Review – Fight Night Round 4

Eagerly anticipated ever since the last entry in the series changed the formula up considerably, Fight Night Round 4 has suddenly found itself up against the unexpected, but fantastic UFC 2009: Undisputed, meaning success is no longer guaranteed for the game. It's a good job that the game lives up to the hype then, as Fight Night Round 4 is just as good, if not better than 2006's game. But does it really make UFC obsolete, or fall just short of a knockout?

Erm... Sir - you forgot to take off your dressing gown!

The major change last time round was punches being mapped to the right analogue stick. This continues in Round 4, but with a much deeper control experience. It feels faintly reminiscent of Skate when using diagonal sweeps of the stick to perform jabs and 90 degree rotations to do hooks, and those who have played the altogether different skating game will find it much easier to grasp the controls. For others however, it may take a while to get the hang of things, with this being a few hours, rather than fights. The learning curve is steep at first, but with some time to experiment with the system-the tutorials finish after the basic actions-it can become second nature. Some punches are far too similar to others, with only a slight change of distance between an uppercut and hook, and there can be times when a move like this can cost you a match. When it works however, t`here's few control methods-Wii aside-that allow so much technical gameplay while still making it seem like your contributing to the actions on screen. Just because the stick is primarily used for punches, it doesn't eliminate the need for the buttons. In fact, the shoulder buttons are the key to moves such as dodging, blocking and performing lower blows. However, for those who found it too much to deal with in Round 3 however, an update has been announced as I write this that will allow for face button based punching. Whether this will work is yet to be known, but for now, the stick control works well, despite some small niggles.

As shown on the cover of Round 4, which features Tyson and Ali, there a barrage of fighters featured. 48 fighters make up the list, both current and classic boxers, with names like Joe Calzaghe and Ricky Hatton being mixed in with those of George Forman ad Lennox Lewis. For boxing fans it's like a Hall of fame, with the best fighters in all 8 weight divisions making the cut. Add to this the amazing Boxer creation tools available; including face recognition with a camera, and through the community side of the game, you have access to thousands of boxers.

Yes, that is high definition sweat!

You can use any of these boxers in the Fight Now, or multiplayer options of the game, but the main use for them is in the newly introduced Legacy Mode. Set up as the full career of your chosen boxer, you must schedule fights, training and make enough time to heal up and recover following intense bouts. You calendar is home to all this information, and through this, week long training sessions you can perform yourself or automate must be organised to lead up to a match; minigames such as dodging punching bags or blocking training to build up stats in those areas. The menus these options are found on is slick and well presented, with some excellent design choices as to where things can be found. Once you have a fight scheduled, the game can play out every other fight that would have took place in the time before your fight, building up the other boxers' stats and win counts as this happens. This makes the whole experience feel a lot more consistent and cohesive, a reason why legacy mode is the best mode on offer in Round 4. Once you've reached the higher ranks-meeting certain conditions improves your rank-you can fight more 'important' and tougher boxers, making the mode the best way to keep with the game's learning curve.

Boxing is always a two player game, and so finding Online games should be a breeze. Sadly right now finding games can take a tad too long, even when you select the Quick Match option. That said the trouble really happens while in a match, as unfortunately lag makes the game very different while online. Rather than the fast paced punches and block based style of the actual game, online everything slows to a halt and you have to make sure to move the stick before you want the punch to happen. It got frustrating after a few matches, which was disappointing, especially considering the great community aspects of the game-character sharing and leaderboards. Obviously the standard multiplayer works fine, but where Online should have shined it sadly doesn't.

Eat healthily kids, or you'll look like him!

But despite this niggle when online, the graphics in Fight Night Round 4 are fantastic. The animations may not be as good as those found in UFC, but in terms of the raw technical power (and sweat) this game is pumping out, it's unmatched. Boxers look near identical to their real world counterpart, and punches land with satisfying impact, both in the visuals and sound. The fact there are sweat physics, at least that's what we're told shows that Fight Night is an amazing showcase for both PS3 and 360. Luckily this carries over into the sound, with some brilliant commentary, and just the right amount of thud for each punch. The soundtrack is fully licensed; though the choices of the latest and greatest in urban and hip hop music doesn't suit the classic fighters' style of the boxing roster. It doesn't do much to affect the game either way, and so the sound design doesn't suffer.

Fight Night Round 4 is an excellent game with a few minor issues. Technically the game is amazing, with graphics that push both systems to the fullest, and the Legacy Mode making you feel like you're really involved in the boxers career. On the other hand, the learning curve is just a tad too steep for most, and those who missed out on Round 3, myself included, are in for a touch first few hours. Get past there though, and the game opens up to reveal a fully featured and fully realised boxing experience. A must have for those experienced with the sport, but a great game for those not.

Nometet.com says: