Fight Night Round 3 Review

By Kristan Reed Published 9 March, 2006

It's a knockout.

Version tested: Xbox 360

Under normal circumstances it's pretty difficult to get too worked up about another EA boxing game. Sure, they're the best boxing games by a country mile (by virtue of, um, being the only boxing games released in recent years, come to think of it), but the art of pugilism has rarely translated to being a gripping videogame. Whether that's been a technology or a design issue is a tough one to argue. With the notable exception of Rage's excellent Rocky, on a design level the genre's often laboured through unsatisfying and inflexible control systems that never quite give you the feeling of being fully in control, and from the technology perspective the animation's never really been fluid enough to give you the feeling of true, convincing impact - despite the huge strides in character model realism.

But now that we're now riding the next gen wave, there's a real chance for Electronic Arts et al to harness all the extra grunt of the 360 in a more meaningful way than merely delivering the same old gameplay in high def.

It sounds like the fluffy, Tomorrow's World introduction to a typical game conference speech, but imagine a boxing game where the characters move, behave, react and look in such a natural fashion that you no longer need health and energy bars on the screen because you can see everything you need to know by observing their responses. A game where the knockout punches connect with such convincing force and velocity that you physically wince as the stricken boxer crumples in pain, sweat spraying off the aggressor's gloves as it connects, gloopy spittle trails shooting out of the victim's swollen, mis-shapen mouth moments before he hits the canvas with a grace of a felled tree. A game where the detail levels are so high that the character no longer look like computer generated avatars, where sweat glistens on their freckled skin, and boxers move with a precision and grace so believable it's virtually indistinguishable from the real thing. A game where the fighters perform with such varied and convincing tactics that you feel truly involved in a battle: not just of physical might and combo mastery, but of wits, of playing to your strengths and nailing weaknesses with ruthless aplomb.

Pulling punches

'Fight Night Round 3' Screenshot that

Have some of that.

It sounds fanciful, but Fight Night Round 3 on Xbox 360 almost succeeds in pulling off all of these unlikely claims with such casual ease it's easy to take them for granted - but even then it's not a game you'll fall for in the early stages.

Of course, the ridiculously detailed, supremely animated character models, intricate arenas and lively crowds all make it one of the greatest sporting spectacles we've ever been treated to in videogaming history. You'll swear it looks just like one of those improbable-looking PS3 videos shown off at Sony's conference before last year's E3, and begin to see the real potential of Microsoft's new system.

But far from the novelty of these incredible graphics wearing off quicker than a face-wobbling, spittle-flecked slo-mo action replay, the more you play Fight Night Round 3, and the further you get into it, the more it becomes evident at how integral these visuals are to the real meat of the game.

Getting your hands dirty in the main single-player Career mode does scant justice to the depth of the gameplay for quite some time, though. It starts off on a high, with another typically wonderful example of EA's commitment to giving players full customisation over their character, and if anything Fight Night's system is the most flexible yet, offering almost infinitely tweakable settings for just about every conceivable facial feature.

Wham rap

'Fight Night Round 3' Screenshot glove

Smell the glove.

With that done, you'll be on a mission to establish your young gun as the champion of the world in your chosen weight category. However, after the initial 'wow' factor has worn off, you would be forgiven for thinking that the gameplay lacks depth. On the default 'normal' setting, for literally hours on end you'll blast through amateur fighters with ease, bemoan the rather simplistic training minigames and mutter 'typical EA flash' or words to that effect.

Until you work your way through to the professional ranks (there's no longer a specific numbered rank like previous Fight Nights), fights are typically short-lived affairs, with opponent AI giving you untold opportunities to pull off 'Haymaker' impact punches one after the other - punches which bring proceedings to a very rapid conclusion. Indeed, to actually fight beyond the first round is something of a novelty once you're familiar with the controls, and for some time the game can feel immensely shallow, not to mention unchallenging.

This monotonous early procession isn't exactly helped by the insipid pre-fight training routine which involves nothing more than two forms of Simon Says punch-bag sessions or an immensely simple weight-training game. As with previous Fight Nights, you can always opt for the auto-training, but gain half the maximum stats you would if you'd engaged with boring mini-games for a minute. There is also a sparring session, but this does little more than teach you the basic controls and tactics so isn't something you'll visit very often.

Shopped

'Fight Night Round 3' Screenshot plug

Shameless plug ahoy!

