EA Sports UFC 3

It’s about as complete an experience as it can be, and MMA fans will love what EA has done with UFC 3.

By building on its already strong foundation and adding meaningful new gameplay and modes, UFC 3 delivers a terrific MMA experience from top to bottom. Whether you want to play against a friend in a single bout or develop a fighter from local favorite to greatest all time, UFC 3 allows you to live out the fantasy of stepping into the Octagon like never before.

The best thing I can say about UFC 3, having not played much of the previous games and not being a fan of the sport, is that it has me constantly thinking about it – whether that’s how I need to improve my bob and weave game by using the right stick more often or planning out a Mayweather-like undefeated run on a new Career Mode save. UFC 3 is an EA Sports title that is made to attract more than just a niche, hardcore fan base of MMA enthusiasts and it’s all the better for it.

EA UFC 3 is EA's best UFC game yet, and while there a lot of improvements, there are still some things like the ground game and the career mode that still could use some fine tuning.

EA Sports UFC 3 has greatly improved the UFC striking system and the gameplay is more fluid making matches even more enjoyable.

The best MMA fighting game on the market.

More technical than both previous games, EA Sports UFC 3 also has a less linear "Career Mode". Still gorgeous, still violent, it's currently the best MMA game of this generation.

EA Sports UFC 3 provides a staggering amount of improvements in nearly every area. EA Canada could have played it safe and iterated, but instead they overhauled major systems, addressing almost every complaint I had about its predecessors. Better striking mechanics, movement, and animations are joined by a fantastic career mode, and a whole host of additional attractions. I’ve still got a few axes to grind on submissions and AI balance, but the rest of the game is an embarrassment of riches.

EA Sports UFC 3 is the best the series has ever looked, sounded or played and, despite a small handful of minor shortcomings, is quite simply the best UFC title to date and a very real contender for the fighting game throne in 2018.

EA Sports UFC 3 is the best MMA simulator we have seen. It is not perfect, but its elaborate combat system transmits all the tension of UFC and its technical section makes it look like we were watching fights on TV.

UFC 3 one of the greatest fighting games we ever played. But if we look at it as a series and it is. It's not a huge update on UFC 2.

The MMA scene has gotten a lot more refined over the years, with strikes combined with footwork and bodywork becoming more important than ever. EA UFC SPORTS 3 seems to go along with that shift, as the strike-based gameplay has gained a lot of depth while the ground game takes a backseat compared with previous MMA games.

Revamped career mode is extremely enjoyable this time and the game as a whole is a step forward for the franchise. UFC 3 looks amazing, as you can clearly see the effects of trading blows – injuries, blood staining the shorts, sweat trickling down the skin. What needs to be dealt with in the next installment is the ground game, which trails way behind entertaining, dynamic stand-up fighting. [04/2018, p.70]

Brilliantly realised for hardened MMA fans. [Issue#198, p.75]

Once again, being a fighting game fan really helped me get into this game a lot more than what I originally thought. It is a competent fighting game where I feel the standing game is still a better experience then the ground and submission game. The kickboxing is still really great and the combo system is intricate and entertaining. On top of all that Joe Rogan yelling at the top of his lungs when I made a bone crushing hit land is always fun, and with the career mode being simplified and still robust, players of both fighting games and sports games will have a pretty decent time here.

UFC 3 is a good game with fixed features. The new grappling system is really fun and the game now is focused at the simulation. See you Arcade System.

UFC3 offers tons of game modes and options, a robust roster list and a control scheme hard to master but plenty of possibilities. A tough contender for any other fighting sim.

EA UFC 3 offers a surprisingly deep experience with complex mechanics and many features for both single and multiplayer.

UFC 3 is a rare sports sequel that probably does enough to justify its existence.

EA Sports UFC 3 is the greatest MMA fighting game of this generation, an awesome simulator that brings action in a way we've never seen before.

EA UFC 3 is a good representation of the sport franchise, offering a well put together fighting game that represents the different styles and weight classes found in MMA. The action in the octagon mimics reality very well, with a decent career mode helping people to learn the ropes. On the online front, there’s a divide between Ultimate Team and standard online divisions with the latter winning out in both accessibility and fairness. If you’re a UFC fan in general, then this is a good game to pick up.

