UFC: Sudden Impact

"Ultimately one of the the better mixed martial arts fighting game to date."

Lights flash and music blasts against the screaming fans upon your entrance to the infamous Octogon where your opponent waits to claim either victory or defeat... This is your career in the UFC!

Graphics: 8/10
UFC: Sudden Impact has some very good graphics for a fighting game of this variety but the edges could use some refinement, especially when you and your opponent go to the ground for submission moves.

However, the motion graphics of your fighter and the opposing fighter are very fine and fluid. Basic strikes and kicks don't have any polygon edges as some other games of the same genre. Even the takedowns have easy frame transitions.

Control: 8.5/10
The movement for your fighter is easy with the directional pad, but to execute the high damaging combinations requires, I feel, too much skill with the buttons to enjoy the full flavor of the game. If you spend all your time worrying about how to pull off a killer knockout punch-kick combination, you'll miss out on all the rest of the game.

When fighting on the ground, preventing your fighter from being submitted is fairly difficult unless you time your counter just right. However, the timing to counter moves makes the game more challenging and more enjoyable. I just feel it should be made a little easier to get out from under a submission situation.

Gameplay: 7.5/10
The story mode in UFC: Sudden Impact is very good as you have to 100% customize your fighter and go through three years of training in different gyms and fight in small tournaments. Your fighter gains experience and strengths in both attributes and fighting moves as you pass the trials in story mode. Your fighter can be created into a small, lightweight striker or a super heavyweight knockout puncher.

Once you've graduated from story mode you can enter the tournaments to claim your weight division's title. Your goal is to win each fight by either knockout or submission. Unfortunately, after winning the title there isn't much else to do with the game except create a new fighter and do it all over again.

There are some unlockables in the game but in the long run they really don't extend the playing time of the game and exist solely to spice up the short runs.

Overall: 8/10
All in all I'd give UFC: Sudden Impact an 8 out of 10 for the fighting you can do and the fun it can give. The only major drawback is the short playing time once you've graduated and won the title in your weight division. I suppose the only long term playing goal is to successfully pass each training test given to you and create the Ultimate Fighter.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 10/27/05