On top of that, there's an entirely pointless shop which allows you to use the cash you earn to upgrade your gloves, shorts, mouth guard, shoes and even buy new taunts and tattoos. The pay-off is slightly enhanced stats, but in reality these trinkets offer little more than a further layer of customisation if such things matter to you.

But if you bother to stick with it, things suddenly improve to the extent that it feels like an entirely different game. In the pro ranks, suddenly opponents take full advantage of all the countering opportunities you've been giving them all along, and won't hesitate to blast back with deadly combos and impact punches that leave you kissing the canvas more times than you'd like.

When you do fall victim, the effect is suitably excellent, too. From the eyes of your punch drunk fighter you'll see the blurred referee counting you out, with the idea to move two circles into the centre with the analogue sticks before he counts to ten.

Such a rude awakening is warranted, though, because suddenly you'll be forced to work on your positioning, your defences, and the art of countering. Not only that, suddenly you'll be mindful of conserving energy and only letting rip at the appropriate time, as opposed to merely going crazy from the start. You'll start to work out that jabs to the face help ward off an aggressive opponent, that targeting a specific side of your opponent's head is a sure-fire way to create the sort of cut that'll get a fight stopped early, and you'll learn how to take evasive action when things aren't going well - even if it means pulling off an illegal elbow to the face or clinching them to buy time.

Comeback kid

At times you'll fail, sometimes because you simply came up against the wrong fighter at the wrong time; someone much more powerful than you. But eventually you'll get to fight your victors again, and it's amazing what a bit of difference a few years and some concerted training can do.

Much of the credit for the game's hidden depth is down to being blessed with a simple, yet deceptively refined control set. Sure, right from the off you'll be able to pull off jabs and hooks to the head and body, lean through 360 degrees of motion to avoid punches, block up or down, as well as throw energy-sapping impact punches whenever your opponent flails and misses or lets his guard down, but using it effectively is another matter entirely. You could legitimately argue that the control system is simplistic compared to your average beat-'em-up; sure, it lacks hand-wrecking, multi-button combos, but what's there is essentially well realised and works incredibly well within the context of what you need to do, which is what's important.

A word to the wise, though. The default Total Punch control system that utilises the right stick for punches still feels far too unreliable for our liking. Far better to plump for config 5 and actually know that when you press one of the face buttons it does what you want it to, rather than faffing with quarter and half turns on the stick.

The real charm of Fight Night Round 3 is how well it works despite the lack of status bar information (though you can turn on the HUD if you miss it that much); in a real sense, not knowing exactly how close you or your opponent are to the edge enhances the tension. The times when you think you've nailed your opponent, only for them to strike back with a vicious combo makes the whole affair much less predictable, and is something that would have been ruined by the abstract presence of a life bar that - in itself - drains confidence when you're the one taking the beating. By removing such screen furniture, not only is the spectacle more immersive, but forces you to pay attention to the actions of your fighter: their breathing, how fast and accurate their punches are, how long it takes to recover from a battering, and so on.

Finish him!

'Fight Night Round 3' Screenshot mum

What did you call my mum?!

By the same token, the same thing applies when you're trying to finish an opponent off, with the knowledge that you may be using the last dregs of stamina up in doing so, leaving yourself open to a strong counter attack. At the really advanced stages, so much of the gameplay in Fight Night Round 3 becomes wrapped up in strategies: whether to go in strong, or to hold off and wait for your opponent to wear himself out, and generally focusing in on their various weaknesses (speed over power, for example).

If you wanted to be really picky about Fight Night Round 3, then yes, there are things that don't quite come off. The commentary, for one thing, is utterly repetitive and the hip-hop-by-numbers soundtrack gets a little tiresome, detracting from the otherwise astonishing sound effects. You could also argue that the career mode lacks cohesion, with too many inconsequential battles fought simply to gain the popularity required to get through to the next tier, but that's not so much of an issue once you go pro.

In visual terms Fight Night Round 3's not perfect, either. The bobbing and weaving animation, for example, makes everyone look like they're rotating on a well-oiled central pivot - the sudden, unnatural transitions that both you and the computer AI make are far from realistic, and take the gloss over an otherwise pretty flawless looking game. Such a system might make the game more playable, but surely the tiredness and general speed of an opponent should create an inertia that grows during a fight? Not only would it make the game look more convincing, but the growing sluggishness would make more sense in terms of the playability too. After all, a dead-on-his-feet slugger shouldn't be swing his hips with the lithe precision of a greased up Ronaldinho. And as for the occasional clipping and twitching ragdoll glitches... didn’t we get rid of that in the last generation?

