User Score
6.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 164 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 72 out of 164
  2. Negative: 44 out of 164
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  1. Jun 17, 2014
    10
    The best MMA game to date!

    With its limited development time, EA Canada put its emphasis where it matters the most: the gameplay! The controls may be daunting to newcomers, but it's a good exchange for the level of depth waiting to be explored and mastered. The sense one gets of total control over the fighters is immensely satisfying and convincing. You can dash in and out of
    The best MMA game to date!

    With its limited development time, EA Canada put its emphasis where it matters the most: the gameplay!

    The controls may be daunting to newcomers, but it's a good exchange for the level of depth waiting to be explored and mastered.

    The sense one gets of total control over the fighters is immensely satisfying and convincing. You can dash in and out of harm's way as Machida, sway to land counters as Anderson, or break some bones as Nogueira.

    A career mode tops out exhibition fights to keep loners interested, but the true beauty of the game shines when facing other human competitors, and luckily the online offerings available are robust and executed with a craftsman's attention to detail. Matchmaking is fast, latency is generally great, and a belt system is sure to stoke the competitive flame of warriors across the globe.

    EAC has managed to produce an MMA game that is fundamentally solid and sure to serve as a fantastic groundwork for their next entries.
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  2. Jun 21, 2014
    10
    It takes skill, and it's not without its faults but MMA is a complex sport by nature. EA canada announced patches and new fighters coming, and I honestly think a lot of these reviews sound like the people are judging EA as a company, not he game.

    The game has a lot of depth and I've been enjoying it thoroughly. If you're an actual mma fan it's a just own in my opinion, hours of fun.
  3. Jun 19, 2014
    10
    This game is a great start to the franchise don't listen to all the EA haters give it a chance and make the descision your self. The game looks amazing and is a lot of fun.
  4. Jun 17, 2014
    9
    Game is so much fun, especially playing against friends locally or online. The only thing I wish EA had focused more on is fighter individuality. Some of these fighters would NEVER attempt a spinning wheel kick, a tornado kick, or most any unorthodox zany kick. It would have been nice to see strikes that fit each fighter instead of looking odd or out of place. Otherwise the game is excellent.
  5. Sep 2, 2014
    9
    REVIEW UPDATED. 9/10 EA has added two free DLC's that corrected 90% of the things people were complaining about. This game is now the best UFC game or MMA game ever made people. They added 6 new fighters, ability to catch kicks, you can now sprawl, they fixed the ground game so it's harder to keep someone down the whole fight, all leg kicks will be countered if your leg is damaged,REVIEW UPDATED. 9/10 EA has added two free DLC's that corrected 90% of the things people were complaining about. This game is now the best UFC game or MMA game ever made people. They added 6 new fighters, ability to catch kicks, you can now sprawl, they fixed the ground game so it's harder to keep someone down the whole fight, all leg kicks will be countered if your leg is damaged, and they adjusted stamina drain for blocking strikes. Only thing is missing is KO slams and Leg breaks. lol I feel sorry for the people who traded theirs in because it's a new game now. I would have never expected EA of all companies to actually care about us gamers but they proved me wrong. Expand
  6. Jul 23, 2014
    9
    EA finally patched the game and now it plays like it should have since launch. I had to bump the score to 9. Before the patch, this game was too arcady and was full of flaws. This has been resolved and it finally feels like an MMA sim. No more super slams for every fighters, touch glove, no more exploit of the full guard reversal, no more exploit on the mount strikes, and the staminaEA finally patched the game and now it plays like it should have since launch. I had to bump the score to 9. Before the patch, this game was too arcady and was full of flaws. This has been resolved and it finally feels like an MMA sim. No more super slams for every fighters, touch glove, no more exploit of the full guard reversal, no more exploit on the mount strikes, and the stamina drains like it should during the fight so that by the 3rd round you could really feel the exhaustion on the fighters, they move slower, strikes dont have the same power than those from the 1st minute of the 1st round. All this force the players to play it smart. Got to give EA props for listening to the fans. 9/10 is what it is worth. Expand
  7. Jun 19, 2014
    9
    Just picked it up yesterday, so this is a first impression. Gotta say I love the gameplay compared to previous iterations. The submission "mini game" is actually quite satisftying when landed. I really enjoy the gameplay overall and find it to be very fluid. The roster is close to 100, and they already mentioned they will be updating stats and adding new fighters..for free!! Anywho I wouldJust picked it up yesterday, so this is a first impression. Gotta say I love the gameplay compared to previous iterations. The submission "mini game" is actually quite satisftying when landed. I really enjoy the gameplay overall and find it to be very fluid. The roster is close to 100, and they already mentioned they will be updating stats and adding new fighters..for free!! Anywho I would recommend this game for anyone looking for a great online fighting game experince/couch fighter you can have with your friends. Haven't played the career mode yet, but I bought it for the online competition. Expand
  8. Jun 22, 2014
    9
    Als Erstes möchte ich etwas zu den Kämpfern schreiben, ich kenne mich leider nicht mit der UFC aus, ich kenne also auch keinen einzigen der Kämpfer und habe mal nebenbei gegoogelt und war doch schon verblĂ¼fft das man es geschafft hat die Kämpfer so originalgetreu nachzubilden, auf den ersten Blick sehen die Kämpfer im Ring schon sehr original und vor allem echt aus. Die Grafik ist hierAls Erstes möchte ich etwas zu den Kämpfern schreiben, ich kenne mich leider nicht mit der UFC aus, ich kenne also auch keinen einzigen der Kämpfer und habe mal nebenbei gegoogelt und war doch schon verblĂ¼fft das man es geschafft hat die Kämpfer so originalgetreu nachzubilden, auf den ersten Blick sehen die Kämpfer im Ring schon sehr original und vor allem echt aus. Die Grafik ist hier also der groĂŸe Pluspunkt. Nicht aber nur die Grafik, sondern vielmehr auch die Bewegungen, die meistens flĂ¼ssig sind und eben auch ziemlich echt wirken. Es sind dann auch so Kleinigkeiten, die das Spielerlebnis wirklich vertiefen und es wie echt erscheinen lassen. Beispielsweise im Kampf der Hautton, der sich bei Anstrengung entsprechend verändert, das Anschwellen der Adern und Muskeln und natĂ¼rlich der SchweiĂŸ. Das alles hat mir extrem gut gefallen, aber das hatte ich auch genau so erwartet, denn das Spiel ist von den Fight Night Machern, einer Reihe die ich einfach nur liebe und gesuchtet habe ohne Ende. UFC setzt optisch und vom Realismusgrad nochmal eine Schippe drauf.

