EA SPORTS UFC 4

EA Sports UFC 4 is EA’s strongest MMA game yet, even if it isn’t quite all it could be. The career mode is top-shelf, but it’s still a bit disappointing to not see PRIDE replicated in an EA UFC game when they had their own expy for its follow-up in DREAM in EA MMA. Still, EA Sports UFC 4 manages to deliver the best-playing MMA action in company history and maybe we’ll see some new content down the road to fill in some of the gaps in mode selection and the roster. As it stands, this is a must-play game for MMA fans and finally provides a satisfying, easy to learn submission system that makes the entirety of MMA action enjoyable for players of all skill levels.

While the newest trip into the Octagon shows some noticable improvement at its core in terms of fight mechanics, there are a few surprising steps back as well.

UFC 4 is an evolution over UFC 3. A much better and more cohesive online, a better system for advancing your created fighters, a career mode that has a bit more depth, and gameplay that opens up the series to more people, makes UFC 4 the game that UFC 3 should have been.

EA returns to get the best fighting simulator in terms of MMA, a demanding and realistic title in the fights that we will have to learn to give our best shot and elevate our fighter to the UFC podium. The novelties of this fourth installment seem enough and will satisfy fans of the genre, although we expected something more in the graphics section, the truth is that UFC 4 is a worthy continuation of the saga.

EA Sports UFC 4 is the best MMA game to date. With an improved career mode, robust online options and significant updates to the core combat, fans of the franchise will be in awe at what steps into the octagon.

Between deep combat and a robust career mode, this is the best UFC game yet.

UFC 4 takes fighting simulation to a new level. Great campaign and fabulous control where fighters from all over the world can take advantage of the different layers available to be UFC champions.

With upgraded grappling and submission mechanics, better training and fewer flash knockouts, UFC 4 manages to deliver on the promise of its predecessor. Cosmetic microtransactions come across greedy, but there’s nothing lacking in the main product. Framerate hitches and a few bugs remain at launch, as does persistent voice repetition, but overall if you enjoyed UFC 3, there’s a lot to like about UFC 4.

Even after achieving "G.O.A.T." status, I have a hard time peeling away from UFC 4. After hours and hours of play, I still feel like there's a lot more to learn about the fighting systems and all the moves that can branch out from each ground position. It's addicting to tinker around with it or map out a new career for another created fighter, messing around with building (or burning) bridges with either fighters to see how his or her path maps out. Whether you want a little action distraction or want to get lost in what the MMA world has to offer, UFC 4 has it. Just remember to apologize to your training partners in advance.

EA Sports UFC 4 shows that the quality of a sports game is far more important than the amount of quantity in it. UFC 4 improves and adds areas that needed work. It brings in new systems and tighter control designs to make the experience for more entertaining than previous years. This is the best of the best in the UFC series right now, and there is still good room to grow it.

UFC 4 is 1.5 steps forward…1 step back from UFC 3. The series’ over-emphasis on realism but also widest playability remains an awkward marriage. Still, it’s also one of the deepest sports titles available, and a great homage to the MMA genre.

In spite of sporadic issues with the controls and the monetization model, UFC 4 is a great fighter, even if one bases it solely on the expansive career mode. As I currently celebrate my first championship title and defending it, I wholeheartedly recommend this one, not only to fans of the sport, but to anyone looking for their next fighting game fix.

The realism, a deep fighting system and a decent career mode make UFC 4 one of the best entries ever in this franchise.

EA Sports UFC 4 is a testament to the power an experience can have when it is wholly aware of its own identity. The gameplay is solid, online modes are good, and the career mode is more of the comfortable same that it was in UFC 3, albeit with a great tutorial mode to kick things off. UFC 4 is what a sport sim should be: simple enough on its surface to be fun right off the bat, but deep enough to reward those who practice long enough to become skilled. Oh, and it is very UFC, in case you were wondering. That's always fun.

UFC 4 is an enjoyable trip into the world of mixed-martial arts which makes some ample improvements to the formula when compared to previous entries. While it can still feel underbaked and bland in certain areas, such as the career mode, it has been refined with a stellar onboarding experience that makes it super accessible to newcomers.

Thanks to some rather insightful evolutions from its predecessor, a deep fighting system that rewards dedication, and some super fun alternative modes for the more casual player, EA Sports UFC 4 is undoubtedly the greatest mixed martial arts video game we've seen to date. But being the greatest doesn't mean perfect as there's still room for improvement thanks to a wonky submission system and dated visuals.

An excellent fighting game and a formidable exponent of the real sport, with a little innovation compared to the previous game.

However, aside from some general random glitchiness - such as the choppy stuttering that sometimes occurs when camera angles switch - UFC 4 drew me in and really hasn’t let me go. I love the type of experience that the game’s career mode has to offer, and with so many detailed gameplay mechanics, I feel like I’m learning something new every time I jump into the game. For those who love MMA and understand all of its intricacies, you’ll likely come into UFC 4 ahead of the curve. However, UFC 4 also has plenty to offer to newer fans who are just starting to cut their teeth on the sport. Simply put, UFC 4 is the best MMA game out there right now, and is a must-own for lovers of The Octagon.

While UFC 4 may not shake up the formula for the franchise, it is still an incredibly fun and worthwhile game. UFC fans will be able to squeeze dozens of hours out of the career mode as well as getting to fight against friends online with their favorite fighters. The small tweaks to the mechanics were very welcome changes that help propel UFC 4 further than any other game in the series, though it remains something that's pretty inaccessible for those who aren't already interested in the sport.

UFC 4 has a much better submission system, as well as more fluid clinch mechanics. The Career Mode has got some nice improvements, but it still feels like a similar experience to its predecessor.

