The Fight: Lights Out Review

By Dan Whitehead Published 2 November, 2010

Knuckle down.

Version tested: PlayStation 3

I've barely started playing Sony's gritty Move-enabled beat-'em-up and Danny Trejo is already shouting at me. "YOU'LL BREAK THE GAME IF YOU MOVE AROUND" he barks, his grizzled face looming at the screen like an angry testicle with a moustache.

As a way of defining the limitations of the hardware, it certainly guarantees your attention, even if it rather undermines the "Move" brand.

To be fair, Señor Trejo is talking about your feet. You need to stay in one spot for The Fight to work, but the rest of your body is free to move as much as you like. In fact, it's an absolute requirement – this is a genuinely punishing experience, forcing you to throw real weighty punches rather than the feeble Wii-flicks you may be used to from other motion sensing games.

In construction, it's basically Fight Night but with actual arm-flinging in place of thumbstick twizzles. You create a lumpy, cheap-looking digital mannequin and then try to elevate him through the ranks of underground bare-knuckle boxing, from crude scuffles under railway arches and freeway underpasses all the way up to the heady glamour of rusty cages and loosely organised bear-pit brawls. Expect to see it compared to Fight Club by people who don't understand Fight Club.

Combat itself is, well, interesting. Just as digital imagery has been hampered the "uncanny valley" of human characters that are just inhuman enough to distract, so motion games are faced with their own awkward disconnect. There's just no getting away from the fact that too many motion games ask you to interact with intangible things, and the lack of sensory feedback feels weird and off-putting. It's no surprise that the motion games that generally work best are the ones where hitting or grabbing things isn't part of the gameplay.

1

It's almost worth playing just to see Danny Trejo titting about with PlayStation Move wands. Almost.

After calibrating the PlayStation Eye and grabbing a Move wand in each hand, it's up to you to knock your opponent out. Holding down the big button with the squiggly logo (does that have a name yet?) allows you to tilt the wand to move your fighter, while the trigger enables special attacks like hammer blows to the head, headlocks and other dirty tricks.

The one-to-one recreation of your movements is impressive, but a touch floaty, and the lack of physicality forms a barrier during early play. Punches thrown with shoulder-dislocating force in real life can translate as slow, lazy taps in the game. There can also be a distracting problem with finding the right range, with seemingly perfect shots stopping just short of your foe's face, or your fighter's arms lolloping around like Mr Tickle. Consistency is lacking, with seemingly feeble taps to the forehead earning "Good Damage" bonuses, while cracking uppercuts go unrewarded.

Again, it's all down to the lack of sensory feedback. The game can copy your arm movements, and even use your head as a guide to bob and weave if the lighting is bright enough, but what it can't do is replicate the depth of field or sense of impact. Throwing a punch isn't just about thrusting your fists about, but delicate matters such as velocity and trajectory, and these prove elusive when you're performing to a camera that may not be at eye level in a game where the action is always viewed from elevated angles.

Indeed, the lack of a first-person viewpoint is perhaps the game's most glaring omission. For all your exertion, it never feels like you're actually in the fight, more like a weird omniscient puppet master making some poor meatbag dance awkwardly to your pugilistic tune.

Eventually, however, you do reach a grudging truce with the motion fighting – though it's debatable whether that's due to you finally understanding the intricacies of the system, or just becoming accustomed to its foibles.

Once that happens, you start to unlock more arenas and opponents, working your way through 12 locations, each offering twelve bouts. 144 slugging matches suggests a lot of content, and it's true that the offensive options keep expanding with headlocks and spinning elbow strikes and dirty groin punches, but it's also a long, often tedious road to victory. You'll ache like a smashed crab as well, so this isn't a game to plough through in a few sittings.

There are peripheral features to distract from the one-note face-crunching, but they don't really inspire. You have an in-game cash balance that is inflated by successful fights and well-placed punches, and depleted by paying for training sessions and patching up broken bones. You can also bet this purse on your fights, should you wish to put your money where your broken, bleeding mouth is.