    Kommen wir aber zu einer kleinen Kritik. Zugegeben, das Spiel ist genial und macht mir extrem viel SpaĂŸ, allerdings hatte ich mich ebenso wie auf die Animationen auf den Karrieremodus gefreut, der mich enttäuscht hat, wenn ich ehrlich bin. Der Anfang, die ersten Stunden bis zum Champions-Titel waren noch recht gut gemacht. Immer wieder gibt es kleine Videos der UFC-Stars und minimale Story, zumindest ganz am Anfang. Dann irgendwann wiederholen sich die Videos und der Karrieremodus wirkt irgendwie in die Länge gezogen und damit dann letztendlich nach dem 30. Kampf ohne das was Neues passiert auch langweilig. Die Gegner wiederholen sich zum Ende auch, die letzten 15 Kämpfe waren gegen drei dieselben Gegner, immer und immer wieder, so das ich die Schwächen schnell raus hatte und die Gegner teilweise nach 8 Sekunden ins Nirwana geschickt habe. Eine wirkliche Story fehlt hier gänzlich, das ist alles insgesamt eher schwach, obwohl es mit dieser TV-Show, in der man als neuer Kämpfer aufgetreten ist, zu Anfang noch sehr spannend war. Naja, das ist Kritik auf hohem Niveau, die Kämpfe machen natĂ¼rlich trotzdem sehr viel SpaĂŸ.

