Sequel to 2014’s EA Sports UFC, UFC 2 marks a considerable improvement over its predecessor. With the mediocre reception of the first game, the development team clearly put a lot of effort into improving the same concepts.
When both fighters are on their feet, there is nothing quite like the ferocity of UFC 2. With greatly improved physics, players must keep several mechanics in mind including how to manage stamina. Knowing when to hit is the key to winning the battle. It gets a lot messier when players are on the ground. It is far too restrictive, predictable with most transitions not looking as natural as they should. The animations also don’t feel as smooth as they do while standing up.
There a handful of modes available in UFC 2. A regular match and practice mode are expected, but the game also includes the standard Career and Ultimate Team modes. Career, as the name suggests, is all about creating your own character and taking him through UFC ranks. Ultimate Team mode consists of building decks of cards and then fighting other people’s decks to earn coins.
My favourite of them all is Knockout Mode which plays similar to a regular match, but players can only win via knockout. It does the best job of highlighting the tension and violence that usually accompanies a straight up UFC grudge match.
The biggest draw for EA Sports’ games is the authenticity and use of licence. The game features over 250 characters, both male and female, with lifelike character models. A respectful attention to detail is also been given to the referees and arenas.
EA Sports UFC 2 is great game standing up. When the fighters go to ground, it ranges from tolerable to messy. But its visual prowess and presentation should not be overlooked and it will satisfy those looking for an authentic UFC game. Like most of its sports titles, EA needs to put in more effort in the gameplay and the game modes in the next installment.