EA Sports UFC 4 is a solid and very multifaceted sports combat simulator, with a great strategic depth, improved controls and many different contents.

EA Sports UFC 4 is not a massive departure from its predecessor, but it’s a significantly better game. EA Vancouver has successfully recognised the way fans want to play, and with its array of arcade-inspired options and emphasis on Career mode, it will appeal to casual fans of the sport as well as MMA obsessives alike. While the ground game still needs work, it’s much more approachable now, and we really like the fast-paced Blitz Battles as an accompaniment to the more traditional online ranked matches. The presentation has stagnated somewhat, but combat still feels appropriately crunchy, and with rotating challenges to hold your attention, we can see ourselves sticking with this brawler for some time.

EA Sports UFC 4 is the best entry on the sport to date. Smart tweaks to the grappling system make it feel more fluid and natural, and a revamped series of modes will keep you coming back for more.

UFC 4 is quite enjoyable, and a great sports sim, but its very complex gameplay could be a problem for some, even if it's better than before. If you're a fan of MMA, don't look further.

Once mastered, the combat experience is enjoyable, and the license increases in rhythm with the new gameplay, whether it's takedowns or clinches.

If you're a veteran of the series, UFC 4 makes some adjustments you've been asking for and has some new features to dive into. If you're a beginner you've got a long climb ahead of you, but it's worth the grind. The game doesn't break new ground, but it seems to have refined what was already there.

Despite some hiccups, though, EA Sports UFC 4 is a mostly satisfying UFC gaming experience. Those who aren't willing to put in the work to really master the combat system will likely not be as impressed with it, but those that put in the time will find it to be one of the best MMA games available on modern day platforms, with a great, incredibly deep roster and a variety of fun game modes.

Definitely an evolution rather than a revolution for EA, UFC 4 continues to deliver the slick, brutal and intelligent combat that we're used to but we're still not sure about its ground game and would like to have seen a bit more of a celebration of the sport.

UFC 4 is more accessible than previous entries in the franchise, yet its controls are still demanding. The game looks great and feels like watching an authentic match on TV.

UFC 4 is a better game than UFC 3. While some of the systems might take a little bit of getting used to, there's a more refined experience here. One that's a little bit more welcoming to many different types of players and that's been done without sacrificing the level of depth and quality to the fighting that fans have come to expect from the series.

EA Sports UFC 4 is a largely iterative sequel that tightens up some looser parts, makes a few smart tweaks here and there, and doesn’t rock the boat all that much. And in that sense, it’s a success. The new submission system is a big improvement over prior years, there are some great changes to career mode that make it much more fun to mold a fighter that suits your own playstyle, the new grapple assist system is a great tool to help complete newcomers not feel lost if they get taken down, and as a whole, the fighting system remains incredibly deep. Longstanding problems still remain in the ground game and some dated visuals, but without any competition for the title, EA Sports UFC 4 still remains the king of combat sports.

Apart from laggy menu and modest graphics, UFC 4 is a good finale to the series’ run on current generation of consoles. [Issue#248, p.48]

UFC 4 is an incredible MMA game, but it needs more content. It’s a step forward gameplay-wise, but we feel like it also needs to evolve outside the ring.

Long-time players will be disappointed at Joe Rogan’s absence from the commentary booth this time around, even if Daniel Cormier and John Anik’s excitable tones are perfectly serviceable. And that’s a phrase which perfectly sums up UFC 4 in general. It won’t surprise MMA fans, but it should delight. [Issue#180, p.72]

EA UFC 4 takes a few steps forward with the changes in the fighting game but takes some back as well with the career mode which was bait and switched once again and barely has any significant upgrades.

UFC 4 is the best MMA-game to date, but that's partially because of a lack of competition from other developers. As is to be expected from a game that's part of a series, EA doesn't invent the wheel but improves gradually on its own formula. The evolution points, career mode, clinch possibilities and some other new features are nice, but is it enough to justify its price tag? We doubt it.

EA Sports UFC 4 is obviously made by people with a true love and respect for MMA, but it’s also pretty clear they didn’t have a ton of resources to work with. The action is better than ever, but the flash and depth you expect from an EA Sports title is MIA. This year’s UFC game comes out of its corner hot and provides a few exciting moments, but doesn’t quite have what it takes to go the distance.

A decent improvement over its predecessor, with a bulky career mode and enjoyable multiplayer. The controls are still hit-and-miss, though. Overall, still not enough to lift this fighting game out of the mists of mediocrity.

UFC 4 is a game that looks like no other inside the octagon, but that has problems in giving us something else that lives up to that, falling short in game modes as well as blurring a sport that to this day continues to fight for legitimacy.

The gameplay of UFC 4 is stellar and rewarding, but once the novelty begins to wear off, there’s not much more to keep players invested.

UFC 4 brings some great new ideas to created fighters, online play, and clinch gameplay, but can't live up to its full potential with the end product.

Everything is about the same as it was in UFC 3, but with some minor changes. Outdated graphics and animation may push new players away. UFC 4 is a game for fans, and they can add another point to the final score.

EA Sports UFC 4 offers intense combat despite complicated controls. Indeed: just like its predecessor. Part four plays it way too safe.

A competent and crunching MMA sequel that brings key improvements to the Octagon but stumbles when the action moves to the ground.

EA Sports UFC 4 is a fun albeit bland fighting game. For something in a biennial release cycle, we would have hoped to have seen more evolution to the formula than what we’ve gotten...There’s a lot to like with EA Sports UFC 4 as it’s still an entertaining fighter, but it just doesn’t go beyond what we’ve come to expect from it.