On Tuesday, Feb. 14, renowned game publisher THQ released UFC Undisputed 3 on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. This edition of the series features former UFC competitor Pride and an even deeper career mode than last year’s version. Undisputed 3 gives players an opportunity to learn more moves and make more choices than ever before.
Here are my three initial impressions of the game:
Patience is needed
My biggest complaint about UFC Undisputed 3 is the loading times. When I first loaded the game onto the console, it went through an initial set-up phase. I had to wait about 10 minutes before I could finally navigate past the main menu and into the tutorial. The tutorial itself is such a drawn-out process that it took me close to an hour before I was able to create a fighter.
The loading times do improve once you get into the career mode, but it’s still a slow process. If you can be patient with the constant stoppages in gameplay, I think you’re going enjoy Undisputed 3.
Create a fighter
One of UFC Undisputed franchise’s strengths has been the comprehensive Create a Fighter mode. This year’s edition of the game is no different. You control every detail of your character’s creation. This includes tattoos, clothing and the body composition of the fighter. This is the one thing about the game that I’ve been impressed with since the beginning of the franchise. There’s simply nothing you can’t do with your character.
Career Mode
The game’s developers re-vamped how the career mode is played. You start the mode by first creating your character. Then you have to engage in a drill which will recommend a difficulty for the particular career mode you’ve chosen. Let me warn you not to take this lightly. The game recommended that I play at the advanced level. I thought that I wasn’t ready for that difficulty level, so I chose to play my first character as a beginner. It didn’t matter. I lost two of my first three fights before I finally figured it out. It’s going to take some time to get used to the game, even if you’re a veteran of the series. Consider yourself warned. The game isn’t easy, even if you start at the beginner level.
Once you begin your career, it’s a slow but compelling process to the top of your weight division. Thus far I’ve played through four years in the game, and I’m still getting a grip on how to complete all of the training sessions with top marks. Though my fighter is 14-2 at the moment, his statistics aren’t what they should be. So be prepared to spend some time figuring things out before you build your character into a superstar. My guess is that you’ll be counting on your second created fighter to become an all-powerful mixed martial artist.
Overall, this game has already proven well worth its $60 price tag. I can’t wait to see what else I can accomplish in UFC Undisputed 3.