Aside from that, it’s a top notch spectacle, and with all the main weight divisions to conquer, it's hardly a game you can simply conquer and walk away from feeling like you've seen it all. Factor in the other bonus modes, like one-off (ESPN-sponsored) grudge matches between the legends of the past and the joys of multiplayer and it's likely to be a title you'll be coming back to long after you've 'finished' it.

Knockout king

In fact, the online implementation of Fight Night Round 3 is certainly good enough to warrant repeat visits. Admittedly you still have to go through the whole Ts&Cs nonsense (couldn't we just have done that on initial boot up, EA?), and there's not actually much to it, but there doesn't need to be. Getting any kind of ranked or unranked match-up going is as slick and easy as any Live title out there, with leaderboards, stat tracking and huge scope for match customisation - too numerous to boringly list in a review. The only real glaring failure here is the inability to use your custom boxer in multiplayer, but otherwise there's not really much more we could ask for - apart from the inevitable 'give us more real-life boxers' request (a few notable omissions this time, such as Foreman and Liston), and for EA to tone down the blummun' excessive in-game advertising.

The upshot is straightforward: the 360 version of Fight Night Round 3 is by far the most impressive boxing title ever released, even if the gameplay differences between this and previous versions are fairly incremental. Certainly, we're not huge fans of the sport here, yet it's easy to get over any indifference for the subject matter and have huge amounts of fun with one of the best titles released so far this year. Simply, as a videogame it's as close as anyone's got to capturing the essence of what boxing's about; the struggle, the power, the passion, the glory, the disappointment, the tactics, and above all the primal satisfaction you get from punching the living daylights out of someone.

8 / 10

Read the Eurogamer.net scoring policy
Picture of Kristan.

About Kristan Reed

Kristan is a former editor of Eurogamer, dad, Stone Roses bore and Norwich City supporter who sometimes mutters optimistically about Team Silent getting back together.

Read more articles from Kristan by visiting the Kristan Reed archive page.

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Comments (79) Latest comment 6 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • alimokrane #1 6 years ago

    I was expecting this score and i think that's what it deserves perhaps even a 7. how about Ghost Recon advanced warfighter now ? expecting a 9 for that one

  • bauhaus #2 6 years ago

    got the demo this morning

    its shite

    again

  • Nige #3 6 years ago

    There's no doubt it looks the part... i just found it rather tiresome personally (the demo anyway).

    Nice to see it received well, but I'll save the talents for GRAW I think.

  • tengu #4 6 years ago

    8 eh? That was the score I guessed a few days back I think. I have the sight.

    Boxing though? No fucking thanks.

  • krudster #5 6 years ago

    To be fair, the demo isn't remotely representative in my experience.

  • Furbs #6 6 years ago

    Good review again Kristan. I was worried about the repetitiveness/longetivty side of things but it sounds good :) I should have this and Graw waiting for me when I get in tonight, gonna be a late one.

    Whats online play like? Given the 360's other beatemup (DOA) has lag issues, is it ok here? Using EA's servers for FIFA is a very scratchy affair.

  • krudster #7 6 years ago

    No lag issues found, but then only 189 people were online...let's see how that changes when thousands are playing....

  • SeesThroughAll #8 6 years ago

    Although I don't have a 360, and have no intention of buying either the console or this game (boxing is not my thing), this review was really nice to read. Straight to the point, informative, and completely unbiased. Kudos for setting the professionalism example.

    EDIT: Removed nonsense.
    Edited by 1 at 09/03/06 @ 17:46

  • gazareth #9 6 years ago

    GRAW review coming soon mr krudster? :D

  • Furbs #10 6 years ago

    blackdog there is, sorta. It'll actually be FN4, but called FN3. If that makes sense.

    SeesThroughAll, I wasnt aware that PGR3 and RidgeRacer were EA games (other than the latter being published by them).
    Edited by 2 at 09/03/06 @ 15:47

  • krudster #11 6 years ago

    GRAW review later tomorow afternoon.