    Fight Night kennt. Wer hier einfach nur stumpf kloppt, bekommt schnell die Quittung dafĂ¼r. Es gibt einige Gegner die gehen gleich auf Bodenangriffe beispielsweise, und wenn man da die Steuerung nicht kennt, weil man sonst eben nur rumkloppt, dann hat man hier schnell verloren. Am besten sieht man das in Online-Kämpfen, da wird meistens nur wild rumgeprĂ¼gelt, wenn man einen Gegner zu Boden wirft und Submissions versucht hat man schnell gewonnen. Der Online-Modus ist auch der Erste, der mir seit langem Mal wieder SpaĂŸ gemacht hat, weil das Spiel eben nicht nur rumkloppen ist, weil man hier auch taktisch vorgehen muss und nicht der gewinnt, der am schnellsten irgendwelche Kombinationen drĂ¼ckt.

    Insgesamt hat mir das Spiel groĂŸen SpaĂŸ gemacht, es hat schwächen in der Karriere aber groĂŸe Stärken im Realismus und der Optik. Ich hab lange kein Spiel mehr Ă¼ber so viele Stunden gespielt und dabei SpaĂŸ gehabt, daher kann ich es euch ruhigen Gewissens empfehlen und wer mal Lust hat auf die Fresse zu bekommen, mein Gamertag ist Mediennerd. In diesem Sinne, viel SpaĂŸ beim daddeln.
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  9. Aug 29, 2014
    8
    With the recent updates adding extra fighters/gameplay changes, i am getting alot more enjoyment out of this, although it doesn't excuse the lack of overall single-player content, it does show that EA is capable of listening to their audience for once.
  10. Jun 17, 2014
    8
    Please dont listen to all the haters. Ea ufc is a fun game . Graphics are great . Physic are good. Online is pretty good. What more can you ask for. Dont be scared give it a try. The People who are hating probably suck at the game. Its not perfect. But very good. And this day and age how many games are pefect? Just have fun.
  11. Jul 20, 2014
    8
    Best mma game you can get. There's a reason thq went out of buisiness so stop talking about their mess of a game that was excactly the opposite of fun. EA's game is superior in every single way imaginable [ except there are only 2 game modes for single player- career and exibition] Not for those that pretend to be mma fans but actually know nothing and just mimic what they hear otherBest mma game you can get. There's a reason thq went out of buisiness so stop talking about their mess of a game that was excactly the opposite of fun. EA's game is superior in every single way imaginable [ except there are only 2 game modes for single player- career and exibition] Not for those that pretend to be mma fans but actually know nothing and just mimic what they hear other people say. ( these people are easy to spot. Theire the ones who can't seem to stop bringing up pro wrestling and the wwe, even though they claim to despise it, yet can't stop talking about it) this is more for actual mma fans who might want to have some fun. Its not a perfect game.. Its just a FUN game. Its complicated because the sport is too. There's tutorials etc so its not an issue.. Expand
  12. Jun 26, 2014
    8
    Promising debut from EA. Reminds me of a next gen Fight Night which is right up my street. I like the character resemblance and the character creation is the most in depth of any EA game. A few minor glitches and slow downs but didn't bother me overly as the fight sequences are good. Vast array of moves and the only beef I have with that is that characters don't have unique styles. I watchPromising debut from EA. Reminds me of a next gen Fight Night which is right up my street. I like the character resemblance and the character creation is the most in depth of any EA game. A few minor glitches and slow downs but didn't bother me overly as the fight sequences are good. Vast array of moves and the only beef I have with that is that characters don't have unique styles. I watch enough to know GSP doesn't fight like Anderson Silva or Nate Diaz!! Expand
  13. Jun 30, 2014
    8
    The best UFC game to date!

    For me this is the best of the serious by quite some margin, this game has so many positives and I can only really think of a few minor negatives! Graphics are amazing, literally the best fighting game ever seen on a console, the commentary is brilliant, the blood effects are that good that once your opponent is bloodied up and you take them down, when you
    The best UFC game to date!

    For me this is the best of the serious by quite some margin, this game has so many positives and I can only really think of a few minor negatives!

    Graphics are amazing, literally the best fighting game ever seen on a console, the commentary is brilliant, the blood effects are that good that once your opponent is bloodied up and you take them down, when you get up the opponents blood is all over you!

    The career is very well done, not incredible but what you want from a UFC game is simplicity and that's what this game brings, For instance levelling up is very fast and easy, too the point where after a good hour you can afford to skip the training which lets face it nobody really enjoys. The fact you get 1000+ points after every fight is a great idea to speed things up.

