Fight Night Champion

1. dafishboy

   Mar 4, 2011

   10

   Now i'm not a boxing fan but picked up the last night Fight Night Round 4 when I purchased a new console. I downloaded the demo of ChampionNow i'm not a boxing fan but picked up the last night Fight Night Round 4 when I purchased a new console. I downloaded the demo of Champion and it just felt different. Much more snappy and responsive. I pre-ordered and received Champion a day before release and played it for about 3 hours. I am totally blown away with this release. Everything feels just right. Much quicker response wise and the graphics do feel much more polished. The deformation of the characters are brilliant and with the blood effects included for good measure things are clear cut :). I've not played it online just yet but the concept of Gyms are a welcome edition. I am around 2 hours through the Champion story mode which is a great edition. Maybe not being an avid fight fan helps me enjoy this game more than others who have left a review on meta.… Expand

   • 3 of 5 users found this helpful
2. Miarah

   Jan 18, 2014

   10

   I really love this game. I have never wrote a review on a game before. But I had to write my review on this game. The reason why I love it soI really love this game. I have never wrote a review on a game before. But I had to write my review on this game. The reason why I love it so much, is because the story mode. I hope my review helps to make EA sports continue to make boxing games have a story mode to it. The only thing I didn't like about it was that it was to short. Hopefully next time the story mode will be longer.this is the best boxing game ever.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
4. Negatron

   May 16, 2011

   9

   Being an avid fan of boxing and video games,i say EA has done a good job of giving the player a sense of being in the ring. Whether you likeBeing an avid fan of boxing and video games,i say EA has done a good job of giving the player a sense of being in the ring. Whether you like total punch control, using the right analog stick, or just buttons in order to fight, the options to adjust controls are there. Once in the ring, the game appears latent until you realize the lag is apparently intentional. Button presses seem to be delayed in order to fine tune your attack/strategy. e.g. Unintentionally tap the jab button 4 times rapidly, and your character will continue to throw extra punches you may feel you didn't call for, when really 4 were input intentionally or out of panic. The punches in Champion feel solid when landing, and also demand respect depending on player used, power, stamina and/or countering with power modified* punch. Some will nitpick over minute details like static blood (pointless), and repetitive mechanics, but compare that to the performance and feel in the ring. Knockout animations are not great but are better than the last few iterations and the fights can be fought they way the player intends to. Unsure of your opponents skill or power and would rather score points and be evasive? Pick the right boxer and give it a go. Not all boxing matches are exciting to watch and frustrating an opponent into fighting sloppy is all apart of the game.… Expand

   • 1 of 1 users found this helpful
5. Gunn_Matt

   Mar 7, 2011

   8

   Generally, I have always been a huge fan of EA licensed sports games. My biggest criticism of them is that there never seems to be enough newGenerally, I have always been a huge fan of EA licensed sports games. My biggest criticism of them is that there never seems to be enough new or original content to justify a new game every year. For example, EA's NHL '11 had no noticeable gameplay improvements over the previous year's NHL title, and Tiger Woods PGA '11 had only minor gameplay refinements over the previous release.
   
   Fight Night: Champion (released March 1 for the XB360 and the PS3) is the newest title in EA's successful boxing franchise known for its realistic boxing physics, tight gameplay and true to life graphics. So, I'm sure you're wondering, "Is Champion just another rehash of Fight Night: Rounds 3 and 4, or is there something more to this year's title?"
   
   There have been several improvements made to Fight Night. Yeah, amazing isn't it? Probably the biggest update is the gameplay itself. Do not adjust your set; Champion plays a lot faster than Round 4 did. The overall pacing of the game and the punch delivery feels much faster and more realistic. I have never boxed a round in my life, but I watch it on TV occasionally, and these guys seem to move pretty quick. These refinements are made possible by the enhanced controls - gone are the days of attempting complicated semi-circles with the right analogue stick to perform punches in the heat of battle. Just flick the right stick in a specific direction to perform all the punches you need. All the same throws you know and love are still here, it's just way easier and more natural to pull them off. No weird semi-circle nonsense.
   