  • Darkedge #12 6 years ago

    the demo is frustrating to start with but with a bit of persistance it gets really good.
    Amazing looking game too - and yes it will be coming out on PS3, but the PS3 may have to get a release date before it does. Preferably this year in europe (yeah and there's a flying pig)

    Oh and Furbs - the PS3 game is still Fight Night Round 3 - they demo'd it when the PS3 was announced. Guess what - it looks the same (and was pretty much the only thing that they could actually say was realtime that day)
    Edited by 1 at 09/03/06 @ 15:51

  • ralphwolfenstein #13 6 years ago

    Since this is a thread about boxing can I just salute Joe Calzaghe again for his incredible bout against Lacey last Saturday night

    I forsake a night out on the lash and stayed up ‘til 2.15 to watch it – and the man with the fastest fists in the business did not disappoint me. Lacey was the bookies’ favourite, he has/had murderous punching power and numbered 17 KO’s in his 21 undefeated bouts. He and his camp had called Calzaghe a ‘slapper’ , claimed he had never fought a quality opponent and boasted that they would knock him out

    Instead Calzaghe utterly bewildered the American with stunning combinations, winning every single round in a 12 round fight that left Lacey in the worst state I have ever seen a boxer without the fight being stopped. In fact the fight should have been stopped in round eight. To his credit, Lacey took two barrel loads of punishment and stayed standing, and it turned really very ugly in the last 12 minutes. Calzaghe was mesmerising though, and the fight was scored 119 – 105, 119 – 105 and 119 – 107. That’s one of the biggest margins I’ve ever seen, and the only reason why Calzaghe didn’t score a perfect 120 was because he was docked a point in round 11 for a showboating backhand punch

    If anyone wants to watch the fight, which has rightly been described as the finest performance by a British boxer in the past 20 year, it’s repeated on ITV4 tonight

    Utterly magnificent stuff

  • kangarootoo #14 6 years ago

    Played the demo, the gameplay was a little disappointing compared to FN2. You boxers get worn out and slow reeeeally quickly. Basic controls seemed OK though, pretty mcuh the same as Fn2.

    But the GFX. HOLY SHIT!!! You have never seen textured characters this good in a game before on any platform. One of my housemates was looking at it and just said "that is unbelievable" about 6 times in a row, much to my amusement.

    Sounds from the review like once you get into the game and get some training behind your fighter it really picks up, so its sounds very much like I'll love this. I'm not the least bit interested in real boxing and have never really been interested in a boxing game before, but FN2 really impressed me so I'm looking forward to trying this.

    @bauhaus

    Of course you have your opinion. Sounds like this just isn't the game for you and of course thats cool. I recommend others give it a shot and make up their own minds.
    Edited by 1 at 09/03/06 @ 15:57

  • Furbs #15 6 years ago

    Ah didnt know that DarkEdge, I guess I should never recite something I read on the internet when I cant even remember what site it was on :p

  • Thamuhacha #16 6 years ago

    I liked the demo! And will probably pick this up later in the year on the cheap

    I love boxing though!

  • Universal_Hamster #17 6 years ago

    Cannot wait for this one, the demo blew me away first with its graphics, then with its gameplay, once I started getting good at it. The two fighters on offer show such a difference between the speed fighters and the power punchers.

  • reality_cheque #18 6 years ago

    X360 im no fan of

    You got one? What don't you like about it?

    I'm not having a go btw, I'm just curious.

  • CrunchinJelly #19 6 years ago

    For everyone judging their opinion on the demo: Don't.

    News out of America and people who've got it early over here suggest that it's changed quite a lot from the demo version and is much the better for it.

    I can't believe this is an EA Sports game that I've actually been looking forward to.

  • Carrybagma #20 6 years ago

    You'll swear it looks just like one of those improbable-looking PS3 videos shown off at Sony's conference before last year's E3

    Good job EG saw through all the hype though.

  • Eighthours #21 6 years ago

    A word to the wise, though. The default Total Punch control system that utilises the right stick for punches still feels far too unreliable for our liking. Far better to plump for config 5 and actually know that when you press one of the face buttons it does what you want it to, rather than faffing with quarter and half turns on the stick

    Play it properly!

  • thegamesthething #22 6 years ago

    I didn't like the demo, but then im not a big fan boxing.

    Then 2 of my mates came round, who are and had played FN2 a lot, and used the Total Punch thing properly. Revelation. So one for the hard core I think, but if its played well it is stupidly impressive, even just the demo.

