UFC 2 Review: "Step Into the Octagon"

UFC 2 is the second offering from EA Sports and the follow up to their largely successful UFC title a couple of years ago.  While UFC 2 improves on it's predecessor in almost every way, it's still far from being perfect. Here is our review of EA UFC 2.

UFC 2 gets it right were it counts.  In the Octagon.  Right away you'll notice the game boasts an impressive roster of fighters.  The standup game is fierce and visceral and at the same time technically sound.  KO's are a satisfying reward for smart yet aggressive fighting.  Kicks and punches land realistically.  There are some rare odd animations at times but it's not often enough to break the immersion or effect the fights in any meaningful way.  UFC improves significantly in the ground game and does away with a lot of the awkward and frustrating controls from the previous title.  It's still more complicated that it needs to be but it's MUCH easier to transition, sweep, and position your opponent on the ground.  Those who avoided the ground game in the previous title will be pleased, as will those who appreciate submissions and wrestling.  The submission mini game remains but again it's not as bothersome as before because of the fact that the ground game is improved. Visually the game does it's job.  Fighters closely resemble their real life counterparts.  Repeated strikes to the face and body causes bruising, welts, cuts, and gashes.  It's all well done and captures the brutal reality of the MMA well.

The game modes are straightforward and a bit thin in some cases.  Career mode allows you to create a fighter of your choice or take an existing fighter to the top.  Pretty basic stuff here.  No cut scenes or story narratives.  Those used to the robust career modes in games like NBA 2K16 will find that there is nowhere near the same level of complexity or interaction in UFC 2.   There are also some annoying elements as well.  Random events can limit your training and some of it is rather silly.  Missing a training session after receiving a message that the cable guy is coming is ridiculous.  I could do without that nonsense.  I feel like career mode was a missed opportunity and so much more could've been done here.  It's still fun but some might find it bland.  Ultimate Team is here(a mainstay from other EA Sports titles).  You can make your own team from scratch by creating the participants of your team.  Fun, but still pretty straightforward and not particularly noteworthy.

UFC 2 is a good game overall.  The action in the octagon is intense and if you are a fan of UFC and MMA you'll enjoy the gameplay.  The impressive roster of fighters(from stars to lesser known fighters) is also a huge plus.  Unfortunately the lack of depth in some of the game modes may leave a little to be desired.  Still it's a very good game in it's own right and if you are a fan of MMA and the UFC you'll probably want to pick this up.

WEAPON X GAMERS GIVES UFC 2 A C+

*Reviewed by OG Sinn on Xbox One