2

FINISH HIM! ETC!

Rudimentary stats are on hand for your fighter, and can be topped up periodically. It makes sense to be able to make your fighter tougher or more resilient over time, but stats relating to speed and accuracy seem annoyingly redundant. You're the one throwing the punches, after all, so why should stats matter?

You can even design your fighter around your own height and weight, at which point the game works out your Body Mass Index and tracks how many calories you burn during each fight and over time. It's a nice touch, but if the idea was to smuggle a fitness package into a game designed for Danny Dyer fans it probably would have been better had the game included something to explain how to improve your technique and exercise more efficiently, rather than just making you slug virtual speed bags for no good reason.

That "halfway there" feeling extends to The Fight as a whole. The presentation feels generic, with washed-out grainy visuals and a tepid hip-hop soundtrack, while the fighting never really finds its balance. It feels pretty great when you land a good punch, but too often you're left wondering why that thundering left hook you just threw failed to connect on the screen. Multiplayer options for both split screen and online play add some longevity, but The Fight mostly feels like a half-baked idea thrown into the ring before its time.

5 / 10

Read the Eurogamer.net scoring policy
Picture of Dan.

About Dan Whitehead

Dan has been writing for Eurogamer since 2006 and specialises in RPGs, shooters and games for children. His bestest game ever is Julian Gollop's Chaos.

Read more articles from Dan by visiting the Dan Whitehead archive page.

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Comments (89) Latest comment 1 year ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • muscleblade #1 2 years ago

    Wonder how Fighters Uncaged for Kinect fares in comparison as most people say this will be the better of the two.

  • KayJay #2 2 years ago

    "Holding down the big button with the squiggly logo (does that have a name yet?)"

    Jesus...

  • BeersOfWar #3 2 years ago

    Do you need two wands to play this game, and an eye aswell?

  • KayJay #4 2 years ago

    @Chaney
    :-)
    Dan clearly didn't read Snowdog's post...

  • Zombie-Hamster #5 2 years ago

    Isn't the big button with the "squiggly logo" just called the Move button...?

    I had a feeling this wouldn't be great, seeing people play it at the Expo it didn't seem to work so well. Shame.

  • killest #6 2 years ago

    After calibrating the PlayStation Eye and grabbing a Move wand in each hand....

    hee hee hee :p

  • KayJay #7 2 years ago

    @BeersOfWar
    You defiantly need a PS Eye and I am pretty sure this is one of the few Move games you will need 2 wands for.

  • Der_tolle_Emil #8 2 years ago

    This is exactly one of those games I would never buy regardless of how awesome the tech is. Why would I want to bash someone's face bloody in some back alley?

  • TopKatt #9 2 years ago

    Sounds as though this would've fared better as part of a larger game rather than as a standalone title.

    Anyway, when's the Goldeneye review coming?
    Edited by TopKatt at 02/11/10 @ 15:19

  • BabyJesus #10 2 years ago

    Shame, had hopes this would be good. Move purchase can wait till' KZ3.

  • Machetazo #11 2 years ago

    Your concerns about the stats (agreed, what is the remotest point in that?) and the problem of the game not translating your strikes satisfyingly, or accurately on the screen, sounds like key aspects that let the game down. I was interested in the idea, but it looks like in execution, there's not enough to make me want to get this. It would be more frustrating, than fun, is the impression that's coming across, overall.

    @kj: I've read that it's possible to play with one move controller and a dualshock, but of course, it might not be quite the same play experience as with two wands.
    Edited by Machetazo at 02/11/10 @ 14:22

  • Nuronv #12 2 years ago

    Generic Presentation seems to sum up the Move launch titles. They seem like tech demos that have been stretched out in to full games.
    I do actually like several move titles such as Tumble and would recommend it however It really feels like no one has taken advantage of the system quite yet.