    Great review too.
    Edited by 1 at 09/03/06 @ 16:26

  • w00t #23 6 years ago

    Only had a quick go on the demo - absolutely stunned by the graphics. And I'm quite jaded! And I dislike EA! Gameplay was fun - definitely a multiplayer funfest.

  • Azazel #24 6 years ago

    "Since this is a thread about boxing can I just salute Joe Calzaghe again for his incredible bout against Lacey last Saturday night "

    Yea, amen. Great fight.

  • Darren #25 6 years ago

    Nice review. I got the game yesterday and it's brilliant. I agree with EG's comment about the unnatural, stiff looking defensive animations, which are the only things that mar the otherwise awesome graphics. For once, the graphics really do add to the realism and enjoyment of the game.

  • theidiotsarewinning #26 6 years ago

    i hate boxing but love the demo of this. multiplayer is deeply tactical and obviously it looks quality. the commentary is rubbish though you kind of need it - to know who's won the round and when you're about to be knocked down and so on. i'll be buying it, though i never thought i would.

  • brandon-flowers #27 6 years ago

    Cant wait to get my copy!
    Bloody HMV!

  • HarryB #28 6 years ago

    so Eurogamer give me permission to buy this? yeah!

  • [maven] #29 6 years ago

    Could someone elaborate on the differences between the demo and the final game?

  • Mashum #30 6 years ago

    The boxers in the demo were a bit rubbish, slow and became tired quickly although it was still a bit of fun. I guess in the full game you will be able to train up your custom boxer to be quicker and more fit.

    As far as the demo is concerned the game looks unbelievable - I couldn't belive it was realtime generated stuff. This is why I shelled out on a 360, to be amazed on occasion.

  • JonFE #31 6 years ago

    "I'm surprised the game is so well received. I can sense a 9 for GR:AW."

    Please, don't push your luck :)

  • Senor_Sanchez #32 6 years ago

    This is MUCH MUCH better than the demo
    I have just been playing online and it's awesome

    Well worth the $'s

  • SeesThroughAll #33 6 years ago

    @ Furbs: Right you are, wasn't aware of those.

  • smelly #34 6 years ago

    MICROSOFT FANBOYS!!!!!!

  • pac666 #35 6 years ago

    The demo was great. Looking forward to getting on-line with the full game and handing out a few shiners. people who aren't overly impressed with this need to look again it's a real jaw opener.

  • polar #36 6 years ago

    Great review, although by the closing paragraph I almost expected a 9. I've been enjoying the demo immensly, great initially because of the graphics and then later when the depth of strategy open to the player becomes apparent. A fantastic game to play with mates, however it's really dissapointing to learn that you can't use the custom fighters on multiplayer - I was looking forward to beating my friends up.

  • krudster #37 6 years ago

    Yes, but comparing the two version side by side would be a tad unfair.

  • thefilthandthefury #38 6 years ago

    Absolutely loved what I played of this game at work. It really pisses all over the demo, and I even liked the demo!

    The sensible score was given. Definitely not a 9, but an 8 is spot on.

  • urban #39 6 years ago

    it looks and sounds like a good concept, but didnt enjoy playing it.

  • Carrybagma #40 6 years ago

    Is the Krudster still about?
    Would you like to point out which of those PS3 videos were improbable?

    :o)

  • tengu #41 6 years ago

    Aw, now why would you want to start that up again?

  • thegamesthething #42 6 years ago

    Wonder if they'll show them again at E3 this year. And if EG will have to get the tissues out again if they do :)

  • Darren #43 6 years ago

    LOL

  • morriss #44 6 years ago

    Great review mate. I'm going to spend around £150 on games this month. I hope you're bloody satisfied!!

    /shakes fist at krudster

    What's your Gamertag btw? Or is that superduper top secret?

  • kangarootoo #45 6 years ago

    "Would you like to point out which of those PS3 videos were improbable?"

    Please don't. This thread has made for very pleasant reading. Boxing fans and non-boxing fans alike joining in appreciation of some strong design and awsomely stunning visuals (even managing to keep the EA hate, which I am partial to myself sometimes, appropriately absent). Lets please not let it be hijacked by offtopic platform war nonsense.

  • Xerx3s #46 6 years ago

    Great games get bad scores and shit like this gets a good score? Guess that its all a matter of taste after all. 0_o

    And since when did EG start to use official EA screenshots? Why not use your own? Or isnt that allowed? 0_o

  • Furbs #47 6 years ago

    Xerx3s, take off your anti-EA glasses, its getting old. The vast majority of people who have played have said its good. Either way, on no objective scale is it "shit".

    kangarootoo, if you dont mind, I'll give you a big old hefty +1 to that.

