EA Sports UFC 5

I won't hide the fact that I would rather see a return of the Fight Night series than a new UFC game. Especially since the latter has largely only offered four rather mediocre titles. And while EA Sports UFC 5 is no masterpiece, it's still an improvement on previous years.

What has contributed most to this development is the upgrade of the graphics engine from Ignite to Frostbite. Admittedly, this is a 15-year-old graphics engine that has been in FIFA (and EA Sports FC) since 2016, so the UFC series is a little late to the party, but better late than never. And I have to commend what a huge leap has been made in the appearance of various injuries. The blood feels realistic and spreads out over the face, body, and can even be seen on the gloves of the person doing the hitting. However, personally, it can feel like it's a little too easy to start bleeding, but that's something I'm willing to take when it looks awfully pretty. The looks of the fighters are also lovely, if you can describe someone who is constantly being punched in the face like that. It's undoubtedly the closest we've come to their real looks in this five-game series.

The thing about UFC 5 is that it is guaranteed to entertain die-hard fans of the sport more than anyone else. I think this is because the grappling system, which is still the game's weakest point, will scare away most people who don't know all the terms and whether it's better to be in side control or full mount. In addition, it is a system that is very complicated for beginners. Those who choose to master this will have a huge advantage over everyone else. Once you have achieved, or suffered a takedown, a couple of options will appear on the screen. If you're on top, you'll have the choice of trying a submission or good old fashioned ground and pound. Hold the left joystick in the direction you prefer. If you're at the bottom, it's a spider's web of choices. You need to change position to avoid being knocked flat as a pancake. The same applies here, hold the joystick to try to get into a more positive position, but your opponent can interrupt your attempt while the meter fills up. Succeed well enough and the chance to stand up appears. Keep the joystick up and hope for the best. The main problem with this system is that it is simply not fun. However, it still looks good and has better flow than the previous version three years ago.

It's like night and day between this and everything that happens when both fighters stand up. This is where the game is at its most fun. It can feel like a real chess match where you have to take your chances when they appear, but where a constant offence will only lead to trouble. In comparison, on the ground it is also chess, but with all the pieces as pawns. Also, it's a thousand times more satisfying to bring down an opponent with a kick to the jaw than to lie down and pull hard on the arm (in reality, I wouldn't want to suffer either). The basic kicks and punches are done with the four buttons on the controller and then they can be modified by using the joystick and LB/RB and LT/RT (L1/R1 and L2/R2 on the Playstation). This means that there is a plethora of different offensive possibilities and a customised character can be made almost any way you like. I complained in previous years that the blows didn't really feel like they were landing, like there was some force behind them. This year it does. I get a real blow to the head and it's almost like my head starts to hurt for real. There are also sound effects that can be really nasty at times, where it sounds like bones are breaking.

EA seems to have tried to go for a tougher, more adult attitude this year. Not that beating someone bloody has ever been particularly child-friendly, it feels even harder now. Not only with these sound effects and various visible injuries, but the career mode cutscenes offer several f-bombs. The first time I thought I heard wrong. EA can't do that in one of their sports games. Then it came twice more in the same sentence. Oops hello yes. By the way, the career mode hasn't changed much, but it's still very good. Create a fighter, start fighting in cages in car parks and work your way up to the UFC championship belt by picking a fight, have a few weeks of training camp and try to hype the fight. My Irish fighter, with the green Viking beard and braided hair, Paddy Duffee has now reached the top. At the top of the light heavyweight division with a single loss. In one of the very first fights where I was strangled before I got comfortable with the controller. Incidentally, that was the only offensive thing my opponent did. This is also one of the things that makes the game so interesting to play. Even though you can be completely superior, one misstep can result in a loss.

This is something that will quickly be noticed online. The game has a few different fun game modes to choose from and thankfully Ultimate Team has not returned. Online ranking is there, of course, but Blitz Battles also returns. This was an addition that impressed last time and it's a game mode where the rules change periodically to different numbers of rounds, different ways to win and more. A fun sidetrack from all the regular matches. In addition, there are unranked matches and online career where your created fighter tries to reach number one. You can also play locally with another player. And you can do it as an incredible number of people. I haven't counted myself, but there should be over 250 unique fighters.

EA Sports UFC 5 is the best game in this sport. The new graphics engine has brought new life to the series, but otherwise not much has changed in the three years since the last game was released. Standing up and fighting is still a lot of fun, but when the fighting drops to the floor, so does the entertainment. If they can resolve the grappling on the ground into something more fun next time, this will be a big hit.