    Online is surprisingly good! I have to be honest I don't have much faith when it comes to EA SPORTS online, being with FIFA being a mess most years (servers down etc.) but to be fair there is hardly any latency whatsoever. They also have a season mode (like FIFA) where you get promoted / relegated and fight for belts.

    One of the negatives I would make people aware of is, sometimes the knockouts don't look that great, but saying that on other occasions and I would say most of the time they look really real and brutal.

    One thing I will add, is KEEP playing the game, its very frustrating at the beginning trying to learn all the moves / transitions etc., but play career mode FIRST and you should be more than ok.

    EA SPORTS have done a great job for there first time with UFC and I believe it will only get better.

    I give this game 8 out of 10
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  14. Sep 15, 2014
    8
    Any way you slice it, this game is the best simulation of mixed martial arts yet.

    Some of the negative aspects that have been harped on are absolutely true. Namely, that the career mode is a bit lacking and that its replay-value is less than it could have been. In addition, its learning curve is steep, and the ground game especially requires fairly complicated button skills. Having
    Any way you slice it, this game is the best simulation of mixed martial arts yet.

    Some of the negative aspects that have been harped on are absolutely true. Namely, that the career mode is a bit lacking and that its replay-value is less than it could have been. In addition, its learning curve is steep, and the ground game especially requires fairly complicated button skills.

    Having said that, the game plays beautifully in most regards, with a much improved physics engine and far more in-depth grappling and striking systems than previously seen, with features that support several approaches to the fight game.

    Striking alone is a new world with allowances for distance, blocking, bobbing and dodging. More than ever before, your style matters.

    The submission system is also greatly altered, now resembling a sort of cat-and-mouse mini-game that, while somewhat jarring, at least allows submissions to be threatening and present at all stages of a contest. Something previous incarnations have lacked.

    The roster is also impeccable, with a slew of weight classes and athletes presented, each statistically represented in a multitude of ways and, now, with traits that make them more distinguishable than ever. Anderson Silva not only looks and moves like the real fighter, but thanks to his in-game "perks" he is separated by other fighters not only by having increased stats, but by having advantages in certain aspects that other differently focused fighters simply don't have. The clinch stands out, as do his kicks. In comparison, Daniel Cormier's perks allow him to posture up on the ground and deliver hard strikes longer and more effectively than someone who has similarly high stats but lacks his perks. This goes a long way in making the fighters feel different and viable, even when choosing a competitor that might not be as statistically blessed.

    In short, this game could have used a bit more polish, a bit more variety, but it really shines where it counts: in the fights. We have become so focused on options and side amusements that we have come to ignore what really matters. As a fighting engine that accurately represents the sport and its amazing athletes this game is a massive success.

