Hype. That's the only concern to be had with EA's upcoming boxing powerhouse, Fight Night Round 3. With the exception of boxers' cream-colored sweat, which at times looks like the fighters are bleeding 2-percent milk, Round 3 is already the best-looking game on the Xbox 360. In terms of audio, the blistering punch effects and the roar of a bloodthirsty crowd put you in the ring. EA couldn't program a fist to reach through the screen and punch me in the face to make this game feel more realistic, more jaw-droppingly addictive and engrossing.
So you see the dilemma. Write whatever you want on arguably the most desirable title on the upcoming release list -- those words will generate almost Killzone levels of hype. There. Disclaimer over. Let's wipe our brows and move on to our early favorite for 360 sports game of the year, 2006.
Back in tepid November, EA invited IGN to its vaunted sports bar in Redwood Shores, Calif. to give media its first hands-on Round 3. And by sports bar, we mean sports bar. There were chips, guacamole, beers -- we might have been in a luxury box at the MGM. After a stirring Michael Buffer-like announcement by the development team at EA Chicago in which it detailed the various features for the 360, PS2, Xbox, and PSP versions of the game, we got our hands on Round 3. The line, for your information, was longest at the 360.
Back is total punch control, in which you use the analog sticks to jab, hook and throw haymakers. Back is the reflex-based block and parry system in which a successful parry stuns your opponent for a moment, opening a window for counter-punch. Back is the giddy feeling derived from mashing your opponent's nose to pulp.
As for new features, EA Chicago tweaked the minor complaints that came with Round 2. Back then, fighters could unleash a devastating barrage of haymakers to pummel opponents, and the power punching was simply unrealistic. If a fighter really tries that style in the ring, a quick boxer like Sugar Ray Leonard is going to dodge and pop him real good in the kisser. This year, "regular" punches like jabs and hooks are the keys to winning a belt, and, when your opponent is tiring, you unleash an "EA Super Punch" (That's the real name of the punch, no kidding.) that sends the opponents face into a cascade of painful ripples before it's lights out.
Oh, the EA Super Punch! Now, this super blow does not take the place of the haymaker, which is still a critical punch in the game against stunned or inexperienced fighters. Instead, by winding up even farther with the right analog stick, taking it all the way back, you let loose a very slow and avoidable animation that, if landed, will either knock your opponent out, take off a butt-load of energy, or open up the "I just got rocked" mini-game.
In the unofficially titled "I just got rocked" mini-game, the camera switches to a first-person view in the eyes of the stunned boxer. At this moment, all you can do is put your gloves in front of your face and try to deflect oncoming punches. Usually, you just get rocked again, and consequently knocked out.
Of course, these super punches are high-risk, high-reward. If you miss, you open yourself to at least a solid haymaker, if not a full-fledged visit to the "I just got rocked" mini-game yourself.
Also new is the addition of different fighting styles. Instead of mere cosmetic differences between fighters, you can choose from a variety of power styles and speed styles that best suit your game. The punch animations are, of course, different as well, so you'll have to adapt to new styles, like when Rocky went right-handed against Creed. Oh, you can switch stances too.
Exclusive to the 360 is HUD-less gameplay. Gone are the red and blue energy meters. Instead, as in life, you can tell if a boxer is about to go down by the look on his face. The facial animations are so realistic, your own mood actually reflects that of the fighter you are controlling. Have you just been cut or nailed with a super-punch? Watch how the determined expression fades from your boxer's face and is replaced by a look of doubt, of worry. In Round 3, quite literally, you can see the fear in your opponent's eyes.
Ok, so EA kept the solid gameplay and honed down the unbalanced haymakers from Round 2, and added some nice innovative features to update boxing gameplay. So what did EA Chicago do to improve a mediocre career mode? In Round 2, there was really no motivation to continue fighting once you've won a belt with your created fighter. In Round 3, included is a new rivalry mode that not only adds a missing story element but also instills unfettered hatred for a rival. Remember Leonard and Hagler, Ali and Frazier? Those guys absolutely despised one another. Now, you can hate too.
In the very-early versions we played of Round 3, the rivalry mode was not yet implemented, but we got the details from EA. At press conferences and weigh-ins, you now have the chance to talk some trash to your opponent. You can get right up in your rival's grill. Does he have bad breath? Then smack him in the face and start a USER-CONTROLLED brawl. What's more, all of this is caught on ESPN Classic footage as EA adds even more presence of the Worldwide Leader. If you lose, ask for rematch. Rivalries are not, after all, rivalries unless there are at least three fights.
Any current concerns with Round 3? As mentioned, the sweat is a little milky, but doesn't seriously detract from the stunning visuals in the game. Really, milky sweat simply elicits obscene comments from dirty-minded videogame journalists. The crowd AI, while a bit spotty last year, is improved, especially in the larger venues like Madison Square Garden. In the smaller venues though, it would be nice to see a bit more feeling from the crowd -- maybe a woman convulses as a fighter's blood splashes on her face or something.
Speaking of blood, you can look forward to plenty more bloody noses and split lips in Round 3. It's actually strange how trainers don't wipe blood from fighters' faces. Rumor has it that wiping up the blood would force Round 3 to take a Mature ESRB rating, oddly enough. So no towels, and the bloody faces remain the cornerstone of HUD-less gameplay.
Each version of Round 3 will be playable online, too.
While EA has released spotty versions of its usually outstanding sports games on the 360, Round 3 is shaping up to be the first true, next-generation sports game on the console. All this proves that given the proper development time, developers can push the power of the 360 to its limits. Next generation gameplay? Check. Next generation graphics? Check. In fact, the visuals are some of the best ever seen in gaming, period. We'll keep you posted as more media and information about Round 3 trickles in. So brace yourself for the hype. The bell rings Spring, 2006.
Klik om te vergroten...
