Thread: Review: Fight Night Round 4

Okay, since I posted a short review of UFC 2009 I think it's fair to also give my views on FN4. (I've played both games only on Xbox360 in case that makes a difference)

Those who've read my

Code:

Content visible to registered users only.

, know that I really enjoyed that game. Now after playing some FN4 too I think UFC is easily the best sports fighting game out now. Almost everything in that game is better except loading times that at least on 360 are annoying at times. (Maybe if copied to HDD it would load faster, haven't tried yet)

Fight Night 4 isn't that big leap from FN3 no matter what the promo video or some of the earlier previews were telling. Sure the movements are more fluid, better animations, adjusted controls (not necessarily for better!) and some other smaller things. That said FN4 is better than FN3 but one thing that kind of bothers me is that it's not a step to a more realistic boxing game direction but several steps to a more arcade like experience.

Most fights in FN4 are like watching Rocky. Guys take hundreds of direct hits to head or even more to stomach without any significant effect to their health or stamina. This gets even more ridiculous in some of the lighter weight classes. The legacy mode starts of kind of ok but quickly when fighters stamina goes up it just becomes a punch fest. Not necessarily bad but not what I was expecting after all the promo videos and previews telling how this is THE most realistic boxing game. It definitely isn't and FN3 was more to that direction than this.

Another bigger issue, compared to FN3, is the new control scheme. It's easier pull body punches now with just pushing the right stick down and that's good a chance. And also right stick to side is making a body punch without the need for a modifier button like in FN3. But the problem now is that many times there are accidental punches to head/body when trying to actually hit the opposite. This seems almost random at times and doing well coordinated down/up/down or reverse combos is almost random. There is still a modifier button for body punches but I've not found any real use for that. Good thing is that the haymaker punches have their own modifier button now and are harder to pull off and more importantly a lot slower so their easy to block or counter. So haymaker punches are not dominating the fights anymore like in FN3 and at least in fights I've played so far CPU is not over using those.

CPU fights fairly good and is not a super human compared to a human controlled fighter. Although, CPU still at times strikes through perfect blocks and does very powerful counter punches even when out of stamina or with lesser boxers who shouldn't be able to that kind of things (especially when out of stamina).

One thing UFC 2009 does so well, the knock outs. They're brutal in that game and can end a fight at any moment. FN4 is more to like that than FN3 but still knock outs are a bit of a hassle. Good thing in FN4 is that there are more critical hits now but I hate that those only seem to be possible off counter punches which is annoying. One could be hitting the opponent with uppercuts directly to face without any significant damage all night but making a counter punch with the very same uppercut can cause critical damage. Not very realistic and this whole chasing counters can make head-to-head matches boring. Of course counters are significant part of any fighting game but they shouldn't cause several times more damage than the same strike normally (when a unblocked direct hit). It's now possible to directly knock opponent down without them first becoming "rocked". Still, most times though the opponent first becomes rocked and then takes upto 10 more heavy hits before actually falling down. And, many times the opponent can recover amazingly quickly so knock downs still need some work. This might be a developer's decision though because now head-to-head matches can last much longer compared to UFC2009. (one more gripe about knock outs, for some opponents it still takes 5-6 knock downs before they stay down.)

To normal EA style the menus are well done and quite fast. Plenty of licensed music in the soundtrack. Overall everything shows they got high production value. Graphics are better than in FN3 but not a huge leap. Collision detection is so so, definitely nowhere close to that of UFC 2009. Still a lot punches that are not correctly detect and punches that barely touch sending guys to the floor. Textures are way too shiny and everything looks very plastic like.

Fight Night Round 4 is a good boxing game but THQ really surprised with UFC 2009 and that game is better in almost every area. (Sure it helps that MMA is much more exciting than plain old boxing).


oh, and the trainings in career (legacy) mode still suck and no there are almost too many different exercises to do. This is a fighting game, I want to fight not spend that much time fiddling around in the menus or stupid exercises.

fucks wit tha ufc

My career in the Legacy mode got in to endless loop. Fucking bastards, definitely not going to start from beginning again. Bugs like this totally ruin games. Good thing mine was a review copy so I didn't have to pay for it. (still pissed that my association mode game in NBA2k9 got corrupted *shakes fist*)

Two things:
1) In legacy mode never accept any challenge fights except the mandatory ones. My savegame got into a loop because I accepted a fight and after the year end awards was challenged to another fight which I accepted too. (There's like 5 months between the fightss but the game just keeps looping around the first fight date. None of the fight day options does anything, select one and the menu just pops back up.)

2) It's way too easy win fights on points. I got my first belt in the heavyweight division while my average rating was still around 70, but I still have undefeated record. (Won against all the big guys on a first try. Ali, Foreman, etc) Just keep making punches to body and stepping back after every punch or combo. If you're good with the left trigger leaning just lean back/to side and counter. Rinse and repeat. Works in every fight, against every opponent. The AI is just horrible at boxing. Most of the time the AI doesn't even both blocking body punches -> one punch, move back, move closer, body punch, step back, etc. After the AI opponent gets exhausted go for a knockout if you got powerful enough boxer.

At least the AI is not always gunning forward constantly like in FN3 where counter punching was too easy way to win against AI, but the AI in FN4 is just too passive. (there some exceptions but usually that's just an odd round here and there, and then the AI goes back to sucking)