  • morriss #48 6 years ago

    Anyway, back to my question. How about some EG staffers vs. forumites boxing action?

    Or are ya too scared??!!

    :)
    Edited by 1 at 10/03/06 @ 00:33

  • Talha #49 6 years ago

    To me this game is a punch in the face of (1) needless anti-EA sentiment, (2) recent cynicism found in EG reviews, (3) the myth that all good games come out around Christmas season, and finally (4) those discounting the potential of next-gen consoles to support their 2,000-quid gaming PCs. Make no mistake, I am a PC gamer myself - I am only pointing out the negative attitude of some PC gamers.

    Anyways, the game looks and sounds so fantastic, it makes me hate real boxing even more!!!!


    Edited by 1 at 10/03/06 @ 07:09

  • Rambaldi #50 6 years ago

    I don't like boxing and I don't like EA, but I do like this game.

    Listening to all these 'I don't like the 360 and will never buy one' comments on the thread of a very positive review speaks volumes about those posting said comments.

  • Rambaldi #51 6 years ago

    If we're going to talk about shit demos though: WTF is with Pandemic producing yet another crappy game based on the same engine as their last three games? Will somebody please give them a basicis 101 in camera control and graphics? Seriously, as a 360 owner, I'm totally ashamed of The Outfit.
    Edited by 1 at 10/03/06 @ 08:03

  • Pachinko #52 6 years ago

    An excellent review, Kristan.

  • kangarootoo #53 6 years ago

    @Rambaldi

    "I don't like boxing and I don't like EA, but I do like this game"

    Well put, my sentiments exactly. I'm not too big to admit I like something when I do.

  • Zuiyo #54 6 years ago

    Not a big fan of boxing games either, but played this for 30 minutes two days ago and it is really, really good.

  • sternum #55 6 years ago

    @Rambaldi

    "I don't like boxing and I don't like EA, but I do like this game"

    I agree I dont like EA, not too fussed about boxing, but I love this game.

    Its great to play, and even better with friends round, and it is one of the only games that you can actually watch two other people fight, and this is not just about the graphics, which are real good but from the point that when matches get tense and people are getting or technical and using jabs, reach, movement to break there opponent down.

    Dont get me wrong its not perfect and in terms of core mechanics it may only tweak them slightly but sometimes thats all you need to make the game better.

    What can I say, the game is fun, which is hard to do these days.

    But hey if you dont like it dont buy it.

  • Talha #56 6 years ago

    'I don't like EA'

    How smart and thoughtful. A recipe for a pointless, needless guilt trip when they actually come up with a good game worth buying (which is more frequent than you might think) :-)

    "I don't like boxing'.... that's a different story - it is a nice comment because I FEEL THE SAME WAY. In any case, the game is amazing - making it harder to imagine the misery of real-life boxers!

  • Senor_Sanchez #57 6 years ago

    Has anyone played much online - lag free and really slick and highly recommended!

    FN3 is on of the few games I have played recently were you can enjoy the experience even as a spectator.

    I got a decent crowd watching me (getting twatted LOL) fight some guy online.

    Great fun - looks incredible - very rewarding but also quite physically tiring. After 4, 3 min rounds both me and the guy I was online with had to 'rest' our sore thumbs then get back into it. Wicked!

    It's a much more involving experience than old school Tekken button taps IMHO (and certainly better than DOA4 lag zone)

    Really is worth playing the full game on a nice big HD ready tv - you will be impressed

  • Triggerhappytel #58 6 years ago

    So, from the review this sounds nearly identical to the other FN games, albeit with some very good graphics and presentation.

    An 8 seems quite generous to me.

  • Talha #59 6 years ago

    So what, even if it is a mere graphical update (which it is not). I would argue that this is one of the few games which put better graphics to better use. Even if it is not much changed from the excellent predecessor, an 8 seems not generous but a tad reserved, given the review.

  • Rambaldi #60 6 years ago

    @Talha

    "How smart and thoughtful. A recipe for a pointless, needless guilt trip when they actually come up with a good game worth buying (which is more frequent than you might think) :-)"

    I don't like the way EA do business (incremnental changes to yearly updates, attempted hostile takeove of Ubi, bought and paid for monopoly over sports licensing etc.) but I'm quite happy to admit that they can (and do) make good games.

