EA SPORTS UFC 5

While there are many good things to say about UFC 5, it still has some bugs with its physics to work out. There are times when parts of character models will bend and contort in unnatural ways, which is hard to miss during slow-motion finisher replays. Still, the game has improved many of its animations from previous installments and delivered a level of realism with its visuals and presentation that has set a new bar. EA's UFC 5 is a wonderful showcase of what current hardware is capable of and a brutally good time, especially with hard-hitting multiplayer matches with friends.

EA Sports UFC 5 is the Ultimate MMA experience of this console generation. With great attention to detail, over 300 fighters, and plenty of game modes, there is something here to enjoy for all MMA & fighting game enthusiasts.

UFC 5 is the best release in the franchise. The new submission system is a massive improvement on previous iterations and the cinematic knockouts never get old. Tweaks in the combat create a nuanced system that opens up a range of options to attack. Although I did encounter the odd camera issue and the game could use a mission-based tutorial, each aspect in the octagon has been thoughtfully designed to replicate the sport.

EA Sports UFC 5 is a great MMA-game and a solid successor of the series. Thanks to the Frostbite-Engine, fights became more intense and gruesome than ever before. However, all the blood serves a purpose and underlines the overall gameplay. "EA Sports UFC 5" does lack in career and overall options though.

Moving to Frostbite makes UFC 5 look better than ever in the ring. The new ground game system is a welcome addition, but some odd bugs and occasional presentation problems make UFC 5 a win, but by split decision.

UFC 5 is a decisive leap forward compared to the past as well as a game that takes the discipline it tries to simulate into very high regard. The approach is profound and requires both commitment and concentration even in the least simulative mode. On the other hand, it can be very rewarding once you have mastered the mechanics. The transition to Frostbyte was positive not so much in the graphic leap, which was still evident, but in the animations and the links that connect them.

EA Sports UFC 5 is an excellent improvement over the previous game, maintaining much of the already solid foundation of the previous game and bringing welcome visual improvements, combat adjustments and game modes capable of making the experience even more fun.

EA Sports UFC 5 is a substantial improvement to the greatest MMA simulation out there, and while it doesn't include many new features, everything that needed to be tightened and perfected in the previous four games is now finally where it should be.

Three years later, the franchise improves its visuals a lot, showing an astonishing models above the octagon. However, this improves are not shown outside the fights, with a lack of content that it's almost a habit in the genre.

UFC 5 makes the recreation of the sport more engaging and exciting than at any other time by providing not only the best visuals in the franchise's history but also an overall experience worthy, at last, of the current generation of consoles.

Generally speaking, UFC 5 shows various improvements both in terms of graphics and gameplay. Technically speaking the game is excellent, with an incredible level of attention to detail that makes the title truly pleasant to look at. The blood, the sweat, the blow effects and the animations are truly impactful. The gameplay is smooth and the combat system quite solid, albeit with its difficulties. We also appreciated the tons of contents, the new online career and the more classic one, which, however, is a bit monotonous in the long run. In short, a title that is very funny to play, very impressive graphically and very complex in the combat system.

Everything that happens inside the octagon in EA SPORTS UFC 5 is the best adaptation of the UFC that has been seen in a video game form to date. The game is violently beautiful, playing quick and tight with adding new ways to improve the gameplay of the series. There are a ton of UFC fighters to choose from so players can set the stage in the biggest arenas in the sport to mirror what’s being shown on television. The amount of detail that has been implemented into UFC 5 uplifts the realism to unseen levels in the series. The fight atmosphere does everything right as playing with friends and creating cards and tournaments will keep things going for hours. Outside of a straightforward Career Mode and an 0nline mode that has occasional hiccups with connectivity, however, there isn’t much to do for a single-player experience. One can train and spar and focus on playing online or taking their created player online with a few different match options, but that’s about it. The focus is the fighting, as it should be, and this is where UFC 5 brings home the gold. If there is one UFC game to get, this would be it.

EA Sports UFC 5 fulfills its premise and sets a new standard for the franchise through a huge leap in overall immersion and the debut of the game-changing Real Impact System. But the lack of attention given to other areas may underwhelm those who were hoping for something more.

EA Sports UFC 5 will not fail to excite fans of MMA and combat sports in general, thanks to the new features introduced for the gameplay and the improved graphics.

EA Sports UFC 5 is a great fighting game that recreates this successful competition like never before, both its staging and its most beastly side thanks to a spectacular damage system and great modeling of the fighters. Although it is a continuist game in some aspects (game modes, etc.), the online career is one of its great successes.

Even with its shortcomings, EA Sports UFC 5 delivers an exciting MMA experience regardless of the mode in which you compete. Fighting your favorite UFC stars never gets old, and the adrenaline rush that comes with knocking your opponent out in a fierce back-and-forth battle makes it hard to resist the allure of stepping back into the Octagon for one more fight.

UFC 5 is a very good fighting game with a lot of depth to it, and will provide plenty of entertainment for UFC fans. The career mode feels quite basic though and a bit more depth to it would have been welcome. There are also bugs that need addressing and the flailing of limbs when fighters get tangled makes things look a bit comical. Still, this is worth stepping into the Octagon.

UFC 5 is a step in the right direction in comparison with the previous installment. Graphics can present some disappointment, but developers further polished the solid foundations of the series, getting one step closer to achieving a diamond-like quality. A must-play for MMA fans.

UFC 5 is an excellent simulator of one of the bloodiest and most choreographic combat sports around. The team has managed to package a solid product, full of modes and which will satisfy the most hardcore MMA fans. In short, we are talking about a good entry for newcomers to the world of UFC, but it is a little less fresh for those who have played the previous chapters. If UFC 5 marks your first approach to the world of mixed martial arts, add half a point to the rating.

There’s no doubting that EA Sports UFC 5 is the best representation of the sport yet, with stellar visuals and realistic animations now powered by the Frostbite Engine. There are some brilliant new features here, too, the most impactful being the gruesome injury system. For some though, the changes from UFC 4 might not quite be enough to convince them that it’s worthy of a purchase. That is of course unless they’re won over by the idea of an actual online career mode. EA Sports UFC 5 isn’t a reinvention of the series for the current-generation of consoles, but it at least has some advancements that make it somewhat compelling.

EA Sports UFC 5 takes some very welcoming steps forward, especially in the visuals and the impact of its gameplay, though it still requires improvements in its ground game. All in all, it's a game that fans of the sport will definitely enjoy.

This new entry, gameplay-wise, is a fantastic MMA game, but the lack of content and modes hold it back.