Since last 7 years, EA Sports’ Fight Night series has clearly appeared as a standard in boxing. Now with the return of a revised and expanded story mode and some interesting contributions with Fight Night Champion, I think the title is able to capture public attention once again. Dynamic and beautifully made, it will now include a very successful Champion episode. After a component as good as Fight Night: Round 4, we wondered what that Electronic Arts could do to generate renewed enthusiasm for amateur boxing. Well believe it or not, the famous editor has managed not only to offer important innovations but also enhanced quality.
Now it cannot be said just a simple boxing game but it seems to be a real interactive movie on the gaming console. Everything has been optimized, from boxers to the comments through the public, in order submerge the player in the center of a baffling experience of realism. The thud of fists crashed against a face distorted by the impact, the spray of sweat flying around the ring, the screams of a crowd electrified by the combat … Every detail was looked after with a zeal that can only compel admiration, not only passionate about boxing, but simply a expert of video games. The story mode puts us in the role of a boxer named as Andre Bishop, and is a guy you’re going to take to the top of the pugilistic world. With this input, the company appears to have required offering more than just simulation to offer a type of additional experience that meets the needs of the public in this game. And that is a hero to accompany Champion mode.
Therefore, they seeks to give us a scripted along with a charismatic and tormented gameplay to fulfill with the main features of an anti-hero cinema, the kind that are so fond. Bishop started in prison, fighting without gloves … but is not a prisoner either. Briefly, the story is the peak, fall and rebirth of Bishop. During its development, fragments of the past know the character, who and how, and how twelve strings became their way of life. In addition, sometimes the story integrates with the gameplay, so that modifications are very interesting, especially if we are fans of boxing epic, or at least the epic boxing movies.
Apart from graphics and a soundtrack making the most of the capabilities of the console, Fight Night Champion has many more aspects to attract the fans of this series once again. First is the optimized gameplay that is criticisms leveled at the in this installment. Thus, the assignment of different keys strokes of the pad is now a successful return. This involves circumstances like breaking a hand and having to fight without being able to use it, or face more practical goals, like beating the enemy in a limited time to get enough media attention. The interesting thing is that everything is well integrated, and is not a simple linear progression but there’s more. This is because narrative scenes and gameplay have combined very well, with a consistency that would want for them and claiming title based on history.
While the saga has taken some steps that have not convinced their followers always, Fight Night Champion provides a traditional gaming system that let us with the right amount of buttons to handle all offensive and defensive boxing options. This allows us to react quickly, looking for weakness in the opponent’s defense, or punish the torso quickly and hence it is important. But it all depends on the command, we must also consider the wide statistics of each character. For case in point, agility and reflexes when blocking, but also the time to launch a left hook or right, vary depending on the character. The same applies to the strength. You can protect yourself all the time, but the punches are still produced, so the wear will be felt.
In addition, the parades are much easier to perform and can strike while you are protecting. The gauge management stamina has undergone but a new opportunity is now available, that is knockout. In operation, Fight Night Champion is just a fun and strategy to play. It is necessary to measure the movements, adjust the distance from the opponent, hitting at the right time, etc… In spite of traveling little heavy, the action is fun and you never going to get bored. Indeed, after pressing a key three times in a row, it must necessarily wait until our boxer has struck three times in order to regain control. In some cases this can be fatal, so we have to be careful that not to bludgeon a touch silly at times of panic or unnecessary enthusiasm.
However, Fight Night Champion stays true to the tradition of simulation that has characterized the series, so that we cannot wait for a proposal arcade. The front buttons plays a much important role in order to attack you opponent and allows for precision and efficiency in the combat system. Besides, the episode also allow us to create our own custom fighter. If Champion live the story of a Legacy character, however train him to improve, keep winning the battles, and reach the top. We started as an amateur and progresses gradually, by investing our money in training, learning techniques, etc. In this sense, the gameplay is the heir to the tradition of the series, although it shows some elements of improvement and greater depth in the system with respect to the previous delivery.
As per the game modes, Fight Night Champion carries the rapid training sessions, a classical career with timing and usual game mechanics like boost stats, sponsors prestigious meetings, etc… There is also online mode, a characters publisher and the main feature is the totally new Champions. Fully scripted by a Hollywood size, it puts us in the shoes of Andre Bishop, a fictional nervous boxer’s career. Mature and often violent history that is told here looks raw but lucid on the world of amateur and professional boxing. The game also offers a multiplayer option in line with the options we can expect today, including the search for opponents to blitz without ranks, and matches that count towards the ranks of players and of games between friends.
We can choose the number of rounds, the weight of the wrestlers, etc., through some simple options. The system works well, quickly looking rivals, and is a great way to put our favorite fighter against the other, leading to bouts of dreaming. The aspect of the game is, as often happens in the saga, of high quality. It has improved textures appearance that offer more realistic fighters, related to previous title that was perhaps too artificial skin. We can always fall back online, which for once we reserve an entire evening of chestnuts and other exchanges of hugs. The animations are smooth, flowing, easily linking the movements of the fighters, resulting very credible and well conceived visual feedback to control. Boxers models are also very detailed and are clearly recognizable. As for music, we all know that Electronic Arts is always distinguished by a careful selection of music, but what stands out is the strength and rawness of the sound effects, impressive ambient sound, especially if we have a good sound equipment.
As it was not enough, there is also one feature where various gyms can challenge each other, putting all members in a competition for about next 48 hours. So Fight Night Champion is going to crack all boxing fans without a doubt who respect themselves. I can say that Fight Night Champion is the new standard for HD boxing games.
Conslusions:
It is clear that the pause in the series for so many years has served to renew ideas, increase momentum, and set a new way forward that makes us expect great things from Fight Night Champion. We thought we had achieved excellence with Fight Night Round 4 but EA proved once again that in video games they can always do extremely well. When the series began to show signs of exhaustion and most importantly the modifications made on some fronts did not convince some of the traditional fans, EA has managed to give a new spin. Champion Mode is a breath of fresh air that is capable to integrate many elements into a superb gaming experience, but this has a negative impact on other aspects of the title. Fight Night Champion also offers the luxury to provide a very immersive story mode and online features along with Realistic, dynamic, and well balanced features. What is clear is that it has reason to convince the followers and all who are interested in boxing, not because there are no rivals in the market, but because what is gained on merit.