As it stands, EA Sports UFC 3 is a tense, exciting, and dynamic recreation of the stand and bang aspect of mixed martial arts. There's a fluidity to the way it moves, and a satisfying feel and unpredictability to the way fights can unfold that demands your engagement. The grappling still needs plenty of work, and one would hope this is something EA Canada addresses in the next iteration; yet these shortcomings become easier to overlook because of the accomplishment of its redefined striking. When it comes to the art of combat, few sports titles do it better.

EA Sports has delivered the most complete UFC game ever. This fighting simulator features an amazingly realistic combat gameplay and one of its few flaws is that the Career Mode is a little bit repetitive. Essential for those who love fighting games or enjoy the sport.

UFC 3 is a great game for MMA fans. This entry polishes the formula and includes a campaign mode, but newcomers are likely to face a steep learning curve.

EA Sports UFC 3 is a solid title that comes highly recommended for both die-hard UFC fans and those wanting to get into the series. Even with some fighters occupying several different weight classes, the roster count is huge, and it complements the improved striking system. The modes contain some depth and some twists that work well, while the presentation remains as good as it was before. The knocks against the submission system make it a little tougher for grapplers to deal some damage, and while the loot box system doesn't hurt the game as badly as the publisher's other titles, the additions to the economy seem extraneous. Overall, the combination of good and bad changes makes UFC3 a sideways upgrade rather than an essential one, especially if you're still deeply entrenched in the second title.

EA Canada knows where their bread is buttered when it comes to this series, and it’s with the stand up portion of play. As long as that segment is done really well, more than half the battle is won. UFC 3 tightens up the strides made between the first two, holding the biggest positive in tact. The ground work might not have been given the overhaul I would have preferred, but the stark difference in tempo of the past is largely absent. Stamina and stats proctor over how the horizontal dance goes, exactly how it should be. Pristine sights and sounds with a deluge of deep modes contribute to a worthwhile AAA release. And I think EA would do well to use this Ignite Engine powered template in creation of other combat sport games.

Subtle but important adjustments to combat and a deeper career mode are without doubt the steps in the right direction for UFC 3. The result positive; this might be the best entry in the series.

UFC 3 feels the most like a video game in the pool of big sports simulations. Being a one-on-one combat sim, it still feels like you’re at the mercy of your own ability even though there are stats. A punch is a punch, and while some chins are more durable than others, patience and care can help you overcome the odds. It feels like a different kind of fighting game for folks interested in real-life martial arts, with a cumbersome grappling system and some branded bumbling with numbers and menus to appeal to the core audience. UFC 3 is fun and exciting, and I can see it acting as a potential entry point for its real-life counterpart.

Ea Sports UFC 3 is a pretty good mixed martial arts sim, deep and spectacular enough. The gameplay feels a little bit unbalanced, the Career has some unconvincing moments, and the multiplayer forces the Ultimate Team mode on the player. The game is intense and satisfying, but there's still room for improvement.

Learning the game's controls can be a real challenge, but EA Sports UFC 3 is practically the best MMA simulator you can buy today.

EA Sports UFC 3 is without a doubt the best chapter in the series.

Tactical martial arts simulation with an authentic atmosphere and great presentation, which has some minor problems regarding balancing and fighting on the ground.

After turbulent end of the last year, EA managed to release a good game in UFC 3 without many scandals. The game itself is better than its predecessor, but it still lacks a way to connect with players new to this sport. New GOAT mode is a great innovation and adds a new twist to the known career mode. Fighting, even though it’s very good, still has problems, which are already annoying the players.

EA Sports UFC 3 is definitely fun to play and does an amazing job at recreating several aspects of competing in MMA's biggest organization. But despite the knockouts it delivers in some places, it's unforgiving submission system, uneven AI, and a few silly UI and gameplay choices means it's still susceptible to a few knocks itself.