  • Spency #13 2 years ago

    Ache like a smashed crab. Awesome simile Dan.

  • charliemouse #14 2 years ago

    You can play with a wand and a pad too.

  • M_of_the_sys #15 2 years ago

    Better than Mafia II then?

    Sorry. I had to...

  • Ignatius_Cheese #16 2 years ago

    I was disappointed to read that they appear to have removed the dogging minigame...

  • kangarootoo #17 2 years ago

    "Throwing a punch isn't just about thrusting your fists about, but delicate matters such as velocity and trajectory"

    I don't want to be a maths nerd about this, but velocity already includes a trajectory (a vector, to be precise), otherwise its just "speed".

  • Abscido #18 2 years ago

    Holding down the big button with the squiggly logo (does that have a name yet?)

    This is a great point. It's absolutely stupid calling it the 'Move' button, totally confusing. Myself and friends still get in muddle telling each other to press the 'middle button' when required. The controller is the Move - adding a Move button just confuses the matter, especially when it only has the logo to identify it, rather than a colour or shape.

  • Barbellion #19 2 years ago

    There are some good points made here, but liek quite a bit of other stuff on Eurogamer it just seems very lazily written.

    Dan - you're a games journalist. You should know that the "big button with the squiggly logo" is called the Move button, because if you don't you must be a congenital idiot. Also, it is your job to inform, not to ask the reader to fill in for your lack of professional knowledge "(does that have a name yet?)" How are we meant to take your advice on gaming seriously if you're just going to present yourself as a dolt who doesn't know even as much as a guy in Currys?

    Secondly, I don't understand the point about the lack of feedback being a problem. Surely all gaming peripherals are aids to the imagination rather than replacement for real physical exercises? The assertion that the motion control games that work best are the ones that don't involve hitting or pulling things is just completely inaccurate. There's a large list of games on both the Move and Wii platforms that roundly trounce this argument. Titles like Tumble, Boom Blox, Twilight Princess, even Metroid Prime 3 Corruption to some extent, are all enhanced by motion controls despite not having physical feedback. Quite what you're expecting from games in general, or motion control in particular, is mystifying.

    In other news, The Fight looks crap.

  • sonicyoda #20 2 years ago

    Like the PS3, the Move is having a bit of a slow start isn't it? Not a lot out there that will justify a purchase yet.

  • kangarootoo #21 2 years ago

    Hmmm, having finished the review it sounds like maybe a bit of post release support could turn this into a gem. Here's hoping.

  • Spency #22 2 years ago

    Also.... angry testicle.

  • wizlon #23 2 years ago

    And now I know why there hasn't been a demo of this yet.

  • Jos #24 2 years ago

    I played it at playstation Beta rooms and really enjoyed it.

    All the issues listed in the review ring true but despite that I liked it.

    Can imagine it might become very repetitive but still tempted to get it...

    I should know better.

  • kangarootoo #25 2 years ago

    I just read in another review that they put a stamina bar in the game (something this review fails to mention).

    Wtf?!? A stamina bar in fighting games is there to represent the fighter getting tired from throwing punches... but in this game, the player IS throwing punches, and getting tired as a result. So instead of relying on the real experience tiring the player, they have replaced that with a meter... the purpose of which is to simulate the real experience tiring the player.

    Interesting logic.

  • TheJuriel #26 2 years ago

    Sounds better than I expected, so that's something.

  • Oli Verified Reviews Editor, Eurogamer.net #27 2 years ago

    I think the thing about the big button with the squiggly logo was a joke, guys.

  • Negotiator #28 2 years ago

    Wait for Kinect to show this Wii rip off how to make a good motion fighting game, depth of field no problem with Kinect.

  • Ninja_Tino #29 2 years ago

    I'd hate to put in the effort writing a review if I knew it was for the idiots here.