   Champion mode is the all new single player campaign that follows a young boxer by the name of Andre Bishop. You start out in prison, get beat down by some skinheads, then flashback to your early days competing in the Olympics. During the campaign you and Andre go through a lot together, and you witness his evolution from lightweight rookie to heavyweight powerhouse. Champion mode is meant to be an extended tutorial that teaches you everything you need to excel and stay competitive online and off. Fighting in different environments and eras was very interesting.
   
   The graphics are as sharp as ever with no noticeable frame rate issues during gameplay. The material of the boxing shorts and the sweat look photo-realistic. The punishment you inflict on your competitor's face looks great also - split your opponents lip, and the effect is seen on your body and trunks. Fight Night: Champion boasts another EA title first: an M for Mature rating. Sorry kids.
   
   The only downside to the graphics are the cut-scenes. They look good enough, but there are lots of glitches and frame rate problems. I found that the in-game graphics looked better than the cinematics.
   
   Champion features the largest roster of any of the Fight Night titles with 50 boxers over 7 weight divisions. Favorites such as; Muhammad Ali, George Foreman (young and old), Joe Frazier, Sugar Ray Leonard, Evander Holifield and Iron Mike Tyson are represented in all their glory.
   
   Legacy mode returns from Round 4 and is by far the least appealing part of Fight Night: Champion. You create a boxer and build him through training to be a professional swing doctor. If only it were that cool - in contrast to Champion mode, it feels slow and sluggish. In my opinion, Champion mode should be the main single player campaign, not Legacy. The plus side of Legacy is the new economy system that allows you to train in better facilities and fund your career with sponsorships earned.
   
   The multiplayer aspect of Champion is great if you prefer battling real people over the clever AI. Online you will start off severely underpowered and have to build yourself from the ground up. The ability to create your own gym and have other players join is a nice touch.
   
   If you're looking for the ultimate boxing experience than look no further than Fight Night: Champion. If you're a fan of the previous games in the series, than you will be pleased with the amount of new content and improved gameplay. All I would like to see next time is an expanded Champion mode that replaces Legacy.
   
   8/10… Expand

   • 0 of 1 users found this helpful
6. BeautifulMinds

   Oct 6, 2013

   7

   Fight Night Champion is a decent game. It simply doesn't deserve anything less than 6/10 or anything more than 8/10. I'll explain why. UnlikeFight Night Champion is a decent game. It simply doesn't deserve anything less than 6/10 or anything more than 8/10. I'll explain why. Unlike many of the previous reviewers of this game, I have actually played it sufficiently to fully understand it's depths and what it has to offer (I have probably sunk some 600+ hours into this game). Don't let the nostalgia fool you. This is easily the greatest boxing game ever created. Unfortunately, there hasn't really been much competition in the past, has there?
   
   Let's start off by evaluating just how well this game does boxing justice. Fairly well. It does do a very good job of simulating the sweet science. Controls are fluid and responsive for the most part and punches are crisp. You will find no problem coming up with varied combinations and fight plans. One thing I will mention; if your console is aging, you could run into performance problems with this game. I have noticed delayed movement frame rate problems which constantly plague the game on my 3 year old console. I never experienced this a year or two ago.
   
   Let's talk about offline play. This game has a lot to offer in this department (and it's probably where you will find the most fun). The story mode only lasts a good 2-3 hours, however while incredibly cliche, it is fairly well paced and fun. The only tripes I have with the story mode is the incredibly annoying fights in which you are handicapped (only one arm or no body shots ect) and the final boss fight with Isaac Frost. Compared to the rest of the game, the Isaac Frost fight is needlessly difficult. I happen to be ranked 28th on the world leader boards for this game (1400 wins, 110 losses) and I still find this fight aggravatingly difficult. Regardless, it shouldn't take you more than 10 attempts to complete it. The next offline mode is legacy mode. Basically you create your own fighter and train him up while taking fights until you become champion. It's fairly boring as you'll be spending the majority of your time engaged in annoying sluggish training mini-games. The final offline mode is straight now quick match mode. I spend most of my time here fighting the CPU with various match ups. You can either use legitimate fighters or create your own.
   