    I feel no guilt over this.

    And yes, I am smart and thoughtful - thanks for noticing :)

    @Manic Miner

    Ooops! Yeah, Pandemic aren't developing this, but I swear it's using the engine they developed for FSW, SW Battlefield, Destroy All Humans AND Mercs. Maybe THQ have something to do with this?
    Edited by 1 at 10/03/06 @ 12:00

  • feinry #61 6 years ago

    the framerate is awful on the demo. 10fps... how about the final game? they've improved it drastically?

  • Talha #62 6 years ago

    @Rambaldi : Hey man, of course I also hate EA (and for that matter MS and Sony etc) for their abominable business practices. The only thing is that initially you came accross as just hating the company even if they put out some good games. My apologies for any misunderstanding....

  • Rambaldi #63 6 years ago

    @Tahla

    None taken amigo :)

    @Feinry

    10fps? Were you on acid?

  • Senor_Sanchez #64 6 years ago

    ....or ketamine?

  • kangarootoo #65 6 years ago

    @feinry

    "the framerate is awful on the demo. 10fps"

    I really didn't see that problem. But then I was running it on a normal widescreen telly rather than at HD resolutions. Maybe that is a factor.

    What res are other people playing the demo and full game at?

  • Furbs #66 6 years ago

    I've tried:
    Normal 28" tv with the Advanced AV cable @ both 50 and 60hz
    HDTV @ 720p and 1080i via component
    A CRT monitor @ 1024x768 via VGA

    All run perfectly. I think he's doing what we in the forum industry call "talking bollocks".

  • krudster #67 6 years ago

    I think you can probably guess!

  • Furbs #68 6 years ago

    Havent you got a GRAW review to finish Krudster? :p

  • The-Bodybuilder #69 6 years ago

    >"The demo was shit, but then, boxing is shit."

    Sounds like someone got a beating at school.

  • smelly #70 6 years ago

    So from what i understand from the review.. This is Fight night 2, only with better graphics?

    So remind me again why i should be trading in my xbox for the newer model?

  • morriss #71 6 years ago

    heh. PLay the game people, I haven't had this much fun in literally months. I've fought a couple of forumites and it's been superb, real sweaty-palm gaming.

    Fantastic fun. I still agree with 8/10 though, but an excellent 8.

  • Talha #72 6 years ago

    @Smelly: You'll want to trade in your XBox with the new one for the same reason that you feel compelled to trade in your GameCube for the Revolution. Yeah, same (Mario) games with better graphics and a different controller.

    Why the HELL do people have such divergent standards when it comes to MS/Sony and Nintendo? It seems Ninty can get away with anything, while a boxing game update with graphics so realistic that they did away with the HUD, somehow doesn't sound worth it. Somehow I think something like Fight Night R3 will NEVER be seen on ANY Ninty platform. I guess some will only be convinced when they will be able to manipulate Mario's wee-wee with that trick controller.

    This is not an anti-Ninty rant by the way - my point is that they should be judged like any other publisher.

  • L0cky #73 6 years ago

    'To me this game is a punch in the face of (1) needless anti-EA sentiment,'

    Not really as this was being developed by NuFX before EA bought them.

  • morriss #74 6 years ago

    I love it. Most fun I've had gaming for over a year now. Love it.

  • kangarootoo #75 6 years ago

    Cheers Furbs.

    Man, I am skating dangerously close to a 32" HDTV purchase. But the if I go to HDTV, why not get in with both feet and go to 42". Its a slippery slope this TV business.

    In the words of the witch woman in Dune, directed at HDTVs in general,

    "Get out of my miiiind!!!"

  • kangarootoo #76 6 years ago

    "Not really as this was being developed by NuFX before EA bought them"

    Well that makes the point even more valid doesn't it? As the people dismissing this because it an EA game will have even LESS reason to do so.

  • optimusprym8 #77 6 years ago

    am really enjoying playing this, it's brutal

  • Talha #78 6 years ago

    @L0cky : Your comment just tells me there is NO fixing some people. At least they have the sense to form good partnerships and do something constructive with them (Criterion, Valve, Crytek etc).

  • SimonM7 #79 6 years ago

    Hmm. You CAN use your own custom boxer in multiplayer online.