riding the wave as well, with well-captured crowd shouts and an improved soundtrack. If there's one side of the hype that Round 3 stood up to, it's the artistic side. The animation may seem a little bit unrealistic at times, but even those with an eye for such glitches won't be seriously disturbed.

Fight Night Round 3 Price

You can buy Fight Night Round 3 for $59.99 US, which is a fair price for the overall quality you get from the game. It's a good investment, especially if you're a boxing fan.