  • knightmt #30 2 years ago

    The calibration on the Move controllers is pretty varied. I have noticed this with the the shoot. If you sit over two meters away the camera is not that sensitive but if you sit close within 1 metre it is very responsive. But if you move the glowing ball outside the central region, its relative position changes which can be easily rectified if you just do the same again. i.e. if you move the cursor to the edge of the screen it seems to resync it.

  • sonicyoda #31 2 years ago

    @Negotiator

    FANBOY ALERT! FANBOY ALERT!

    Edit: not denying the Kinect maybe better for depth but calling the Move out as a Wii rip-off is a bit of a low-blow. *Ba-dum-tish!* I think the idea of the Move was to create more accurate and responsive motion gameplay experience.
    Edited by sonicyoda at 02/11/10 @ 15:12

  • Dave52 #32 2 years ago

    There's a far worse review over at IGN, but a very positive one at the SixthAxis... Hmm... I like IGN reviews, but I always find the SixthAxis reviews so entertaining... But which is best...

    Well... there's only one way to find out...

  • mkreku #33 2 years ago

    Did it make you laugh, Oli?

  • swissorc #34 2 years ago

    Anyone still thinking of buying this after reading this review should read ign's too (they pull no punches). It makes EG's review seem rather kind.

    Sorry Dave52 didn't read your post didn't know some one had already pointed people in IGN's direction.
    Edited by swissorc at 02/11/10 @ 15:07

  • berelain #35 2 years ago

    Wow, people really read a lot into a light-hearted joke about the Move button, don't they? Lighten up, folks! Eurogamer writers sometimes have a sense of humour!

  • schnide #36 2 years ago

    "Expect it to be compared to Fight Club by people who don't understand Fight Club."

    Ooh, get her!

  • darc #37 2 years ago

    "Holding down the big button with the squiggly logo (does that have a name yet?) allows you to tilt the wand to move your fighter"

    Isn't that what the camera and your, um, body ought to be for?

    "Punches thrown with shoulder-dislocating force in real life can translate as slow, lazy taps in the game."

    Ugh, I literally have nightmares like that! Not in a hurry to pay for the experience.

  • apoc_reg #38 2 years ago

    bah sounds.... er if i ever see it for £15 i may try it... maybe

  • QPRHOOPS81 #39 2 years ago

    "The game can copy your arm movements, and even use your head as a guide to bob and weave if the lighting is bright enough, but what it can't do is replicate the depth of field or sense of impact. "

    I thought the move could do depth of field? it uses the size of the ball as a constant. meaning the bigger the ball gets the closer to the camera it is.

  • TopKatt #40 2 years ago

    "Expect to see it compared to Fight Club by people who don't understand Fight Club."

    Well you've forgotten the first two rules right there.

  • arcam #41 2 years ago

    Ugh, I literally have nightmares like that!

    Heh, I have the same dreams - trying to throw a punch as hard as you can, but all that comes out is a slow, weak stretch of the arm. It is amazingly frustrating, but glad I'm not the only one with those dreams ;)

  • Widge #42 2 years ago

    I really was hoping for the tagline of The Shite.

    Will wait and see how the forumites take to this first.

  • Geordiemp #43 2 years ago

    Sony published the game, but developed by coldwood, who previous big title was Ski Doo....

    Sony, please get a good developer to do a move fighting game please....

    Even sport champions table tennis could tell when you moved forward and back viewing the size of the wand ball and had fine depth...

    Make it first person or see through figher, decent devloper = win

  • Videogamer. #44 2 years ago

    Shame about the mean-spirited opener.

  • jefranklin18 #45 2 years ago

    Disappointed this scored so low. Especially as the Sixth Axis posted a pre-emptive apology over the weekend saying that they were having too much fun with it so the review may be late. Still, I have 2 move controllers so if there is a demo, I will give it a spin and make my own judgement.

