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Posted on: Jun 25, 2009
Fight Night Round 4
WORDS BY: Ryan McCaffrey
Fortunately, fair doesn’t translate to boring. Everything that made sickening impacts in Fight Night Round 3 is still here, and you’ll still flinch when a punch lands square on someone’s nose. There’s something grimly satisfying about the thunderous blows that produce stuns and knockouts, and even hardened pacifists will find it difficult to resist the visceral action. The biggest impact now comes from counter punches, as the counter system has been re-emphasized due to the physics. A perfect block — also physics-fueled — will also give you a similar window of opportunity to retaliate. Counter-punching is now by far the quickest way to stun or even knock out an opponent, and fights will often stretch out to a decision if you don’t get in a few choice counters.
Add all of this up, and our unbeatable Round 3 tactic of simply planting with LT and leaning out of the way of punches with the left stick doesn’t work anymore. Blocking, weaving, and fighting to your boxer’s strengths are the keys to victory. So the adjustment for Round 3 veterans can be harsh (frustratingly so, even), and the added cerebral tactics and realism might be enough to turn off the casual gamers that Round 3 wooed — or at least spur them to lower the difficulty.
Outside of the ring, there’s an extensive career mode that sees you either building a boxer from scratch or rebuilding the career of one of the 40 boxers on offer. More tedious stuff like training can be all but ignored, and there’s a great feeling of progression as you work your way from brawling with no-name fighters to pummelling the stars of the sport (like newcomer Mike Tyson). You’ll even get called out by other boxers and challenged to matches, and with the new variety in styles, heights, and reaches, there’s a genuine feeling that every match of your lengthy career is different.
If you’re feeling really confident after conquering the career, online play lets you fight for three World Championship belts, which can be contested for bragging rights using a created boxer. Our only worry is that with such complex mathematics going on in the fights, any bit of lag is likely to be positively ruinous (we encountered none, though). The ability to save and upload your own replays is brilliant, however.
Despite the uphill difficulty curve, repetitive commentary, and long loading times, Round 4 is a force that topples its mind-blowing predecessor in every category. You will get punched in the face, and you will love it.
PREVOn Xbox 360
- Visually stunning and smooth.
- Ludicrously impressive physics; no clipping ever!
- Learning curve can be painful, even for veterans.
- Can’t EA Trax be personified in the game so we can beat its ass once and for all?
Thu, 08/06/2009 - 18:58
Posted by MortyMatney
I say we need to form a posse and meet outside of EA Sports with pickit signs that say "Give us Buttons, or Kill us now".
Thu, 07/02/2009 - 20:57
Posted by demonic
this game is very fun to play but can get reall frustrating with only analog controls i keep either hitting the pause button on some of my hooks or the center x-box button when the screen pops up the fight is still going on and can't see the screen, just wondering if anyone has had this problem? oh yeah getting up can be a b***h if you have played the game. if you are wondering if you want this game BE READY FOR ONLY ANALOG CONTROLS NO BUTTON BASHING.
Tue, 06/30/2009 - 19:04
Posted by Maukrish
I'm not sure how this game managed to score a 9/10 having purchased this game on the grounds that I really enjoyed FNR3. I found that the control system was frustrating to say the least it's not that the analogue control system is hard to learn but it's un-responsive and has a tendency to get your fighter to throw random punches. From what I understand EA removed the face button controls to even up the online play side of the game but I'm not sure why they didn't leave it for single player mode. Also this game seems to have a number of problems causing the xbox 360 to lock up, which I understand EA are going to try and patch. While the graphics do look fantastic I would have enjoyed it more if the face button controls were left intact and the game worked 100%. I really am getting tired of game developers attitude of release it now patch it later.
Sat, 06/27/2009 - 14:28
Posted by WARPATH360
Please, Please tell me that the punching in Round 4 isn't just anolog only. I, along with other Fight Night fans, will look at it as a huge let down if it is. I know that the analog has always been a part of the Fight Night formula, but it has never been its main focus. Analog only, in my opinion, will make a lot of people shy away from the game and its new found formula. It would be nice if EA can release a patch, shortly after its release, for button support. Then again, that would just be EA milking even more money out of the franchise for DLC. That sucks!
WARPATH360/SPC Barthol, Andrew
U.S. Army
Fri, 06/26/2009 - 13:10
Posted by cart00nstrip
Dan's math makes me grin. Oh, and I just got the latest issue - awesome cover!
~
gt: cart00nstrip
Fri, 06/26/2009 - 11:02
Posted by Dan OXM
Here's how the math works out:
10 - 3yrs + better game = 9.0
Fri, 06/26/2009 - 09:42
Posted by Paul OXM
Yes, what hornerboy said -- exactly that.
Thu, 06/25/2009 - 17:17
Posted by hornerboy73
you cant see it here but in the magazine there is a footnote stating that a 10 in 2006 is not equal to a 10 in 2009
Thu, 06/25/2009 - 15:08
Posted by cart00nstrip
Please disregard my misuse of the word "surely".
~
gt: cart00nstrip
Thu, 06/25/2009 - 15:06
Posted by cart00nstrip
So here's the OBVIOUS question: if 4 is better than 3 in every conceivable way, then why did it only get a score of 9? Granted, your score of 10 for the last one drummed up a lot of controversy, but surely, if 4 is a better game, why did it receive a lower score?
~
gt: cart00nstrip