    Like the real sport, it requires some effort, some time, and some appreciation. Come into it with and open-mind and love for the spectacle upon which it is based and this game will not disappoint you.
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  15. May 25, 2018
    8
    EA finally patched the game and now it plays like it should have since launch. I had to bump the score to 9. Before the patch, this game was too arcady and was full of flaws. This has been resolved and it finally feels like an MMA sim. No more super slams for every fighters, touch glove, no more exploit of the full guard reversal, no more exploit on the mount strikes, and the staminaEA finally patched the game and now it plays like it should have since launch. I had to bump the score to 9. Before the patch, this game was too arcady and was full of flaws. This has been resolved and it finally feels like an MMA sim. No more super slams for every fighters, touch glove, no more exploit of the full guard reversal, no more exploit on the mount strikes, and the stamina drains like it should during the fight so that by the 3rd round you could really feel the exhaustion on the fighters, they move slower, strikes dont have the same power than those from the 1st minute of the 1st round. All this force the players to play it smart. Got to give EA props for listening to the fans. 9/10 is what it is worth Expand
  16. Jul 18, 2016
    8
    Best MMA game out there, stunning graphics and large roster, career mode lasts longer than any other of the UFC games, although the training is repetitive
  17. Jul 8, 2020
    8
    A good game even for a not UFC fan. Fun to play with cool graphics and gameplay.
  18. Jul 6, 2014
    7
    as a person who isn't big into UFC, I actually had quite a bit of fun with EA UFC. Start off with the fact that this game looks fantastic with such great attention to detail. The career mode is pretty fun as you progress from the Ultimate Fighter to being top dog in the UFC. The game plays pretty well and is fun, despite the controls being a little clunky in some areas. One thing they foras a person who isn't big into UFC, I actually had quite a bit of fun with EA UFC. Start off with the fact that this game looks fantastic with such great attention to detail. The career mode is pretty fun as you progress from the Ultimate Fighter to being top dog in the UFC. The game plays pretty well and is fun, despite the controls being a little clunky in some areas. One thing they for sure could've done better is the customization as it feels fairly limited compared to other EA sports games. Overall UFC is a pretty fun game and is worth a play for sure if you're interested. Expand
  19. Jun 26, 2014
    7
    The game is great. Graphics are beatiful. Career mode is great with the real life video interactions it is awesome.
    But there are a few things which made me to rate it 7/10
    fps - I dont know if it only on my xbox one, but I have ridicously low fps ammount in the menu. It was the same during the demo. gameplay - it has the same game engine az fight night round which means there are
    The game is great. Graphics are beatiful. Career mode is great with the real life video interactions it is awesome.
    But there are a few things which made me to rate it 7/10
    fps - I dont know if it only on my xbox one, but I have ridicously low fps ammount in the menu. It was the same during the demo.
    gameplay - it has the same game engine az fight night round which means there are delayed actions. I throw in a 3 punch combo, my oponent is destroyed by the first, the fight is over, but my character is still punching the air.
    I can not choose my oponent, my manager is doing it for me. This is a major disappointment because sometimes my manager picks me a fighter which is a way better ahead of me.
    The next is difficulty There are too much combos which I need to learn to be succesful in normal difficulty A fight during. Easy mode ends in a few seconds, while on hard it is impossible to win for causal gamers like me.
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  20. Jun 17, 2014
    7
    Game is intense and potentially a lot of fun depending on your expectations. I personally have been enjoying the game and how great it looks. There are a couple areas EA UFC missed on is the ground game and fatigue. The game looks great, play fairly smooth but lacks the real essence of the sport. Overall I give it a 7 out of 10.
  21. Jun 18, 2014
    7
    While it is refreshing to have a new UFC game out with awesome graphics and similar game play to the older games, I don't feel like EA hit it the way they could have. Character creation, I feel, is lazy especially for a next gen console. Only set faces and like twelve sets of hair and beards. I understand the graphics are fantastic and they had a limited production time, but next genWhile it is refreshing to have a new UFC game out with awesome graphics and similar game play to the older games, I don't feel like EA hit it the way they could have. Character creation, I feel, is lazy especially for a next gen console. Only set faces and like twelve sets of hair and beards. I understand the graphics are fantastic and they had a limited production time, but next gen consoles weren't invented to wow us with graphics so production companies can get lazy everywhere else. But the thing that bothered me most being an avid MMA fan is the move sets for both created fighters and old and new favorites. I played the career and, even though it was my fault for not defending, got suplexed four times. In a real fight a suplex is something you rarely see and that's what makes it exciting. Same with every other jumping, spinning, ridiculous, John Jones style flying cartwheel punch. He is the only fighter that looks at home in the game. And these are the only moves you can purchase to build your own move set. No still ridiculous but awesome and if timed right ducking Chuck Liddell punches, no normal head kicks, nothing cool but practical. Its all off the cage "oooo look at that" Kind of moves that takes away from the challenge of pulling something like that off only once or twice a fight because the other guy got wise. But overall I am quite happy its still fun and tactically challenging at times, especially fighting other people online or in the same room. And once you know how to play the fighting looks truer to real life UFC, I don't need to throw ten wheel kicks, just as many as I feel I can get away with. I just hope EA can iron out some of the stuff they either didn't get time to, or didn't feel were necessary, in future games. Expand
  22. Jun 22, 2014
    7
    The ground game is extremely unbalanced, anyone can pull off a sweep from their back in closed guard to full mount........I mean WTF??? This sweep should be reserved for only some of the most accomplished BJJ practitioners, but in this game even Pat Barry can do this. Everyone has that stupid WWE back suplex that I'm not even sure if ANYONE has ever pulled this off in an MMA match yetThe ground game is extremely unbalanced, anyone can pull off a sweep from their back in closed guard to full mount........I mean WTF??? This sweep should be reserved for only some of the most accomplished BJJ practitioners, but in this game even Pat Barry can do this. Everyone has that stupid WWE back suplex that I'm not even sure if ANYONE has ever pulled this off in an MMA match yet everyone can do it. Don't even get me started on the parry system. The parries are the main element that I had hoped wouldn't be carried over from the EA MMA game, lo and behold, look what happened. There's no event mode, no Pride mode, no online fight card mode, it's a very bare bones game as far as modes and features.

