Fight Night Round 4 - PS3 Review

REVIEW: FIGHT NIGHT ROUND 4 (PS3)

In the early days of PS3, Fight Night 3 was the game that got me through those barren months when the releases were either uninspiring or just conspicuous by their absence. But for the latest version, Fight Night Round 4, there's plenty more competition around, most notably in the new UFC game. So does Fight Night Round 4 go the distance or is it a spent force?

I'm glad to report that Fight Night Round 4 excells in pretty much every department. As with Round 3, there are options for fights between any of the boxers on the impressive roster (but please can we have Nigel Benn, Steve Collins and Chris Eubank? Go on EA, you can do it.), a legacy mode where you work your way up the ranks, and a choice of online ranked, unranked, and championship games. The legacy mode is similar to the round 3 version, only seemed to be much more difficult, with a greater variety of boxing styles to go up against.

Online mode is where I have been spending most of my time, taking on fighters from all over the world. This is without doubt the most satisfying part of the game, as you come up against gamers whose own playing style doesn't always match that of the boxers they have chosen. For example, I tried to go out banging as Joe Calzaghe and was quickly KO'd by someone playing as Jake LaMotta who was much more suited to getting up close and personal.

But online mode is also where Fight Night's one major flaw is exposed - button mashers can enjoy some real success. It seems that there are many gamers out there who are quite happy to throw the same punch repeatedly to achieve a win, and sometimes it just isn't possible to block or dodge the shot. Thankfully, most of my fights have been against gamers who want to box and use some form of tactics. Play against friends though, and you can forget about this problem. (Unless you have button mashing friends, in which case, you really ought to widen your social circle).

How does FNR4 compare to UFC? I can't say for sure because I only played the demo of UFC. I wasn't too impressed with UFC as I was able to win with single shot KOs on several occassions, despite having my arse handed to me on a plate for much of the fight. With FNR4, you have to earn your KOs, and for the most part, really have to think about how you are going to approach your opponent.



PROS:

Great graphics.
Solid fight mechanics.
Gameplay allows you to be a tactical fighter or an out and out brawler.
Challenging Legacy mode
Create your own boxers
Custom boxers available to download


CONS:

Online games can be won by button mashers. Where's the fun in throwing the same punch over and over?
Photo implementation for custom boxers could be improved
Commentary can get repetitive
Playing for extended periods left me with sore hands!


OVERALL:

An improvement on Fight Night Round 3 and the best take on boxing yet. I'm only mildly interested in boxing as a sport, but I've been hooked on this game. Punching your friends in the balls when you're about to be knocked out never gets old! Well worth the money.