    Given the setting for the game, surely it has a headbutt, bite the ear and kick in the balls mode? :)

  • davisorle #46 2 years ago

    Post deleted at 15:13:13 09-05-2012

  • DrStrangelove #47 2 years ago

    Just from watching the trailer you know it's infantile rubbish.

  • 00.00.01 #48 2 years ago

    @jefranklin18 02/11/10 @ 15
    Headbutting is in there, as well as finishing off the opponent with a cool knee in the lower abs. Also seen the spinning backfist, hammerblows, elbows punches etc. Proper 'streetfighting'.
    Really like(d?) this title as it was the first-ever game that made me actually sweat in front of my telly.
    I just hope my neighbours don't think I'm beating up the kids/wife/dog when they walk by...

  • DavidBoring #49 2 years ago

    at least journos were allowed to review it before release

  • Edz72 #50 2 years ago

    Played this at the Expo, definately a Xmas present not because I thought it was great more for the workout. I would prefer knocking teeth out rather than doing stretches on a plastic board :)

  • kangarootoo #51 2 years ago

    "I would prefer knocking teeth out rather than doing stretches on a plastic board"

    I believe those are also the only two activity options available if you find yourself in prison :)

  • jefranklin18 #52 2 years ago

    @00:00:01

    Cheers. I am sure it will provide suitable amusement for a lads night, that's if they don't see SingStar Dance first.

  • Kassim #53 2 years ago

    What a shame it isnt that good. I was really looking foward to the game. I thought it would be really good.
    Lets hope they release a demo on psn...

  • Iain815 #54 2 years ago

    'They just fucked with the wrong Mexican.'

  • lockload #55 2 years ago

    Im guessing move hasn't hold a single ps3, i would think people who already have a camera will pick it up why not for £25, but as this game required the camera and two wands ill say no thanks

  • asphaltcowboy #56 2 years ago

    My favourite technique (from playing it at the EXPO) was the now-famous asphaltcowboy double hook punch™! (Where you basically throw two hooks at the same time and sandwich the enemy's head between your fists. It's hilarious :D)

  • WJF #57 2 years ago

    'It's not 'depth of field' that's the problem here'

    From the review: 'The game can copy your arm movements, and even use your head as a guide to bob and weave if the lighting is bright enough, but what it can't do is replicate the depth of field or sense of impact'

    I believe this was what he was referring to. You're right as well though - the lack of physical feedback is a kicker.

  • dirtyvu #58 2 years ago

    played a demo at a trade show and it wasn't good.

  • Miths #59 2 years ago

    I ordered the game last night after reading the 7/10 TheSixthAxis review, but more importantly, watching the new 9 minute video "review" from iWaggle that shows and tells (with an overlaid video of the guy using the two Move controllers) exactly what The Fight: Lights does well and what it doesn't do well.

    It gets plenty of criticism from both those reviews, but there were also enough positive points that I decided to take my chances.

  • BurningR #60 2 years ago

    "Punches thrown with shoulder-dislocating force in real life can translate as slow, lazy taps in the game. "

    Shoulder-dislocating force - yeah, you wish! Maybe the game translates your punches pretty accurately... ;)

  • makeamazing #61 2 years ago

    I was considering it, but i think i will just wait it out now.

    Its a shame that Sony didnt spend as long as they needed to get these early games right. Not been playing with the move much recently. Unfortunately both Sony and MS went into a controller arms race, and i dont think either will come out better with a range of absolutely crap titles.

    I would hope that Socom, KZ3 and LBP2 will use move alot better.

  • jefranklin18 #62 2 years ago

    Just had a thought how they can make this a top seller - downloadable character skins of famous faces. I am sure the opportunity to have a street fight with George W Bush, Russell Brand or whomever could be just too much of an opportunity for people to give up.

    Not sure that they would be overly impressed, mind.

  • jamhead #63 2 years ago

    @TopKatt

    Funniest post I have seen in ages. Well done.

