Gaming review: EA Sports - UFC 2

First up, we saw Ronda Rousey drop to the mat after a devastating kick from Holly Holms that not only ended the reign of the bantamweight megastars unbeaten run, but it also damaged the credentials of the games packaging - all this just days after she was chosen to appear on the cover.

Next, it was Conor McGregor; who notoriously tapped to a Nate Diaz choke in his first bout following the Irishman's crowning as Rousey's cover co-star. Of course, both of these iconic combatants have the quality and class to bounce back from their savage defeats. Which is exactly what EA Canada has done with it's UFC franchise.

The authenticity is top notch, details such as how the camera pans around the octagon and, in front of a discordant crowd of drunken MMA fans, The legend Bruce Buffer takes the spotlight to roar out his ever recognisable dialogue with all the exhilaration and desire we've come to expect from the Veteran Voice of the Octagon.

The crowd explodes into life with chants of 'Ole' as the Notorious Irishman Conor McGregor faces up to his next opponent and, true to life, the intense Joe Rogan erupts with passion as his fists connect with his opponents jaw and a fighter is sent tumbling to the canvas in a bloody heap.

If there is one thing UFC 2 is brilliant at, besides looking so damn good is the fact that it captures the unpredictable mix of martial arts. Fights can feel completely open, almost poetically random.

I've had some intense and brutal marathon matches that have gone the full five rounds, others - I've blinked and missed tasteless bouts that have ended within the first minute courtesy of a pulverising knee to the face delivered from a Muay Thai clinch. Despite being totally unpredictable, this is definitely a good thing.

To begin each bout, you're immediately introduced to UFC 2's exceptional and faultless mechanic - the stand-up game. This is full of brutally violent, physics based combat, where collision exposure has improved over its previous number, and unpredictability is a continuous threat.

If it falls flat in the slightest, it then becomes a game of finger gymnastics that is required to pull off some of the moves in its huge arsenal of strikes, a precise kick to the body might take, for example, four buttons pressed simultaneously to execute, which is hardly ideal.

Aside from that, this is a solid brawler. Every bout is often fast and frantic, which can occasionally mean the demands lead to senseless swinging and button mashing. Constantly you must be mindful of the stamina gauge, spacing, sways, distance, dodges, timing, blocks and parries.

However, where "UFC 2" really separates itself from the rest, is in its submission game and on the ground. The most simplistic way to describe the various jujitsu elements of the game is similar to playing and transitioning through different chord on the guitar. At first, it can be painstakingly difficult and frustrating, but after plenty of practice and time, it becomes smooth, fluid and fun.

This makes each opportunity you get to take an opponent down to the ground and choke him out with a Japanese Neck Tie well worth the original frustration.

The mode suite has been given an overhaul as well. For starters, Career now includes additional options for fighter development, this includes a complete fun risk/reward balance to unique training, where if you continuously train too hard, you will increase the likelihood of a very abrupt injury.

There are a lot of different variables that can also affect your training, like a thoughtless TV binge or a more (or less) focused coach. Although it would become slightly annoying to see my fighter act in a self-sabotaging manner outside of my control, it was also quite entertaining to see what various wildcard factors would pop up to affect the upcoming fight.

UFC Ultimate Team is new and more impressive than I originally anticipated, and it allows you to make an all-star fighter team of five across four weight classes. Each team earns a plethora of different and unique perks from a series of cards, the end result is a bit of a mix up of card battling and MMA.

You can craft your own fully-fledged fighters if you want, or just use the existing roster with reset stats and individual move-sets. It's a slightly welcomed unique game-plan, if you wanted to have rivals that would never otherwise team up – like Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate. Otherwise, it's a fun little mode that adds plenty of challenges, but your fighters can improve and others can use them and then earn you lots of XP.

UFC 2 is a solid MMA game that has built on what was flawed with its predecessor, with an arena full of awesome fighters and legends, accompanied by the inclusion and updated female fighter roster which also bolsters things even more.

Far more fighters are in the women's bantamweight division now, and the female straw weight division also makes its video game debut.

Graphically, it's stunning, it's more impressive than any other EA Sports game on so many levels.

It may have a few annoyances, such as button response times and the repetitive button bashing, but it's a game every fighter, brawler and MMA fan needs to have in their collection and with more variety this time around, you won't get bored after two weeks of playing it either.

By Simon Hill