    I know it sounds like I hate this game but really I am enjoying it, even though it is not exactly the best representative of MMA. The standup game, other than the parries, is excellent. I love the fluidity of the strikes and sways. The submission system, while still far from perfect, is better than what we've had in the past. Overall it's a great game, especially when you have some buddies over, but I can't help but wish THQ was still making UFC games just to see what they could have done.
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  23. Sep 10, 2014
    7
    A good game for die hard UFC fans, but for someone who isnt THAT interested in UFC, this game is rather boring and repetetive. the online soon gets boring and the career feels flat and tidious. however this game has a good amount of achivements to go after and the graphics are amazing. 6.5/10
  24. Jul 9, 2014
    7
    While EA sports UFC is a step up from previous franchises, it has taken some turns in the wrong direction. Although a bit buggy at times and relatively boring after the first playthrough of the career mode, it serves it's purpose. The graphics are stunning and EA's Ignite engine really shows off it's impressive physics. Every gut punch sends the flesh of your opponent rippling across theWhile EA sports UFC is a step up from previous franchises, it has taken some turns in the wrong direction. Although a bit buggy at times and relatively boring after the first playthrough of the career mode, it serves it's purpose. The graphics are stunning and EA's Ignite engine really shows off it's impressive physics. Every gut punch sends the flesh of your opponent rippling across the area struck and makes you really feel the damage you are inflicting upon them. Knockouts have never felt as rewarding as they do in EA Sports UFC. Watching the slow motion replay of your finishing blow will really give you a good idea of how the Ignite engine delivers. The revamped submission system; is much simpler, and easy to understand (once you actually do the tutorial). In previous installments of the UFC games you felt as though you were just spinning your control stick around, hoping for a good result. With an impressive roster of nearly 100 fighters, and the schoolgirl scream inducing DLC for Bruce Lee, you will certainly be able to re-enact any fight your heart may desire. Let's not forget the career mode, which allows you to create a new fighter and customize it to your heart's content. My first created fighter was a beer bellied, mullet sporting welterweight named Humbert "Hound Dog" Humperdink, who was a Muay Thai fighter. The career mode is incredibly enjoyable. However, EA Sports UFC isn't without it's shortcomings. Instead of being able to select the training exercises you want (as you could in previous installments), 3 are randomly selected for you. These exercises give you points to boost your stats, but significantly less points than you receive from winning a fight, making them seem like a pointless obligation after you start scoring those big-ticket contracts. The lackluster soundtrack gets very repetitive while navigating the menu screens, and leaves you wanting more entrance music selections for your created fighter. Rare, yet rage inducing graphic glitches will sometimes have you fighting a battle with a ghost, or an opponent who is sliding across the floor of the octagon on his back, kicking you from 12 feet away. You receive video messages from UFC stars before and after fights, offering you a pep talk, advice or a congratulations on your previous win. This feature is pretty cool at first, but after your 100th phone call from Urijah Faber, telling you "Congrats on that win, bro!" You'll be quickly finding yourself to the exhibition mode with him as your opponent, to relieve some tension. The multiplayer is pretty much what you'd expect from a UFC title. EA still has server stability issues, so connecting to a bout can be quite the chore. When you do get into a fight that isn't plagued by latency issues, the experience can be enjoyable, although you will feel out of your league with the competition of dedicated "hardcore" players. At the end of the day EA Sports UFC does what it intends. It offers a very enjoyable and realistic fighting experience with next-gen graphics, and physics that will have UFC fans enamored for a while, but after your third career playthrough, you may find yourself trading it in for a better title with more depth, and less monotony.