  • Negotiator #64 2 years ago

    Move is a great product and it is very good for certain things, but a fighting game is not one of them. IMO Kinect will fair much better for this type of game, I still think its a Wii rip off but it's also better and thats fine by me.

  • busboy33 #65 2 years ago

    @thedellbingo:

    I think the joke is not that the button is named the "Move Button" but the name of the symbol. Is the squiggly called the Move? Is it motion, or a moving letter "M"? If you were telling someone to "push the move button" and they said "which one is it?", you would reply "its the one with the **blank** on it". What's the **blank**?

    Refering to it constantly as "The Playstation Move Logo" is rediculous. The community will eventually agree on a shorthand term for the symbol, in the same way the community has generally agreed to refer to things like the common Wii controller motions as "waggle" or the Wii Motion Controller as the "WiiWand". So I think the "joke" is him asking if the community has settled on a nickname for the logo.

  • Lunatic4ever #66 2 years ago

    If even Trejo couldn't save this game...it was imposssible to be saved in the first place.

  • Miths #67 2 years ago

    "Refering to it constantly as "The Playstation Move Logo" is rediculous. The community will eventually agree on a shorthand term for the symbol"

    I'm struggling to think of many situations aside from the specific button on the controller where people would need to refer to the logo. And that button already has an official name - the Move button,

  • dirtyvu #68 2 years ago

    read 2 more reviews.. 3/10 from one and 5/10 from another. now eurogamer has 5/10 too... not looking good.

  • DrStrangelove #69 2 years ago

    This is exactly one of those games I would never buy regardless of how awesome the tech is. Why would I want to bash someone's face bloody in some back alley?

    Maybe because he delayed GT5 to 2011. Actually, Sony should include that story. Just for that I would buy the game.

  • 3william56 #70 2 years ago

    Well, with the entire webpage surrounded with an ad for this 5/10 classic, we can finally put to bed allegations of advert spend = good review on EG. ;P

    Not sure why the lack of physical contact makes this a bad game; it never stopped Wii sports or any other motion title. But poor translation of the (supposedly) accurate 3d data from the wand into a legit punch is a deal breaker. The game should, in effect, autolocate your avatar at exactly arms length from the opponent unless a lean modifier is applied by using the Move button (or your shiny head - baldies FTW) then snap back, same as any 1st person boxing game does. Otherwise, it would be (and seems to be) too hard to judge distance on screen.

    /awaits the Move killer app before buying.

  • kangarootoo #71 2 years ago

    "in the same way the community has generally agreed to refer to things like the common Wii controller motions as "waggle" or the Wii Motion Controller as the "WiiWand""

    I'm pretty sure the "WiiWand" already has a name, the Wiimote. And I thought that was what everyone called it too.

  • Ryze #72 2 years ago

    Expected.

  • mcmothercruncher #73 2 years ago

    I still maintain it's the NEXT generation of motion control equipped consoles that'll actually work reliably and accurately.

  • busboy33 #74 2 years ago

    @kangarootoo:

    You are right -- my apologies for getting it wrong to the Wii community.

    Is "Wiimote" the official Nintendo name? If so . . . smart on them. I had always thought it was technically the "Wii Motion Controller" and "Wiimote" was a nickname. Of course, I don't own a Wii, am ambivilant about Nintendo, and only casually follow the Ninty news, so I'm hardly a reliable source of Nintendo factual detail (as calling it the "Wiiwand" demonstrates amply).

  • busboy33 #75 2 years ago

    @miths:

    "I'm struggling to think of many situations aside from the specific button on the controller where people would need to refer to the logo. And that button already has an official name - the Move button"

    Yes . . . but you know the move button because its the one with the **blank** on it.

    Will PS3/Move gamers know which button is the Move button? Well, since there's only one new button to the standard sorts, then probably yes. But again, in terms of showing it to your mum or non-gaming friends "press the move button" isn't very descriptive.