Even with simplified grappling and submission controls carried over from the last edition, EA Sports UFC 3 is probably the least pick-up-and-play game in the sports genre. It takes real dedication, and understanding of one’s fighter, to draw out the game’s virtues. But they can be found in the anticlimax of a career bout that ends in a fraction of the time spent training for it. For those who can take a staggering punch and remain focused on their game plan, EA Sports UFC 3 is as close as it comes to professional fighting, without the bruises and welts.

UFC is an almost schizophrenic game: I've never had so much fun with a fighter, thanks to the stand up-game. However, at the same time, the ground-game is so poorly done, that this game isn't the fantastic celebration of the sport it could have been.

Besides dealing with computer-controlled submission attempts, I largely feel that EA Sports UFC 3 is the best playing mixed martial arts game to date. That’s why it was so disappointing to find out that so few of the modes managed to capture my interest.

UFC 3’s career mode is where you will spend the majority of your time first, however after beating this you have a choice you can either spend all of your money on ultimate team or you can play online or single-player. The ultimate team mode is so microtransactions heavy that it left a bad taste in my mouth.

UFC 3’s career mode is where you will spend the majority of your time first, however after beating this you have a choice you can either spend all of your money on ultimate team or you can play online or single-player. The ultimate team mode is so microtransactions heavy that it left a bad taste in my mouth.

When two outrageously detailed character models are slugging it out, EA Sports UFC 3 feels sublime. Incredible animations paired with a weighty physics system mean that you feel the thrills and spills of every bout. Unfortunately, the clunky ground game combat fails to hit the same highs, and the campaign – which is a novelty to begin with – loses its lustre after a few rounds. There’s still a lot to like here and more than enough content to sink your fists into, but it still feels like there’s a bit more refinement required before this series achieves G.O.A.T. status.

The groundwork in EA Sports UFC 3 is limited to only the minigames and that is a problem. The game does offer realistic and strategic kickboxing, thanks to the fighting system and the strat

UFC 3 is very nice fighting game, but that doesn't mean it is a good wrestling game. The ground game leaves to be desired and really takes down the quality of the game. Overall the look and feel of UFC 3 entirely is still pretty decent.

Quotation forthcoming.

EA Sports UFC 3's ability to stand and bang is unparalleled but its weak ground game is definitely a concern this time around.

Fortunately, this is one of the more stable games in the franchise with only a couple of technical bugs and awkward, robotic animations to be found. In the end, while EA Sports UFC 3 is an incremental upgrade to what came before it, it’s still a more polished and balanced experience.

A game of two halves: one gripping, strategic and beautifully balanced, the other dull and grinding. Unfortunately, you have to be able to to deal with both.

UFC 3 very well may be EA's best release in the series, but it's only by a small margin that they've improved on their previous effort.

McGregor’s presence on the cover is symbolic: just as real UFC becomes less about the sport and more about the money and the show, the virtual UFC eschews gameplay in favor of lootbox profits. [Issue#227, p.42]

Captures all the pomp and ceremony of a prize-fight, but leaves you a little distant from the action. [March 2018, p.78]

The ground-play remains kinda naff. [March 2018, p.84]

EA Sports UFC 3 is a solid follow-up in terms of content, but it still suffers gameplay and AI issues.

If you were expecting a phenomenal third game in this series, you'll be disappointed by the amount of wasted potential displayed on screen. The worst offenders? A weird control scheme, boring career mode and lots of small technical issues. The game's still fun to play, but it could've been so much more.

It definitely looks the part, and the striking is excellent, but stodgy controls and a weak ground game makes this far from the ultimate MMA game.

By and large EA Sports UFC 3 is the best offering from the series yet. The standing combat is well nuanced, and most of the choices made for career mode felt like steps in the right direction. Ultimate Team feels a bit out of place and unnecessary, and the overall lack of roster inclusions and modes makes this a slightly more shallow offering, but the key is the combat... which words far better when a fighter is on their feet and not down on the mat. I was engaged for several days, spending plenty of time playing the game, but the reasons that most people continue to play an EA Sports title until the next iteration comes along just isn't as strong in EA Sports UFC 3.