    Overall: 7/10
    ------------------
    Gameplay: 8/10
    Audio: 8/10
    Visuals: 8/10
    Multiplayer: 5/10
    Replay Value: 4/10
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  25. Aug 11, 2014
    7
    Unrealistic is the only word I can think to describe it.. Does it get the job done? Yeah, there's no competition in the market. Very frustrating and buggy.
  26. Mar 24, 2020
    7
    I am a fan of this game, and it is way better than UFC 3.
    The game has a lackluster grappling system, and stand up isn't too incredible, but I loved it because striking in this game was a lot of fun. Not the most technical, but it's the fun that counts. I remember playing with my family and we were brawling! We had some laughs out of it. Career mode feels realistic, and like you are
    I am a fan of this game, and it is way better than UFC 3.
    The game has a lackluster grappling system, and stand up isn't too incredible, but I loved it because striking in this game was a lot of fun. Not the most technical, but it's the fun that counts. I remember playing with my family and we were brawling! We had some laughs out of it. Career mode feels realistic, and like you are actually training. The game makes you do drills and virtual fight camps, unlike UFC 3, where you click a single button to train.
    It was very glitchy, however. And the KO animations suck.
    Overall, a sloppy, sort of lazy game that is very fun in tons of ways. If you are a technician and are here to heavily judge it, the games not going to be your type. If you are open minded, and don't expect a perfect masterpiece and you just want some fun, this is for you. I am a bit in between, but still I like this game for what it is. Good, but not great.
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  27. Jul 4, 2014
    6
    The graphics in the game are top notch, no doubt about it. However, it seems EA spent most of their time on graphics and fighter videos while neglecting the actual fight mechanics.

    Every fighter engages with the same moves as the next guy. IE, Roy Nelson will perform the same exact suplex slam as Jon Jones for a clinch take down. The fighters don't really feel like they have their own
    The graphics in the game are top notch, no doubt about it. However, it seems EA spent most of their time on graphics and fighter videos while neglecting the actual fight mechanics.

    Every fighter engages with the same moves as the next guy. IE, Roy Nelson will perform the same exact suplex slam as Jon Jones for a clinch take down. The fighters don't really feel like they have their own style to them, which really takes away a lot of the excitement of the real UFC.

    The movement of the fighters is "OK" though you don't really feel the impact of strikes. When you land a knockout blow, there's no visceral excitement of a devastating punch. It really just feels like you half-haphazardly threw your limb into their face and they fell down with a pre-programmed animation.

    The damage on fighters really seems inconsequential as well. You can kick a guys leg for four rounds straight and the commentators will exclaim how nasty the bruising is, but come round 5, your opponent will stroll right back out with no visible limp or discernible disability.

    The ground game is extremely disappointing. Once again, every single fighter has the ability to completely reverse positions on the ground. This means that someone who is primarily a stand-up fighter with a weak ground game in real life can suddenly reverse a full mount position into top position. There doesn't seem to be any real difference between a black belt jiu jitsu practitioner and a boxer, other than how quickly their submissions can sink in. Also, you have the ability to hop right back to your feet from nearly any position on the ground with the simple click of your movement stick. All of this combines to make it so that you never really feel like you're in control on the ground, even when you've just gained the full mount on someone.

    The submission game itself leaves something to be desired, though I could overlook this portion as it's a tough nut to crack in how to portray the intricacies of jiu jitsu into a video game, and I prefer the current game over THQ's "shine" method.

    The clinch aspect feels very clunky and unresponsive. In previous titles, I found it amusing to pin a fighter against the cage and beat on them from the clinch, but this iteration of UFC has made it woefully pointless to try. If the AI engages in a clinch, I just back out of it and don't even bother with this aspect of the game.

    The stand-up is about the only thing worthwhile, and there is some fun to be had with it, but by making the clinch and ground game so terrible, UFC feels like something more akin to a slow-paced and strategic Street Fighter game than it does to an actual MMA experience.

    The game modes are also severely lacking. You have a career mode, a challenge mode, and a fight now mode.

