Fans of the Ultimate Fighting Championship will undoubtedly be eager to get their hands on UFC Undisputed 2010, the only mixed martial arts game this year to feature more than 100 known fighters and other personalities such as official UFC commentators. Those that played the game’s predecessor, UFC 2009 Undisputed, will know that it was a successful endeavour, and may wonder what this newest addition to the marketplace can bring. You certainly won’t be disappointed if you do hand over your hard earned money because, despite the success of the 2009 version, this new game is undeniably much better.
The basic controls of UFC Undisputed 2010 are largely similar to those of the previous game. If you are new to the franchise, or just need a refresher, the helpful tutorial will introduce you to blocking and attacking, as well as the all new techniques and strategies that you can use to take down your rivals.
Entering the UFC Undisputed 2010 career mode will provide you with the ability to create your own custom character, including choosing where he is from. Your mission is typical to games within the fighting genre; you start as a newcomer and, through your 12-year career, you must rise through the ranks. Unlike the previous game, you have the ability to choose your own career development. The ability to travel to gyms around the country to learn particular punches related to your fighting style is a great addition.
Before a competition you will have the ability to up your skill level with one action, be it training hard or attending a fighting camp. Your statistics will increase based on the action that you choose, as will your conditioning and fatigue. You will need to consider carefully which action to choose, because starting a fight with a high level of fatigue could negatively affect the outcome. Should you choose to spar, you will have the chance to earn attribute points to put toward learning new attacks or defensive moves. This gives you the chance to completely customise your character, specialising in powerful kicks or a strong defence. Unfortunately though, there isn’t much guidance when it comes to improving your skills, with these improvements not really mentioned in the tutorial at all.
The career mode is only one facet of UFC Undisputed 2010; there are also a number of other options to enjoy online or offline. From 16-player tournaments to achieving objectives in the Ultimate Fights mode, the different modes do all seem to be slight variations of exhibition matches. There is enough variety to hold your attention for some time though, and with a leaderboard to conquer and many medals to earn, you may find that you spend more time online than in the solo career. You even have the ability to create Fight Camps for you and your friends to join to fight together under your own custom flag. Unfortunately though, there isn’t much more to the Fight Camp mode than that, other than the ability to train together.
UFC Undisputed 2010 is certainly a good game. The first few hours of play will certainly hold you enraptured, with the wonderful knockouts, busy career and typically brutal fighting. Unfortunately repetitive dialogue, unnecessarily complicated controls (particularly when it comes to updating your skills) and many different modes that all feel much the same stop this game from being the classic that it could have been.