   Now I have mixed feelings about the online portion of fight night. On one hand, it's incredibly addictive, but that's probably only because I am so good at it. Other than that, the game is just extremely exploitable and it shows when fighting real opponents. The first online mode called head to head allows you and your opponent to fight each other with the licensed boxers found in the original game (and the fictional story mode boxers). The problem with this is that mostly everyone will flock to the most powerful fighters for the weight class they are fighting it. Prepare to fight Tyson, Frost, Robinson, Duran and Whitaker over and over again. The second online mode called OWC (online world championship) allows you to create your own boxers and slowly improve them over time via the experience points gained from winning matches (or paying EA This mode is simply a disgrace. Why you ask? It's easily exploitable. You won't find a single person that isn't spamming the sidestep uppercut or the backstep straight or running the whole fight. Not only that, people always create boxers with the maximum allowed reach+height in order to gain an advantage over the opponent. Just steer clear of OWC. It's exploit central.
   
   This game could have been so much more, but the developers were too lazy to listen to their community. We asked time and time again for these exploits to be fixed, but no one ever listened. While the most skilled person will still usually win the fight; bums can easily fight on an even playing field just by learning a few game breaking exploits (like the backstep straight, sidestep uppercut while constantly running the whole fight).
   
   So essentially, I guess this games real problem is a combination of lazy developers and a childish exploitive community. It is possible to have perfectly functional fun boxing matches in this game, just make sure you pick your opponents wisely.
   
   graphics: 9.5/10
   offline gameplay: 9/10
   online gameplay: 6/10 (exploitable)
   sound: 7/10
   story: 6/10
   lasting appeal: 8/10… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
7. TroyF3

   Jul 29, 2013

   6

   Firstly, I enjoyed this game, particularly the customisation available and the ability to create a character that can face off against yourFirstly, I enjoyed this game, particularly the customisation available and the ability to create a character that can face off against your friends or strangers and develop. However, this game has several flaws, that take it away from being a solid game. Firstly, the Champion mode is far too short. It took me a few hours of gameplay to complete. For a game's main storyline, this is far too short. Secondly, EA made several mistakes with this game, the most frustrating for me was the boxer that you encounter in Champion mode that drains your energy when he clinches with you. He is incredibly difficult to defeat because at any point during the game he can clinch you, completely drain your stamina and then hit you with a single hook that will nearly completely knock you down due to the fact that when you have low stamina on this game, you turn into Gretchen Grundler from Recess. My final issue with this game is the online play. On the face of it, it appears to be good, and indeed in my first match I won with a knockout and I was feeling good about it, as it appeared to put fighters on a level playing field. However from then on, I constantly played fighters who were at least 10 skill levels above me (due to lack of online players) and got beaten 7 times in a row, with my blocks appearing to be useless. I thought that I had just come up against some better players until I did some research online and found that this is a common problem, it is essentially a pay to win online mode. However, this game is best played by creating interesting characters and taking them through legacy modes (which can become boring) and playing against friends. If you see this game for under £10 I would recommend it, I wouldn't be too keen on paying much more though.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
8. Samgb

   Apr 3, 2011

   0

   Sorry, forgot to score it along with my rant. Its terrible. Gets 2 marks for the visuals and -8 for a rubbish interpretation of boxing. EASorry, forgot to score it along with my rant. Its terrible. Gets 2 marks for the visuals and -8 for a rubbish interpretation of boxing. EA hang your head.… Expand

   • 1 of 5 users found this helpful

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