    Career mode consists of fighting, training, and applying points to your stats and/or buying new moves for your fighter. The training portion is rather pointless and tedious, as with most every training mode in fighting games, but it's not as painful as other games (*ahem* Fight Night). There are 3 areas to train in between each fight and you can generally complete them all within three minutes. The amount of EXP gained from them is about a 10th of what you get from fighting, so if you have difficulties with any of them, it's easy to move past it and not worry about the small amount of EXP you're missing out on.

    When I first learned EA was taking over the UFC game, I had figured it would be a mediocre outing that left a whole lot to be desired, and EA didn't disappoint.

    There is some fun to be had with the game, but I could never recommend anyone paying $60 for this. For $20, I'd recommend it to anyone who was a fan of the UFC, or anyone with friends to play with on the couch.

    Until the price drops though, I would recommend just renting the game or buying it used from Gamestop for their 7 day return policy. After a few days of game play, you'll most likely be over the novelty of a next-gen UFC title.

    With any luck, EA will sort it out and come up with something better down the road, but I find it hard to put any trust in EA.
    Expand
  28. Jun 20, 2014
    6
    EDIT: (Mistakenly made the review for PS4. I own the One version. Same applies )Most disappointing factor had to be the load times. Felt sluggish during loads; during career mode when you exit from the attribute menu the game would load for at least 11 seconds at times. Graphics are obviously gorgeous and the fighting is complex. This is not a button masher; doing so brings consequences.EDIT: (Mistakenly made the review for PS4. I own the One version. Same applies )Most disappointing factor had to be the load times. Felt sluggish during loads; during career mode when you exit from the attribute menu the game would load for at least 11 seconds at times. Graphics are obviously gorgeous and the fighting is complex. This is not a button masher; doing so brings consequences. Tactics and strategy are required and reward those for mastering the game's difficult controls. Probably too complicated for some, but thats the territory with UFC games. All-in-all I am pleased, but much more can be done to improve. As some have mentioned, commentating is lackluster; and the crowd could have been given a little more life. Other areas feel incomplete and more personalization and attention could have been given to fighters. After playing NBA 2K14 and experiencing the actual players engage in conversations set the bar for sims like this, and would have loved to hear their actual voices in certain parts. Lastly the cutscenes were a bummer. The revert to real world videos then to CG was like being snatched from the gaming environment then thrown back in. EA could have taken the time to make those Expand
  29. Jun 30, 2014
    6
    the game itself is fun, the fights are intense and graphics are great. My created fighter shocked my fiance when she found out they werent a real person. However, when the loading times are longer than a lot of the matches, it begins to get annoying. The training is good between fights, but it gets repetitive. I have enjoyed playing the game through about 20 matches in career mode, butthe game itself is fun, the fights are intense and graphics are great. My created fighter shocked my fiance when she found out they werent a real person. However, when the loading times are longer than a lot of the matches, it begins to get annoying. The training is good between fights, but it gets repetitive. I have enjoyed playing the game through about 20 matches in career mode, but find myself not even considering this game when I have spare time despite spending $60 on it less than two weeks ago. Great for UFC fans, but short of an epic game update, its not much more than something to waste ten minutes here or there. Expand
  30. Sep 2, 2014
    6
    EA Sports UFC will not please everyone, but as a none UFC guy myself I'm surprised the fun I had with it. Sure it had niggles with a confusing ground mechanic and a pretty basic career mode, which does let it down badly, but away from that it is a pretty steady fighter.
Metascore
70

Mixed or average reviews - based on 23 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 23
  2. Negative: 0 out of 23
  1. CD-Action
    Aug 25, 2014
    70
    In terms of gameplay mechanics UFC is a complex game that will keep fans satisfied for months. It’s a shame that the dev team lacked someone who would use a flying knee to launch the animators and guys responsible for physics into the next-gen era. [08/2014, p.58]
  2. Aug 20, 2014
    80
    A good new beginning for the UFC series in its new EA Sports home. It surely could benefit some improvements in the career mode, but it results however in a solid game that every lover of this genre could be willing to try.
  3. X-ONE Magazine UK
    Aug 18, 2014
    70
    A valiant first effort, EA Sports UFC could be the start of something great. For now, it is merely a good try, but one that is still a lot of fun. [Issue#114, p.68]