    My brother-in-law casually plays 360 (GH/RB addict, but nothing else), and he called me to ask how to stop notifications popping up while he was playing. I told him to press the Guide button. He asked "which one is that?". Gamers know what the Guide button is, what the Move button is, or they can figure it out in a second or two. But casuals aren't necessarily up on the terminology. I was able to tell him "Its the big silver one right in the middle with a green X". Obviously the "X" shape isn't actually an "X" per se but rather the 360 logo . . . but "glowing green X" made it clear to him (a non-gamer) which button I meant. The best description for the Move logo I can think of is either "the sguiggle" or "the one that looks like the trail from a move ball sans handle moving up and down and coming toward you", and that's waaaaay too long.

    Not being an engineer, I presume that's why designers use letters, basic shapes, and simple colors . . . they are easily distinguished, identified, and described. "Press the blue square" is a hell of alot more clear than "press the chartruse ellipisoid".

    I certainly agree that reference to the symbol itself probably isn't the sort of thing that's going to be a daily occurance, but the question still remains as to what it is called, or supposed to be called.
    Edited by busboy33 at 03/11/10 @ 14:20

  • layleeloo #76 2 years ago

    Heck - for £25 notes it got to be worth a laugh in light of the other pants Move release titles, of which I only have two left. Sports Champions and Tumble (the latter being the best move game so far IMO). However shopto have already shipped this out to me today so am looking forward to trying it tomorrow, but also looking more forward to comparing it to Fighters Uncgaed on Kinect next week when I pick them up. Although 2 different kinds of fighting game it will be in interesting test of useability, accurancy and delay.

  • chubster2010 #77 2 years ago

    re 'I think the thing about the big button with the squiggly logo was a joke, guys.'

    I don't get it?! - was the punchline left out or something?

    @ busboy
    re 'but the question still remains as to what it is called, or supposed to be called.'

    It's called the Move button. Fact.
    Edited by chubster2010 at 03/11/10 @ 16:03

  • JediMasterMalik #78 2 years ago

    Looked like a 5 since the start. Also has the worst "colour" scheme I've ever seen.

    What were they thinking? :/

  • busboy33 #79 2 years ago

    @chubster2010:

    "It's called the Move button. Fact."

    The symbol on the move button is called the move button? You do recognize the distinction between the button that the symbol is on and the symbol itself, right?

  • Widge #80 2 years ago

    I believe the game Negotiator was talking about is up for review right now

  • layleeloo #81 2 years ago

    Well, my copy turned up early this morning and I find it quite fun. Sure I agree with the review and personally would be a 7 for me, but inspite of its limitations it is at least fun and something new/different in that it actually tracks well. It is the occasional collision detection which hampers things but this was hardly ever gonna be mega accurate. Its just a laugh and my missus loves it. Personally, Im seeing a new light to her now which makes me thing I'm gonna rgue with her less. She's enjoying it far too much than any "lady" should! :)

  • Miths #82 2 years ago

    Holy crap! This is not a game, this is straight up video game assisted exercise. I just did the tutorial, a target practice training exercise and my first four fights (two of them I won fairly easily, but not without breaking a sweat, the third - or rather the second I tried - I lost twice in a row before moving on to one of the other unlocked fights), and according to the game I've burned the same amount of calories I do riding around six kilometers at decent speed on my stationary bike. And I'm sweating more than after said bike ride - so much in fact that I'll make sure to be wearing shorts for my second The Fight session :).

    It's still too early for me to comment much on the actual fight mechanics, but it generally feels like my arm movements are represented pretty accurately (ie. not at all gracefully in this first session), albeit not in terms of speed. I imagine they've opted to map that to the speed stat instead, perhaps to avoid getting sued for encouraging people to punch hard enough to dislocate their shoulders and elbows? :p

    Movement by holding a Move button and tilting either controller doesn't feel as awkward as I had feared - but I guess that could change later when the opponents will no doubt be attacking much more relentlessly - though judging distance can be pretty hard, as also pointed out in the iWaggle video.

