Review: UFC Undisputed 2010

Blood, sweat and tears. That pretty much sums up my time playing THQ’s UFC Undisputed 2010; plenty of blood and sweat onscreen, and tears of frustration as I once again failed to grapple with the controls and resist yet another painful-looking submission. The calluses on my thumb are testament to the immense difficulty of the game, even though I opted for the cowardly “beginner” setting.

So, here we have yet another sports sim cash cow, eh? Another barely tweaked annual update designed to wrestle the cash from fans’ sweaty mitts? Well, no actually. The 2010 sequel to arguably the best mixed martial arts game ever is a marked improvement and just as enthralling as the real life spectacle it imitates. It looks, feels and plays sooo much better than its predecessor… so much so that replaying the 2009 edition afterwards was a huge disappointment.

Boot up the disc and you can opt to create your very own fighter or pick from a huge roster of well-known stars in five weight classes. All your favourites are here from George St-Pierre and BJ Penn to Kimbo Slice and Quinton Rampage – there are over 100 photorealistic fighters to choose from, each with their individual signature moves, styles and swagger. You can either dive straight into the action and start slugging it out in an exhibition match or work your way through the tournaments, title fights, online and classic match game modes. A 12-year career option is thrown in for good measure too.


What’s more, the presentation is fantastic. I played this after watching a few bouts on the TV and was impressed at the similarity. The excitable Joe Rogan is among the commentary team, while the dulcet tones of announcer Bruce Buffer introduce each fight. The scantily-clad ring girls prance about the place holding placards before each round and Herb Dean and Yves Lavigne are a few of the familiar referees who also make an appearance.

The game is certainly more than just an update and there are plenty of improvements on last year’s version. Grappling and clinching is improved, there are more moves and submissions, there’s a new sway movement to improve your defence, you can now use the cage to your advantage and you can customize your fighter more than ever before.



However, the controls still stink; it’s not just the onslaught of punches and kicks that give you a headache in this game, the controls are anything but simple. A laborious tutorial takes you through some of the basic moves and the manual offers a few tips, but it will probably take until the 2011 release before you can fully comprehend all the moves and, most importantly, how to free yourself from one of the many submission holds! Although it’s a fun game, it is hugely frustrating.

If you’re a fan of the sport and want to get as close as you can to experiencing life inside the octagon without actually getting punched in the head, then this is certainly for you. If you’re new to the MMA scene but fancy a decent fighting sim, then this is also well worth the outlay. Add the fact that its pretty much available everywhere at a hefty discount, then you shouldn't hesitate in snapping up a copy! Tough but rewarding, this is far from a game you can just pick up and play. Put in some hard work and learn the multitude of moves, however, and it's hours of fun.