  • Arwin #83 2 years ago

    The problem I think with this review is that it forgets to mention that this game is a tonne of fun regardless. And it must be a nightmare for reviewers - I can't play this fore more than 1.5 hours a day due to being completely exhausted by then.

    Most of the things in the review ring true, yet this game is easily an 8/10 for me. This is still the best boxing I've ever done on a video game. The training exercises are well done in that they are essential for improving enough to win fights. What the game lacks is more feedback on what you're doing vs what you should be doing. If you've got a good sense of what matters (pacing, don't wear yourself out, move around with your opponent, and place a couple of good hits then defend again to rest up), and a good sense of space, then you'll figure this out. Choosing your abilities wisely is pretty important though, make sure you get at least everything up to 10. I started with technique at 23 :D but I earned my other ability points easily enough through training.

    I do imagine that 3D will help for this game, but I'm doing fine without it so far.

    If you have two Move controllers and are interested in a boxing game at all, I recommend this easily. I find that the amount of calories you spend are a nice correlation with how well you're fighting. The fewer calories the better - if you can get your sparring partner down with 14 calories, you're ready for some good fighting (though the first fight is a pushover, but whichever second fight you pick is likely not to be - I had quite a bit of trouble with mine!)

    I bought it together with SingStar Dance by the way, didn't expect either to be out already last Thursday, and these two games combined give me a mad workout. :D

  • jonbwfc #84 2 years ago

    I can't get this game to work at all. The calibration system fails every time (plus it seems far too long winded and fiddly anyway). It may be good, or it may be bad, I'll never know. Going back to the shop on Monday.

  • Arwin #85 2 years ago

    That's weird ... what seems to be the problem? Can you tell us? We can probably help you.

  • jonbwfc #86 2 years ago

    The problem is with the 'hold your arms out wide with the Move controllers pointing away from you' bit in the calibration. when I press both Move buttons to register that, it complains the Move controllers aren't level and asks me to do it again. Pretty much ever time. The one time (in a day of trying on and off) it did work it then failed at the next stage, which is the 'stand like a boxer and hold the sticks under your chin' one. Then, it claims I'm not holding the sticks upright.

    There's patently something going on with the orientation sensors - either they're not working properly or the game isn't sensing them correctly. Thing is the work fine in the other games I tried them with yesterday - Tumble, Sports Champions and a couple of demos.

    Very odd.

    Thanks for offering to help BTW.

  • Arwin #87 2 years ago

    There's a reset button on your Move controller, a tiny little round hole at the bottom that you can press. You know when you've pressed it if you have it on while doing so, as it will shut off. Try that first and see if it helps. If it doesn't, then you may want to do the calibration thing in the XMB. If that doesn't help, then perhaps your PS Eye is in a bad position (like too low, which is normally only good for EyePet). My guess would be that the reset button will help you out though. Hope this helps!

    EDIT: oh and yeah, the walking around actually feels great. This should be used in more games - it's a better fit and use for many things than I think the navcon is.
    Edited by Arwin at 08/11/10 @ 00:39

  • Classique #88 2 years ago

    "Holding down the big button with the squiggly logo (does that have a name yet?)" - Well done, Dan. Trejo only shouts out to tell you to hold down the "Move Button" several times in the tutorial. Not to mention the fact that every other title so far (including downloadables) calls it the Move Button.

  • Arwin #89 1 year ago

    Coming back just to say that this game is still awesome. I am still playing this regularly, has become basically a nice workout and fun game in one. I may write a user review for this some time.

    There was also just recently some new DLC released which adds fitness stuff (including long term tracking with graphs), which although not spectactular, for the money (little under 4 euro) is worth it.

    It's a shame that reviews are so 'one off' and personal. It doesn't suit today's patch and DLC society anymore.